Jennifer D. Charzewski

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '05

What was the most important thing/skill/concept you learned at the School of Architecture?

Theory, research-based design, precedent study, and integration of design at detail scale.

Who made the most lasting impression (most influenced you) and why?

Renee Cheng for being the best possible mentor a grad student could hope for and Julie Snow as a visiting critic, a later employer, and a complete inspiration for practice.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

They mostly relate to a pervasive sense of place, romanticized by memories of cozy winter nights in studio with snow falling, an urban walk to campus with fall leaves, the downtown views from campus, breaks from studio to go to yoga or swim at the rec center, and of course the invention of various quesadillas on Nick Potts' quesadilla maker.

Please identify one (or more) memorable design project that you worked on while a student at the School of Architecture.

Bell Museum with Cheng in GD2 studio, Urban Infill in Mic Johnson's GD3 studio, and Pre-Fab Motel in Charlie Lazor's GD2 studio.

What major forces (such as individual architects, design philosophies, rendering styles, research methods, etc.) do you remember influencing you significantly as a student?

The study of fabrication methods in application to design with Charlie Lazor, the research of multi-functional details as the heart of design with Renee Cheng for Graduate Research Assistant projects, and modern, elegant, sleek, rigorous architecture distilled to its cleanest elements in the practice of Julie Snow and the infused legacy of Scandinavian aesthetic in the area.

Jared M. Eder

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '03

What was the most important thing/skill/concept you learned at the School of Architecture?

I didn't know it then, but those were the years where I started to see things differently. I looked at things a little bit more critically, observed my surroundings, and appreciate the little things that "worked."

Who made the most lasting impression (most influenced you) and why?

Charlie Lazor's summer furniture design studio. Summer studio was a different animal and to focus on an object of that scale and produce a final product was something I had never expected to do in undergrad. It was great to focus in on the smallest details of furniture and design. Katherine Solomonson and her suburbia course are lasting memories, and Leon Satkowski's course on Gothic cathedrals was incredibly interesting and his knowledge was incredibly impressive.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Creating a bond with my studio mates and of course, "social gatherings."

Please identify one (or more) memorable design project that you worked on while a student at the School of Architecture.

We studied the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District in Rob Goods studio as an exercise that contributed to our design of a multi-generational housing concept. I still have the model. Again, summer furniture design studio with Charles Lazor.

What major forces (such as individual architects, design philosophies, rendering styles, research methods, etc.) do you remember influencing you significantly as a student?

Being there while the addition was getting constructed created a lot of discussions that were very valuable. Also, I didn't appreciate it then but Rapson Hall (the original building) is a great place to study architecture and far exceed facilities at other schools.