HEATHER WASHBURN
Calico Studio, PLLC
SAY IT LOUD - North Carolina Exhibitor
North Carolina Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Mother nature is our greatest source of inspiration, and our builds reflect an ecological stewardship. We push the envelope by transforming common materials into creative endeavors. This upcycling maintains an ethical relationship with the earth.
HEATHER WASHBURN
Bio:
The great designer, Heather Washburn is looking for both the "big puzzle" and how it connects; for the exhilaration of the "ah ha" moment. These connections could be the understanding of subtle differences in a new culture. It could be the reasoning behind a sculpture or painting, the relationship between two people, or simply how to make a better piece of fudge. There is nothing better than bringing someone along with you for that discovery. It's lasting, and it's what I love about architecture and art.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
My summers were filled; leading the neighborhood bunch in fort-building & spending evenings puzzling over Legos or a jigsaw. Architecture is a natural fit for a problem-tackler - whether by collaboration, or by pondering away on the sketchbook page.
What do you do?
Calico Studio, aptly named for both the playful cat and the utilitarian fabric, weaves its dynamic intentions under one guiding force, resulting in elevating design. The Calico fabric is unique in its versatility, looking first at innate value.
What excites you in the work you do?
Reuse and conversion is what gives Calico Studio its unique lens. Choosing to nip & tuck rather than raze & rebuild, the firm finds joy in evaluating the potentials. Architecture, like cooking, blossoms when a recipe is a guide - not a decree.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Mother nature is our greatest source of inspiration, and our builds reflect an ecological stewardship. We push the envelope by transforming common materials into creative endeavors. This upcycling maintains an ethical relationship with the earth.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
In each project, I listen. It's about capturing the context, the impression, the marriage of our skills and our client's fulfillment. My proudest moments are when my client says “Wow, your design far exceeded my expectations. I love it. Thank you.”
Featured Project Name:
Acorn Acres
Featured Project Location:
Chapel Hill, NC
Featured Project Completion Date:
5/11/2019
Role in Featured Project:
Architect
Featured Project Description:
Acorn Acres is a modern farmhouse designed through biomimicry, inspired by butterflies. By mirroring their form with an angled roof to capture solar energy & rain for passive conservation, we simultaneously created a cool respite in the spaces below. As the sun travels across the sky, Acorn Acres captures & sculpts light effortlessly to follow our families' daily activity. Connected with paths to travel to and fro, our space is about living in community, and living outdoors as much as indoors.
