What's In a Name?
Posted by Tammy Beyreis on Thursday, May 12, 2011
Architectural Environments Studio; that’s quite a mouthful.Years ago when it was time to christen my new business, I had the daunting task of selecting a name. I quickly dismissed the traditional and commonplace option of naming the firm after myself. Part of the reason for this was the fact that the pronunciation (BuyRice) and spelling (Beyreis) of my last name eludes people more often than not. It also sounds more like a shopping list than a proper company name. However, the main reason I eschewed naming the firm after myself is philosophical. I wanted the name to tell people something about what I believe. I believe that my focus is on my clients and what their unique needs are; not on me as Architect. Basically, I see the architectural process as working with the clients to create their ideal space, not bestowing upon them my “solution”.
But what about the name itself?
“Architectural” is pretty straightforward but why “environments”? Webster’s defines environment as The aggregate of all conditions affecting the existence, growth and welfare of an organism or group of organisms. Substitute “business” for “organism” and you have my philosophy of what good architecture is in a nutshell. I feel that good architecture is more than a physical partitioning of space; it also must nurture the vision, the soul and the aspirations of its inhabitants. An environment supports the mind and spirit as much as it does the body. Good architecture should do the same.
Studio is pretty basic but perhaps more telling than is obvious. In my working career I’ve spent time working in very small companies, very large companies and some in between. I’ve seen the pros and cons of each firsthand. So when I started my company, I knew what I wanted it to be then and in the future. I never thought “I’m starting out small now but someday I’ll be a huge architectural empire”. To me “studio” describes an environment that is small, creative and focused on quality instead of quantity. It describes a work environment that revolves around artistic endeavors and personalized solutions; not a constant struggle for bigger projects, more money, more prestige.
So this is how Architectural Environments Studio came to be. But if it’s still too much of a mouthful you can always call us AES
But what about the name itself?
“Architectural” is pretty straightforward but why “environments”? Webster’s defines environment as The aggregate of all conditions affecting the existence, growth and welfare of an organism or group of organisms. Substitute “business” for “organism” and you have my philosophy of what good architecture is in a nutshell. I feel that good architecture is more than a physical partitioning of space; it also must nurture the vision, the soul and the aspirations of its inhabitants. An environment supports the mind and spirit as much as it does the body. Good architecture should do the same.
Studio is pretty basic but perhaps more telling than is obvious. In my working career I’ve spent time working in very small companies, very large companies and some in between. I’ve seen the pros and cons of each firsthand. So when I started my company, I knew what I wanted it to be then and in the future. I never thought “I’m starting out small now but someday I’ll be a huge architectural empire”. To me “studio” describes an environment that is small, creative and focused on quality instead of quantity. It describes a work environment that revolves around artistic endeavors and personalized solutions; not a constant struggle for bigger projects, more money, more prestige.
So this is how Architectural Environments Studio came to be. But if it’s still too much of a mouthful you can always call us AES
Tags: architect milwaukee "office design" "architectural philosophy"
