{image1}"The work of Johnsen Schmaling Architects is emerging as an uncompromisingly modernist vision in contemporary American architecture," says Don Hanlon, Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at UW-Milwaukee.
Brian Johnsen and Sebastian Schmaling graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 1996 and chose to stay in Milwaukee to play a key role in the evolving architecture of the city. After a year and half out on their own, their fledgling firm has already been recognized with an AIA award and has been seen in such national publications as Dwell magazine for their Parts House Pavilion project.
The city of Milwaukee will be able to experience the world of architecture through the eyes of Johnsen Schmaling through Oct. 15 at the Gallery of Architecture & Urbanism at the UWM-School of Architecture & Urban Planning, 2131 E. Hartford Ave.
The pair graduated at the top of its class and the exhibit will show what kind of impact UWM alumni can make on the architecture of their school's hometown.
"They are two of our most successful students; they are extremely bright and energetic. They are absolutely in love with architecture and I wanted to share that spirit with the students," says Hanlon. "We want to show and celebrate their work."
Upon graduation from UWM, both Johnsen and Schmaling were offered opportunities in other cities. "Our decision to stay dumbfounded people," says Schmaling. "Some think we should have taken big jobs in bigger cities. We made a conscious decision to stay here to fill a void. There is so much potential in this city to build upon."
Even though they are not native-born Milwaukeeans, Johnsen from Illinois and Schmaling from Germany, they have a love for this city.
{image2}"Milwaukee is unique and offers interesting opportunities," Johnsen adds. "We have faith in the community and want to help show Milwaukee its architectural possibilities. There is no reason not to have good design here; the sky is the limit."
Johnsen Schmaling Architects work on both commercial and residential projects. Their portfolio is expanding as projects near completion. One such project is an urban duplex on Buffum Street.
According to Schmaling, as the project evolved, the architects were confronted with a new city zoning code. The code stipulates specific dimensions for the footprint of the building, yet budget constraints for the project dictated a smaller home. Instead of increasing the square footage, Johnsen Schmaling challenged the code by offering an alternate solution within the limits of the zoning regulations.
"We created a garden wall that is a veneer. It is part of the building, yet extends to create a courtyard space," says Schmaling. "It adds an incredible feature that no other infill project has had in the past."
The two current urban duplex projects work within a limited budget and play with a kit of parts concept. The pair plays with intersecting volumes and wall planes to rearrange the basic elements of architecture and create an original home. In general, this is the foundation of the Johnsen Schmaling architecture formula. They work with volume and layers and bring a building alive within its landscape.
"The conventional way of thinking of a wall is as a separation of inside from outside," says Hanlon. "They look at a wall with an aesthetic point of view; art in its own right. Most people over look it, but they make a work of art out of it."
From a restaurant to a parking garage, they will be applying their methodology to a few high profile commercial projects. "It will change the way you experience downtown," promises Johnsen.
With all of their projects, they meticulously study the given landscape.
"We are conscious of the raping of the landscape. We want to investigate architecture and have a sensitivity for where it is being built," comments Johnsen. "We try to keep things compact, so they gently put a foot upon the land. It is about how the building reacts with the land in a different dimension."
"We transcend the common notion of sustainable design," continues Schmaling. "We go one step further. The aesthetic is as important as the makeup of the materials. You can do a green building that is still an eye sore on the landscape. We believe it must become an integral part of its surroundings."
John Geiger understands this concept firsthand as Johnsen Schmaling is working on his home in Green Lake. The unique aspect of this project is that the home is perched on a cliff, both a structural and architectural challenge.
"What they did so well is understand our needs and then defined it as simply and elegantly as possible," says Geiger. "My wife and I have always been big fans of design. They took our vision and the site and created a building, a structure that works. They are outstanding problem solvers. They design homes with a real human scale. They understand the relationship of people and their homes."
Whether the Courtyard House, which allows the landscape to penetrate the home as it melts into its surroundings or the Borke House that has a chameleon effect with the hillside forest, Johnsen Schmaling Architects have projects that will interest Milwaukee.
A visit to the gallery will offer a glimpse into their world and their process. It will open your eyes to the projects popping up around the city.
