When I wrote the original Cullen House article I never imagined it would gain the popularity it did. As promised, I have been in contact with Jeff Kovel from Skylab Architecture and have prepared the following interview/bio along with a few more images for all the mad fans!
“I am in architecture, development, and rock and roll.”
– Jeff Kovel
Jeff Kovel grew up just outside of New York City and lived there until he attended Cornell University’s Architecture school. Since then he has made his way to the West Coast and in 1996 he finally settled down in Portland, Oregon. However, it was while growing up in New York that Jeff realised he wished to become an architect. His family had begun work on a new home and a young Jeff thus developed a new fascination for both building and design.
It was three years after arriving in Portland when 26 year old Jeff founded his own architecture firm, Skylab architecture. He admits that he started his practice at a very young age and wishes that he’d worked under other architects beforehand. Nevertheless, Skylab Architecture has grown into a fully fledged successful firm. When asked what the most rewarding aspect of practicing architecture is, Kovel explains “We [architects] have carved out a niche that allows us to explore and innovate. The most rewarding part of this career is the work which we are able to create with this open format.”
Kovel likens his own design philosophies to storytelling. “We bring concepts to life, each of these concepts is a story,” he says. “The paragraphs are like spaces, the words, materials. Each project is a unique deep investigation into this story telling…
Our process is research based, and iterative. We look for authentic meaning and relationships. We do not rush aesthetic conclusions.”
Kovel explains that his inspiration comes from many different architectural sources. “I love many progressive architects from all eras of modernism, I appreciate the periods prior as well. There isn’t a subject I would rather talk about.”
As I’m sure many of you can relate, Jeff Kovel and Skylab architecture became known to me through the film Twilight; what many of us have come to know as the Cullen residence is actually the ‘Hoke Residence’, so I asked Jeff about how the house came to be.
“The Hoke residence was originally built as a ‘spec’ house [This simply means it was built, with the speculation of finding a suitable buyer], or a project built without a client as a development for sale.
After two days on the market, the house was purchased by the director of footwear design at Nike, John Hoke. Following a cover story in a northwest architecture publication, The Hoke’s were approached by a film location scout, a little film called Twilight.”
“We designed the house in 2006, completed construction in 2007. We have designed an additional residence next door that will begin construction once we locate another vampire”
“This December, we took our staff to see the movie to start our holiday party. We all loved it. We have been receiving fan mail from all over the world, including many inquiries for the house plans – contacts from Croatia, The Philippines, Buenos Aires, and Melbourne Australia among others.”
There is more to Skylab architecture beyond the Hoke House – amoungst Skylab’s impressive folio is also the following..
Montgomery residence
Nau Webfront
‘North’
12 + Alder
More images on these projects and more can be found at Skylab Architecture’s website.
I am very happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
Nice post. I used to be checking continuously this blog
and I’m inspired! Extremely helpful info specifically
the remaining phase :) I deal with such information much.
I was looking for this particular information for
a very lengthy time. Thank you and good luck.
I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your blog. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues? A number of my blog audience have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any advice to help fix this problem?
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net out of PHP. I have always disliked the idea due to the expenses. But he is trying none the less. I’ve been utilizing Movable-type on several websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to a different platform. I’ve heard amazing things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can move all my WordPress articles to it? Any help will be appreciated.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it ;)
I may revisit yet again since I book marked it.
Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
Hi there. I found your web site by means of Google while looking for a similar matter, your web site came up. It looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually irritating. A good blog with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I found your blog by means of Google at the same time as looking for a similar subject, your website got here up. It appears to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hello! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.
hey there and thank you for your information – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical points using this web site, as I experienced to reload the site a lot of times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you update this again soon.|
Thanks for a marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author. I will always bookmark your blog and will eventually come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great posts, have a nice evening!|
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously feel this web site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the info!|
Great delivery. Great arguments. Keep up the amazing spirit.|
Does your site have a contact page? I’m having a tough time locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it grow over time.|
You really make it seem so easy together with your presentation however I to find this topic to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely vast for me. I’m taking a look ahead to your next publish, I¡¦ll try to get the dangle of it!
great points altogether, you just received a new reader.
What may you suggest in regards to your post that you made a few
days in the past? Any sure?
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for digital piano
This design is steller! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a couple of unrelated data, nevertheless seriously worth taking a appear, whoa did one particular understand about Mid East has got additional problerms at the same time
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hi there. I discovered your website via Google whilst looking for a similar matter, your site got here up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good web site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I found your website by way of Google while searching for a related matter, your site came up. It appears to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I’m hoping the same high-grade web site post from you in the upcoming as well. Actually your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own blog now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a great example of it.
thank you20
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
This is my first time go to see at here and i am really impressed to read all at one place.|
If some one wants expert view about running a blog after that i advise him/her to visit this web site, Keep up the good work.|
hello!,I love your writing so so much! proportion we keep up a correspondence more approximately your post on AOL? I require an expert on this space to resolve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Having a look ahead to peer you. |
Everyone loves it when people get together and share thoughts. Great blog, keep it up!|
This design is steller! You definitely know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!|
Tinted windows supply a number of advantages.
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?
I simply wanted to send a comment so as to express gratitude to you for some of the awesome ideas you are giving out at this website. My time-consuming internet search has at the end been rewarded with reasonable ideas to share with my neighbours. I would point out that we site visitors actually are unquestionably fortunate to be in a decent site with so many special people with very helpful things. I feel very much happy to have used your entire website page and look forward to plenty of more enjoyable minutes reading here. Thanks once more for a lot of things.
My wife and i got really contented that Raymond managed to carry out his homework using the precious recommendations he obtained using your site. It’s not at all simplistic to just continually be releasing guidance which usually other folks may have been trying to sell. And we also do know we’ve got the blog owner to be grateful to for that. The most important explanations you made, the straightforward web site navigation, the friendships your site make it easier to promote – it’s got most sensational, and it is letting our son and us know that this idea is satisfying, which is certainly really serious. Thank you for all the pieces!
Unquestionably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the web the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people think about worries that they just do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
As soon as I detected this website I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.
Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. Numerous people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
thank you152
Hi my loved one! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include almost all important infos. I would like to look extra posts like this.
I haven’t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend :)
you are actually a just right webmaster. Thee website loading pace is incredible.
It sort of feels that you are doing any disttinctive trick.
In addition, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve doe a excellent activity on this matter!
Look aat my homepage: Eye Lashes
Air con motors may have repairing occasionally.
Ꮋi, i think that i saѡ you νisited my site thus i came to ?return the favor?.I’m attempting to find things to enhance
my web site!I ѕuppose its oкk to use a few oof your ideas!!
Here is my web site – Litchfield County Connecticut trench grate [Lula]
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is really annoying. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “The capacity to care is what gives life its most deepest significance.” by Pablo Casals.