A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be able to gather for one of our three day team offsites. If you haven’t heard about our past adventures, be sure to check out some of our old blog posts to see how much fun we have!
This year was particularly special because we were able to spend much of the offsite in our new upstate office space! While it isn’t quite ready for its big reveal, we’re all very excited to have a new home base when we’re upstate. It was great to spend a few days there – and it’ll be even better when it’s all done.
Creative Session with Dana McClure
Marica had the brilliant idea that we should start our offsite by unplugging and getting creative. Dana McClure, Hudson Valley based artist and entrepreneur (check out our conversation with her in our inaugural issue of Valley MMag!) led the session. As architects, we have to be able to use both our left and right brains. Dana’s session was all about finding a way to get the two sides to play together. She shared her process for creating some of her pieces and had us try it for ourselves.
We began by tracing shapes from a variety of sources and collaging them together to create a new line drawing. We then found bits and pieces of texture and color to collage into the shapes within the line drawing. Finally, we filled in remaining areas with solid color paints. By creating a set of rules for ourselves and then playing within them, we were able to each create unique and colorful pieces of our own art.
Telling Our Story
Part of what we do as architects is tell a compelling story – to and about our clients. We often weave anecdotes into descriptions of plans – “and this is a breakfast nook, it’s a great place for your kids to hang out, do homework, have a snack after school” – to help our clients visualize their lives in their new home.
We were lucky enough to get a bit of practice and coaching in how to get better at telling those stories with the help of guest speaker Stewart Bewly. His company, Amplify, works with businesses to coach them in storytelling and public speaking. It was a fantastic session that got us thinking creatively about how to clearly and compellingly tell our own stories. We’re excited to start applying some of Stew’s tips to Studio MM!
Site Visits
A large part of our offsite is always spent on site visits. It’s a great way for us to see each other’s projects and to explore new sites. This time around we visited construction progress at AA House, which is eagerly awaiting roof trusses and window install.
We also checked out a beautiful waterfall-adjacent site for a project we’re calling Vannstrøm, and a potential site for prospective clients.
Undercliff recently started construction, so we stopped by to see footing formwork and all of the drainage work that has been completed.
Finally, were also super lucky to see the fully completed Bluestone Road Reno. We can’t share photos of the project quite yet, but we were all impressed at the impeccable interiors and excellent detailing.
Design Charrette
A key part of every offsite is some kind of design charrette – this time around, we spent a late afternoon dreaming and scheming about our new office. Our three teams each conceived of different office arrangements and storage options for all of the necessities. We’re looking forward to having a central location for our material library and a beautiful office space for those of us who work upstate and we can’t wait to share the finished & furnished space with all of you!
Team Bonding
No offsite is complete with some team bonding! On the work side, we had some productive and honest conversations about our personal and professional goals. On the fun side, we enjoyed a lot of amazing food and enjoyed a couple of evenings by the firepit at Starlite Motel. We also enjoyed our first (of many!) roof deck sunsets from the new office. It was a great way to connect, spend some time together and look ahead to next year!
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