We here at d+p design build want you to know our Locus, what are the processes and developments in our lives that have defined our design logic, so that you might better understand us as an 'urban artifact.' We have compiled below some of the top influences on our lives in the field of architecture and construction:
| Paul M Purser |  |
"Growing up in a home where if it were even slightly possible to 'make something' work we tried it, I learned an ethic that gives me a good amount of gumption to try new things. I've found that my creativity comes from not being afraid to explore new ideas and methods."
Work with Ming Construction
"Working with Ming Construction for a year really taught me how to work and gave me the ability to 'get things done.' Because of the size of the company, I was exposed to many trades and knowledge that I have been able to carry into d+p."
Study @ MSU Architecture School
"Study in the Mississippi State Architecture program really brought together art and construction for me, two areas of my life that I have explored from a very young age. Beginning in the first year of the program, I remember developing and understanding of spatial expansion and contraction and their affects on the viewer of such space. The notion of site and place also greatly influenced me in my years at MSU, something that I continue to reconcile in my work today. I learned that the beauty of materials should be the basis for good design and not formal expression (I admire Adolf Loos for his ethic in keeping with this notion)."
Internship @ Pryor & Morrow Architects
"Roger Pryor & Chris Morrow taught me how to work in an Architecture firm. I learned more from Mr. Pryor due to the frequency of our work together. Good design, symmetry, and 'how to get a job done' were some good basic principles that I honed in my CO-OP and subsequent internship with Pryor & Morrow."
Design Ethic (most currently)
"Good design, formally, should functionally and spatially 'fit.' Materials and their juxtaposition should be paid particular attention and should enrich a space not based on their formal expression but on their inherent qualities that define them as such. Architecture should follow suit in keeping with Vernacular form and use it's materials to set it apart."
David A Dill
Growing Up
"My family moved quite a bit while growing up and I believe that gave me the opportunity to see a variety of places with a variety of architectural styles. It also allowed me to learn to do a variety of tasks since we painted and did various repairs in every new house. I feel like those hands on experiences built a foundation of knowledge that I continue to build upon. Also growing up, my grandfather allowed me to turn bowls and build furniture in his shop as well as instilled a love of woodworking in me."
Work with Thomas Glass Company
"The summer after my first year of college, I worked for Thomas Glass Company where I cut glass, installed windows, and learned a lot. I learned that in the construction process there are many variables to consider and design should factor in all of those variables. I also learned that glass is sharp."
Study @ MSU Architecture School
"Studying architecture at Mississippi State University taught me a lot about myself and how to be a good designer. I learned there that good design is not haphazard but is thoughtful and thought out."
Internship @ FoilWyatt Architects
"Working in an actual Architecture firm such as FoilWyatt opened my eyes to the realities of design in a business world. The experience of learning to design for clients as well as sacrificing and compromising elements of the design without losing its overall integrity were lessons that have continued with me. The reality is that budget, client taste, and site conditions are major factors in designing."
Work with Engineering Ministry International
"Working with eMi in Uganda taught me valuable design lessons. The first is that you should design for place. Good design in Uganda factored in climate conditions, how the building would be built, and who you were designing for."
Design Ethic (most currently)
"I want to design and build spaces that I want to be in and that others want to be in. Design should not only factor in what it looks like, but also its tactile nature. What does this space feel like, smell like, etc. Peter Zumthor says about designing, 'I work a little bit like a sculptor. When I start, my first idea for a building is with the material. I believe architecture is about that. It’s not about paper, it’s not about forms. It’s about space and material.'"
*genius loci - "the local divinity, an intermediary who presided over all that was to unfold in [the site]" (Rossi, 103).
