Updated at 6:45 p.m.: Revised to include information about the tower collapsing.

Ann Spillman and her sister Jane Spillman Wansley walked out into the field by the Leaning Tower of Dallas and marveled at what they saw.

The dusty, gray remains of the building stood tilted against the skyline with its crumbled exterior after it was partially imploded Feb. 16. In the days since the failed implosion, the towers slow demolition has become the subject of memes and cheeky marketing strategies, solidifying its status as an accidental Dallas icon.

But the former Affiliated Computer Services building isnt just a meme or a questionable landmark to Spillman and Wansley. The concrete core they watched being slowly torn apart in front of them was partially designed by their father, Pat Y. Spillman of Fisher and Spillman Architects.

He was a very determined person, Wansley said. In his office, he had a quote that said: Fall down seven times, get up eight ... I always liked that one.

Pat Y. Spillman died in 2016. The celebrated architects firm designed the Dallas Central Library and several buildings on the UT Southwestern Medical School campus.

The Leaning Tower, which was first owned by the Southland Corporation, was built in 1972. According to Dallas Morning News archives, the structure was built from the inside-out. The core was put together using a slip method, in which concrete was poured floor by floor until the structure stood 11 stories tall. The tower rose 6 inches an hour as builders worked around the clock, The News reported.

Once the buildings interior was at its full height, workers installed steel bars and the exterior was built around it. The Feb. 16 implosion demolished those steel bars, leaving just the concrete core. A wrecking ball had to be brought in to whack away at the concrete.

In the video you see online, its a little bitty wrecking ball and a great big building, Spillman said. The wrecking ball looked like a little pearl necklace.

On Monday afternoon, that pearl-like wrecking ball hit the tower for the last time, causing it to finally fall to the ground.

Its 15 minutes (or days) of fame are over, Spillman said via text message.

Their brother, Pat Spillman Jr. of Washington, D.C., learned about the Leaning Tower as most people did: through the internet. But he didnt know that his father had designed the building until he was contacted by The News.

I didn't focus on it and see that not only was this my dad's design, but I actually worked there, he said. And I immediately called my sister.

Pat Spillman made $5 an hour working on a landscaping project during the summer of 1978, years after the building was fully constructed. He said his father helped him apply for the construction job to build character, perhaps to eventually be tough, like the part of the building that stood until Monday.

They designed buildings to last, Pat Spillman Jr. said. The fact that this building refuses to go down without a fight kind of shows that.

Dallas resident George Gimarc shared in a Facebook post that his father and three brothers worked on the site from 1972 to 1973. One picture he shared shows workers hoisting large slabs of concrete onto the building. Another image shows what the building looked like when it was finished.

Yeah, we build things tough, he said in the post of his familys handiwork.

His father, Johnny Gimarc, who died in 2007, worked for Robert E. McKee General Contractors and was the construction superintendent on the project. He also helped build Dallas City Hall and the Statler Hotel.

My dad would think this was hilarious, George Gimarc said. He would find enormous amusement in this.

His brother, Alex Gimarc, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, said he couldnt recall much of the sweltering summer he spent on the site between his junior and senior years at Texas A&M University, but there was one detail he was certain of.

There was a lot of concrete used on the building, he said. ... just a whole bunch of concrete on the darn thing.

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'Yeah, we build things tough': Children of Leaning Tower of Dallas architect, contractor say of dads' work - The Dallas Morning News

By: Sebastian Morris 7:30 am on March 6, 2020

Construction is nearing completion at 730 Hicks Street, a three-story condominium development in Red Hook, Brooklyn. From developer Shiraz Sanjana, the building comprises 16,000 square feet and will contain 15 residences.

Designed by Marin Architects, the condominiums will average approximately 1,600 square feet apiece and are expected to debut before the close of 2020. When complete, the development will also include ten parking spaces, cellar-level storage, and gardens surrounding the property. The exterior is meant to evoke the industrial history of the Red Hook neighborhood and is comprised of dark brick and large windows similar to those installed at warehouse buildings.

Current view of 730 Hicks Street Marin Architects

Current view of faade at 730 Hicks Street Marin Architects

Rendering of 730 Hicks Street Marin Architects

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Condominium Building Nears Completion At 730 Hicks Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn - New York YIMBY

Architecture has lost a great visionary. Budapest-born French architect Yona Friedman died at age 96 on Feb. 20.

Friedman left us with a lot to remember. Some obituaries commemorated his pioneering work some of it with UNESCO on self-sufficiency, empowerment and do-it-yourself architecture. Others have restated the influence his emblematic Spatial City (Ville Spatiale) a three-dimensional grid floating above urban and natural territories and populated by mobile dwellings had on an entire generation of architectural experimentation.

Others yet have recognized his bold theories about social transformation and the necessity of fluid mobility in buildings and cities or recalled his experiments using computers to help inhabitants plan the Spatial City when architects were only just beginning to explore using computers.

Perhaps Friedmans most remarkable feat was the presentation of bold visions about the future of cities, human societies and how to allocate environmental resources, with a level of detail that made them appear like imminently realizable scenarios. His realizable utopias as he called them moved between a sober plan and a daring dream.

As a scholar of architectural computing, I have been studying Friedmans work for several years with interest and intrigue. My aim has been to uncover historical and critical insights that his work can offer to contemporary visions of digital architecture and computational design.

Friedmans ideas about ethical interventions of technology on peoples design choices can enrich contemporary discussions about open source architecture and how non-architects can be empowered to design.

At the same time, Friedmans discussion of technology as an infrastructure that sets limits on permissible choices was a prophetic metaphor for design processes that are now tied with computers and computational methods.

For example, Friedman imagined the Spatial City as a three-dimensional grid where each cell was a building block and inhabitants could recombine these building blocks to produce different spatial configurations.

Defining design as a process of combining and configuring discrete entities is common in contemporary discussions of digital architecture. However, there is also growing critique to this Lego-like approach to design, which may clash with both practical realities of building and limit how we understand creativity.

In my research, I have also examined how Friedman used visual representation as a way to move between mathematical and architectural ideas.

Around 1964, at the peak of his fame with the Spatial City, Friedman decided he would not draw another line. Instead, he would try to justify that his architectural ideas were a product of careful reasoning.

He pursued visiting scholar appointments in North American universities. There, he came in contact with an emerging genre of research that positioned mathematics and logic as the foundation of architecture and planning. Friedman published several articles that mathematically described the mechanisms by which the Spatial City would function.

Friedman began to represent architecture through mathematical diagrams of discrete elements, such as rooms, and their relationships. These graphs, as the diagrams were called, also showed how people moved through a space for example, as seen in Friedmans 1978 plans for designing David dAngers Lyce in Angers, France.

Graph representations of floor plans and of human activities were not new. They had appeared in building science in the early 1960s. But Friedman was key in expanding their uses beyond the practical problem of designing efficient buildings. Instead, he used them as the basis of a new theory of scientific architecture.

Among other things, the book proposed a speculative computer system, the FLATWRITER, that would automate the production of floor plans based on a future users habitual activities. Journalist and critic Michel Ragon, co-founder with Friedman of an influential art and architecture group, urged French planners to take Friedmans ideas seriously.

Friedmans mathematical theories, he argued, would inform work on the so-called evolutionary dwelling (habitat evolutif). This was a form of flexible social housing that architects and planners were experimenting with for the design of new towns in the late 1960s.

In the United States, Friedmans work aligned with emerging developments in computer-aided design. Around 1973, MITs Architecture Machine Group invited Friedman as a visiting researcher in a project called Architecture By Yourself. The project included the development of a computer system called YONA (Your Own Native Architect) that would enable non-architects to design their own houses.

In 2012, I interviewed Friedman in his Paris apartment and asked him why he had adopted graphs. He recalled that he first encountered graphs through the eminent mathematician Frank Harary, who was also known as Mr. Graph Theory.

Harary promoted the visual and esthetic aspects of graph representations. Graphs could be drawn with pencil and paper and were intuitive to interpret. Friedman reported being attracted by that quality.

What Friedman did not talk about, however, was that the drawings of graphs points and lines spoke the same skeletal language as drawings of the spatial citys nodes and rods. Friedmans mathematical explorations then, show a unique capacity to use visual similarity and a consistent language of representation as a way to build bridges between concrete architectures and their mathematical abstractions.

As architects continue to grapple with such abstractions in the context of computational design, Friedmans work has a staying power. Friedman moved between mathematical abstractions, algorithmic ideas and architectural proposals poetically and evocatively. The outcome was one of perhaps the most prescient cultural commentaries on what skeletal structures real and conceptual, physical and mathematical could mean for architecture.

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How architect Yona Friedman used math to design utopian cities of the future - The Conversation CA

Some of Southern Californias most iconic buildings stand as silent monuments to a little-publicized pioneer.

Paul Revere Williams, the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects, not only designed homes for Hollywood legends from the 1930s through the 1960s but also fashioned the futuristic-looking Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, the Angelus Funeral Home in South Los Angeles and a portion of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The subject of three books by his granddaughter, Karen Hudson, Williams life and legacy are now the focus of an hourlong documentary with a Thursday premiere on PBS SoCal (KOCE-TV), and will show again Friday at 2 a.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. Following the California debut, it will air on nearly 200 PBS stations across the country and be available to stream at PBSSoCal.org/hollywoodsarchitect.

In addition to giving Williams his close-up, filmmakers hope that Hollywoods Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story will spark discussion of broader concerns.

Kathy McCampbell Vance, left, and Royal Kennedy Rodgers are co-directors and co-producers of Hollywoods Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story.

(Judy Licht Photography)

We want to do more than just a biopic, said Royal Kennedy Rodgers, co-director and co-producer of the film, more than eight years in the making. We talk about two of the biggest issues of today. One, the lack of diversity in the field of architecture, and also preservation is a big angle, because much of his work has been lost. There is a new focus in the African American community on preserving African American historic sites.

Born in 1894 and orphaned at age 4, Williams overcame numerous obstacles to join a profession that remains largely white.

As a child, Williams described bumping into a blank wall of discouragement, according to the film, narrated by actor Courtney B. Vance.

That included a teacher who very clearly told him, You cannot be an architect, Hudson recounted in the film. Your people will not be able to afford you and white people will not hire you. Be a doctor or a lawyer, because your people always need those.

Architect Paul Revere Williams in 1970.

(Los Angeles Times)

Williams gained his architects license in 1921 and got his big break a year later when he was tapped to design homes in the new community of Flintridge, in the San Gabriel Valley. During a career that spanned five decades, Williams designed more than 3,000 buildings across the globe.

His list of celebrity clients included Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. As a gift for actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas, a friend of his, he designed the original star-shaped St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis.

Yet during much of his career, Williams was blocked by racist laws and customs from living in many of the neighborhoods that contained his homes. And to forestall conflict with white clients, who might balk at sitting next to him, Williams learned how to sketch his designs upside down a skill that became his trademark.

The Paul Williams story is really one of inspiration and motivation and dedication, said Kathy McCampbell Vance, co-director and co-producer (no relation to Courtney Vance).

The Robert Norman Williams Residence in Ontario is among the modernist-style homes designed by architect Paul R. Williams.

(Cameron Carothers)

This man was facing incredible odds from his birth to the time he died, she said. Yet he rose to a level of elegance and eloquence that few people who have been given a silver spoon rise to. He had to have true grit in order to survive and navigate this world.

Williams died in 1980 at age 85. Since the 1990s, interest in his accomplishments has been slowly growing.

At its 2017 convention, the American Institute of Architects gave a posthumous Gold Medal, its highest honor, to Williams, the first African American architect to win the award.

Between 1993 and 2012, Hudson published three books on her groundbreaking grandfather: Paul R. Williams, Architect: A Legacy of Style (Rizzoli, 1993), Paul R. Williams, Classic Hollywood Style (Rizzoli, 2012) and The Will and the Way (Rizzoli, 1994), a biography for grade-schoolers.

Kennedy Rodgers, a former PBS producer and correspondent, became interested in Williams story after hosting a book party for Hudson. She brought in McCampbell Vance and the two approached PBS.

This Spanish Colonial-style house was designed in 1928 by architect-to-the-stars Paul R. Williams, whose work spanned a wide range of styles.

(Lacey Wood)

Paul Williams designed in so many different styles that I dont think he was appreciated for being a great architect, because he didnt have quote unquote, a particular style, observed Michelle Merker, program development manager with KOCE-TV. He really built whatever the client wanted, and thats what made him so unique.

Hudson and Kennedy Rodgers hope the documentary will introduce Williams to a new audience.

While coffee-table books are significant records of an individuals work, they are not always available to everyday people, Hudson told The Times. Any vehicle that brings his life and legacy alive through visual means, like a documentary, simply enhances the journey.

In 2015, more than 90 years after Williams became the AIAs first African American member, a study by the organization showed its black membership still was less than 2%.

Weve experienced architecture mostly [from] the perspectives of white males, said Michael Ford, a designer with international architectural firm SmithGroup, whos helping create a hip-hop museum in the Bronx. We can see in the body of work of Paul Williams that there are other great design minds.

Ford said he hopes Williams story, and others that will surface, become reference points that move things forward on a quest to diversify the profession.

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This architect of classic Hollywood gets his own star turn - Los Angeles Times

situated in the traditional village of oia, and boasting a prominent position on santorinis caldera, kapsimalis architects has realized saint hotel. known for its rugged landscape that was shaped by an ancient volcano, the islands cave suites have become a popular haven for tourists. this recent project saw the reconstruction of existing buildings on the cliffside to create an idyllic hotel complex in keeping with classic cycladic architecture.

all images giorgos sfakianakis

the existing caves on the site had previously been used as storage areas, barns and cellars. there was also an old cubist residence in the north-east corner of the plot. given the ruined condition of the buildings, kapsimalis architects worked to restore and redesign the structures. the new hotel program comprises a small reception, sixteen suites, a restaurant, a common pool area and a spa/gym. built over six levels, the finished complex boasts unobstructed views, providing guests with the ultimate santoriniexperience.

the entrance to saint hotel is located on the upper level of the complex and can be reached on foot via the main pedestrian street in oia. on this level the outdoor lounge area can also be found. an external staircase cuts through the middle of the scheme and provides a central circulation route. this path connects the various private suites before arriving at the lowest level, which contains the restaurant and the infinity pool area, as well as the spa reception, a small gym, massage rooms, hammam, sauna booths, w/c, storage areas and a private relaxation space on the cliff edge.

when approaching the project kapsimalis architects sought to create a contemporary architecture that makes reference to the cubist morphology of the previous residence, while also remaining sensitive to the caldera landscape. the restored caves therefore retain important aspects of traditional cycladic buildings, such as the use of white and a human scale. the new intervention does, however, rotate the openings to better frame the panorama.

when viewed from above, one can appreciate how the new hotel complex folds into the terrain. the completed suites gently fit into the environment and the existing contours of the site.

inside, the interior follows the same minimal approach. white has been applied to every surface, with only the subtlest touches of gold and green added. the resulting spaces bring a focus to the blue sea outside and the curved ceilings of the rooms. overall, the design by kapsimalis architects is a contemporary take on cycladic architecture that offers an idyllic place to enjoy the beautifully scenic greek island.

project info:

project name: saint hotel

location: oia, santorini, greece

architecture & interior design: kapsimalis architects (2015-2019)

photography: giorgos sfakianakis

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readershere.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom

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kapsimalis architects builds idyllic 'saint hotel' into the caves of santorini - Designboom

Employees are encouraged to take a breather at the expanded, Santa Monica headquarters for meditation company Headspace, which was designed by American firm Montalba Architects.

The office is located in the Bergamot Station Arts Center, a former trolley stop and industrial campus that has been converted into galleries, design studios and offices.

Headspace which was founded in 2010 in London and offers various meditation services, including a popular app has been based at the Santa Monica complex since 2016.

Due to its rapid growth, the company needed more space. It turned to Montalba Architects, which is also located in Bergamot Station, to renovate and expand its headquarters. The overall aim was to create an environment that aligned with the company's mission to "improve the health and happiness of the world".

"It was important that the office's design reflect the company's values of mindfulness, innovation and dedicated purpose," the team said in a description.

The project entailed extending the company's office into an adjacent, two-storey building and creating an outdoor courtyard. The full project totalled 22,000 square feet (2,044 square metres).

The team also upgraded structural components and building systems, such as electrical, plumbing and drainage.

To give the building a clean look, walls, ceilings and other surfaces were painted white. Concrete floors were paired with white oak finishes and contemporary decor, including whimsical spinning chairs from Herman Miller. Rubber and felt were used in select areas, such as pinup spaces, for acoustical purposes.

On the ground floor, the team placed a variety of workspaces, several conference rooms and a spacious kitchen. The upper level houses an executive suite, additional meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace.

The office is configured in a way that allows employees to work and socialise as a group, or to have moments of solitude.

"To honour the core values of the company, we created small spaces where employees could find a moment of personal solace that wouldn't deter from the surrounding communal environment," said firm principal David Montalba.

"Freestanding meditation pods and quiet meditation areas are available throughout the space to allow employees additional moments of solitude whenever necessary."

One of the key features in the office is a wide stairway that provides access to the second floor while also serving as a seating area. A large screen rolls down in the front of the stairs, allowing for presentations.

A glass, bi-fold garage door separates the stairs from the courtyard, where employees can take in sunlight and fresh air. The outdoor space also helps brighten up interior rooms.

"The open-air enclosure filters light and greenery into previously dark, isolated spaces and offers a necessary moment of reprieve within the buzzing office environment," the team said.

Started in 2004, Montalba Architects is based in Santa Monica and has a satellite office in Lausanne, Switzerland. Other projects by the studio include an Equinox gym in Vancouver that features earthy materials paired with concrete, and the conversion of a trailer into a mobile dental clinic.

Photography is by Kevin Scott.

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Montalba Architects incorporates meditation areas into Headspace office - Dezeen

Seattle-based firm LMN Architects has just completed its renovation and expansionof the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park, which will reopen to the public on February 8.

A major element of the two-year, $56-million project was the renovation of the original museum, a palatial Art Deco building designed by Bebb and Gould in 1933. The buildings ornate walls, floors, and ceiling elements were renovated to meet code requirements, and the climate control and seismic systems were also updated. Overhead lightboxes that emulate natural daylighting were embedded into the ceilings of the main gallery spaces. The museums central component, the Fuller Garden Court, has been renovated to its original condition to connect to a new lobby space.

Aerial view of the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park. (Tim Griffith)

The buildings program spaces have been vertically connected by a glassy new lobby that provides unobstructed views of the surrounding park. A new, 2,648-square-foot gallery has been attached to the northeast facade of the original building on the opposite side of the main visitor entrance, adding significantly more space for its permanent collection and special exhibitions. The addition contrasts the original buildings opulent aesthetic with continuous floor-to-ceiling windows for maximum daylight exposure. To work on a historic building like this is a real privilege and honor, said Sam Miller, partner-in-charge at LMN Architects. Working with SAAM was a great fit, because our focus is also about creating great social experiences and connecting to community. We hope the addition adds significance to the original historic building, and we are very excited for everyone to visit the museum and experience the renovation and addition for themselves.

The museums architectural upgrade gave rise to an opportunity for its curators to reimagine the organization of its vast collection of Asian artifacts. The newly renovated and expanded Asian Art Museum breaks boundaries to offer a thematic, rather than geographic or chronological, exploration of art from the worlds largest continent, the museum announcedon its website. This method of curation will take place across both the original and recently-added gallery spaces.

A free weekend-long community celebration will take place on February 8 to inaugurate the reopening of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

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LMN Architects reveals newly renovated Seattle Asian Art Museum - The Architect's Newspaper

Ready to find that next endeavor in your architectural career? If you're in need of a starting point for yourjob hunt,why not have a look at the latest listings from last week's Employer of the Day featured firms.

Selldorf Architects is hiring a highly experienced Senior Project Architect in their New York office. The role seeks a fully competent professional architect with 12+ years experience who will lead the Architectural team alongside a Project Manager.

In New York, Sawyer | Berson Architecture & Landscape Architecture is seeking highly motivated, skilled Architectural Renderers and Interior Design Renderers for high-end residential projects. Ideal candidates for both rolesshould have experience creating attractive, presentation-quality renderings, and a solid understanding of applying materials, furnishings, lighting, and composition.

Based in Bainbridge Island, Washington, Cutler Anderson Architects is seeking an Intermediate Architectural Designer to support projects locally and nationally. Experience in high-end residential, commercial projects, multi-family projects and some construction experience is preferred.

COOKFOX has multiple listings for their New York studio. They're currently seeking an experiencedHR Manager, a Junior Architect (2-3 years of experience), and an Intermediate Architect (3-7 years of experience).

Welch Design Studio in El Segundo, CA is hiring an intermediate or senior-level Architecture Specialist. Those applying should be highly motivated, highly skilled in the tools of the trade (Revit, Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D Studio Max, etc.), and have great communication skills both written and verbal.

If you don't already, keep track ofEmployer of the DayonFacebook,Twitter,Pinterest, or theArchinect Jobs Instagram.

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Check out these featured job opportunities at Selldorf Architects, Sawyer | Berson, Cutler Anderson Architects, COOKFOX, and Welch Design Studio -...

What do Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Denzel Washington, Bob Iger, Cary Grant and Michelle Pfeiffer have in common? They all lived in homes designed by a man who, some 40 years after his death, is finally having his moment.

Hollywoods Architect, a new documentary directed and produced by Royal Kennedy Rodgers and Kathy McCampbell Vance which will air on PBS SoCal as part of Black History Month chronicles the life and work of Paul R. Williams, the African American architect behind more than 3000 famous homes and sites, particularly in Los Angeles. One Holmby Hills home formerly owned by Reagan and Jane Wyman recently went on the market for $7 million. (It cost Williams a little over $12,000 to build in 1938.) Williams was known for mastering the Spanish Colonial, modernist California look, with grand entryways and spiral staircases that made just about everyone feel like a star. Sinatra proudly gave Edward R. Murrow a tour of his Williams home on an episode of Person to Person.

In addition to all the homes, parts of the Los Angeles Airport, the Hollywood hangout Chasens and the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel were designed by the formerly underappreciated architect. (That is his handwritten Beverly Hills Hotel on the iconic sign.) Jimmy Fallon and Russell Crowe are among others who still love particular Williams-designed public rooms there. Danny Thomas became a close friend of Williams and, as his daughter Marlo says in the doc, hired him to do the St. Judes Hospital in Memphis. Williams did not ask for or accept money for the work.

Also Read: '2020 Oscar Shorts: Documentary' Film Review: Traditionally Intense Category Wields a Slightly Lighter Touch This Year

His life story (1894-1980) is the stuff of which movies are made. He was orphaned at the age of four, raised in a foster family, and eventually got himself into the USC engineering department. Even after finding success, he could not always get into the very places he helped design because of his skin color. When he expressed interest in the field, he was told by more than one professional, there is no such thing as a Negro architect. He even learned to draw upside down in order to sketch for clients while sitting across the table from them for the benefit of those who might have been uneasy alongside a man of color. He was trailblazing and game-changing, says Quincy Jones, who is interviewed in the doc and attended a standing room only viewing at the Raleigh Studios this week.

Helene Pollock, now 101 and living in Montecito, has lived in three Williams-designed houses: the first in Beverly Hills, in the 1930s, when her parents hired the then-unknown architect to build. Im so proud of them when I think about that now, says Pollock, especially because my dad was a Republican and all that meant. When she had three kids of her own, (Including future and former Universal chairman Tom Pollock) she bought a Williams house on Mapleton Drive in Beverly Hills from Joseph Mankiewicz. By that time, I was aware of who Paul Williams was, she says. And yes, it meant something. Mankiewiczs grand-nephew, NBC reporter Josh, says Joe was a big liberal, pro-integration, so it makes sense he would have befriended Williams.

Royal Kennedy Rodgers, a former ABC News reporter, has been tenaciously working on this project for more than a decade. There was money to raise, Williams fans and supporters to interview, as well as current and former homeowners such as producer Steve Tisch, Denzel Washingtons wife, Pauletta, (Washington had years before played basketball at the Williams-designed YMCA) Willow Bay and her husband Disney chief, Bob Iger. And there was a host to find. (Courtney B. Vance does the honors) I became convinced that this story could only have happened in the early days of Hollywood, says Kennedy, because it was a no-rules anything goes, constantly reinventing type of place. As Williams granddaughter, Karen Hudson, said to me, Paul Williams and L.A. grew up together.'

Even many in the field admit they were late to understanding the heft, quantity, and beauty of Williams work. The current Dean of USCs School of Architecture says, I was not that familiar with him before coming to USC, admits Milton S.F. Curry. But I have since learned of his incredible legacy. He was so eclectic, doing everything from homes of all models, to churches, civic buildings, and public housing. He cared about community, culture and craft. So far, the campus has no wings, rooms, or plaques carrying Williams name.

Nationally, Williams was the posthumous recipient of the 2017 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. William Bates, the former president of that organization, is incredibly grateful for the belated acknowledgment of Williams, and believes the documentary will continue the momentum. My hope is that it provides inspiration to a new and more diverse generation of future architects, says Bates. Our representation within the profession is less than 2%. Obviously, it must represent the society that it serves if it is to be relevant. Williams story is one of creative persistence, professional talent and personal determination.

Better late than never.

Hollywoods Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story airs on PBS SoCal Thursday night at 8 p.m.

The acting legend (and father of Michael Douglas) died Wednesday at age 103. Here's a look back at his biggest roles in Hollywood.

Champion (1949)

Douglas earned his first Oscar nomination for playing the dogged boxer Midge Kelly in a black-and-white drama written by Carl Foreman ("High Noon").

Ace in the Hole (1950)

In one of Billy Wilder's most cynical dramas, Douglas plays a ruthless journalist who exploits a mining disaster -- even sabotaging rescue efforts -- to prolong the media frenzy.

The Bad and the Beautiful (1951)

He earned his second Oscar nomination playing another cad -- this time a power-obsessed Hollywood producer said to be modeled on David O. Selznick.

Lust for Life (1956)

In a departure from his cynical big-screen roles, Douglas brought real sympathy to his portrayal of tortured artist Vincent Van Gogh in Vincente Minnelli's biopic -- and the actor earned his third Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Douglas plays outlaw Doc Holliday to Burt Lancaster's lawman Wyatt Earp in John Sturges' classic Western about the famed shootout in Tombstone, Arizona.

Paths of Glory (1957)

Again playing against type in Stanley Kubrick's antiwar movie, Douglas brims with decency as a French colonel in World War I who fights against an unfair court-martial of his men.

Spartacus (1960)

Douglas hit a career high as a rebellious Roman slave in this historical drama whose onscreen revolt had a real-life parallel. The actor also produced the blockbuster film and his very public hiring of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo helped to break Hollywood's blacklist of Communists.

Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

Douglas counted this Dalton Trumbo-penned Western as his personal favorite, and he gave a memorable performance as a New Mexico cowboy who was more of a drifter than a guy rooted in the land.

Seven Days in May (1964)

In John Frankenheimer's political thriller, Douglas plays a longtime military officer who begins to suspect that his nuke-obsessed general boss (Burt Lancaster) may be plotting to overthrow the president.

The Man From Snowy River (1982)

Douglas plays twin brothers -- a one-legged gold prospector and a wealthy cattle rancher -- in George Miller's coming-of-age drama about a ranch hand in 1880s Australia.

The acting legend (and father of Michael Douglas) died Wednesday at 103

The acting legend (and father of Michael Douglas) died Wednesday at age 103. Here's a look back at his biggest roles in Hollywood.

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The RDR architectes studio designed new structures for Estancia Morro Chico, a ranch used for breeding sheep for wool and meat located in the Argentinian part of Patagonia, on the southern border with Chile. The clients are descendants of a Scottish family who were among the first settlers to arrive in the region in the late 19th century.Architects from the RDR studio were asked to intervene on the settlement renovating the existing buildings and integrating new sustainable constructions. The specific goal was to preserve the natural heritage and, at the same time, to significantly improve the conditions of those living and working on the property, including the animals. During the development of the masterplan, architects were able to redistribute the different buildings across the area in a rational way that satisfied the needs of the clients. The adopted layout distributes the buildings as if they were part of a village. The new buildings include a cutting-edge shearing shed, located a few kilometres from the ranch, a warehouse and spaces for the storage of machinery and materials, the staffs quarters and the owners home. The addition of new structures also allowed the architects to fully reconsider the ranchs energy facilities. In particular, new systems for the production of clean and renewable energy were introduced based on solar and wind energy.

The architects renovated many existing buildings, opting to demolish only crumbling constructions. An area characterised by large natural spaces was used to save and restore the few accounts representing the history of the region once built by men. While respecting the typical structure of ranches built in the area, the architects chose to group together the utilitarian buildings and accommodation blocks, creating comfortable places and areas protected from the harsh climate. The construction approach is not much different from that used by the pioneers who once arrived in the region. Architects relied on a system of prefabricated wood and metal panels.Wood is predominant in all indoor spaces where greater comfort is needed, like those dedicated to family or workers everyday life, while fully disappearing in the utilitarian buildings. Architects chose to clad the outside of the buildings in corrugated iron, a material that allows the entire settlement to maintain an almost unitary character, echoing the general sense of austerity and almost primitive simplicity evoked by the ranch, immersed in the boundless territory of Patagonia. The landscape and bird's-eye photography, as well as the detailed photos taken by Cristobal Palma and Javier Rojas, at different times of the year, make it possible to note how the initial appearance of uniformity appearing from afar gives way to a substantial difference in the various buildings. Architects chose simple and linear shapes for the utilitarian buildings (warehouses, shed for shearing, etc.) and more complex geometries for the family house.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of RDR architectes, photo by Cristobal Palma (01-15) | Javier Rojas (16 - 30) | Celine Frers

Project Name: Estancia Morro Chico - Complex for sheep farming and family homeLocation: Paraje Puente Blanco, Ruta Nacional N 40, Santa Cruz, ArgentinaDates: 2014 - 2018Floor area: 5,260 m2

Architects: RDR architectes (Richter Dahl Rocha & Associs architectes SA) http://www.rdr.chTeam in Lausanne: Ignacio Dahl Rocha, Santiago PagsTeam in Buenos Aires: Ignacio Dahl Rocha, Bruno Emmer, Facundo Morando, Susana Barra, Agustn Azar, Clara Carrera, Roberto Lombardi, Pablo Peirano, Sofa VivacquaGeneral contractor: Enobra SAStructural engineer: Alejandra FogelSanitary engineer: LAHLandscape architect: Ernestina AnchorenaOthers consultants: Dante Melano (Renewable Energy), Frisia SA Climatizaciones (Thermomechanical), Estia (Energy Efficiency), Sursolar Renewable Energy)Photo credit : Cristobal Palma | Javier Rojas | Celine Frers

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A project in the far reaches of the world Estancia Morro Chico designed by RDR architects in Argentina - Floornature.com