Bruce E. Roberts

I approach work with an opened mind and a body of knowledge. Positioned with hundreds of ideas looking for a problem to solve; I look for accidental connections. Predicatively the body of my work is varied demonstrating this approach. I am not interested in expressing a predisposition or a dogmatic style but in investigating the possibilities in a site, a context, a culture, a budget, a schedule, a set of materials, existing conditions, the weather-whichever incipient nuance reveals itself. I look for a single idea to express completely, finding the energy of that idea like the eye of a hurricane. This approach offers a great deal of freedom, and simply requires a basic palate to draw on. This palate includes the arrangement or hierarchy of space and the direct expression of materials. From this approach, the art of architecture is never redundant.

My method is to discover inherent patterns, a basic or pattern language in the architecture. I then have two primary techniques of expression: 1) in pure forms or 2) in composite forms. Each of these vehicles can be permuted without end. With pure forms I distill an image to a refined elegance, seeking to intertwine the structure and inner workings, the program and the materials.

This is a rigorous process. With composite forms, I fuse together distinct forms of varying solidity and transparency along with materials and construction techniques. This is a set of improvisations, basically juggling or playing with the parts until a fit reveals itself. Then, each of these methods requires a meticulous attention to detail. It is in the details the integrity of design is brought to life. I consider the practice of architectural design as a method of discovery, revealing ideas both playful and technical through a process of refinement.

My intention now is to expand my academic base by pursuing the principles of mentoring and architecture as sculpture. I have worked on all aspects of the design process from marketing management and design through construction and permits. Beyond that I am a capable carpenter, mason and craftsman, both a sculptor and a painter. I enjoy every aspect of the design process both tangible and intellectual, contemporary and historical.

I look at architecture as a stage set for living and culture. One can read a community’s ambitions, opportunities and societal structure in the language of a city plan, in the buildings and materials. I try to tailor my work into that context. Architecture embodies the collective memories of a culture while embracing the present and predicating the future. In the world of architecture we feel the influence of people come and gone, live our lives and introduce the futures memories. Architecture in this sense is a tangible example of a culture’s values.

I have worked on several Green Buildings and Environments across the globe in a variety of climatic and cultural conditions. The purpose of these facilities is to contribute to the wellbeing of the occupants while having a gentle impact on the surroundings. I have considered these issues for ten years and have tried to give voice to the incipient ideas of green design. I am well studied and prepared to reach further, looking for a lean expression of design. It is my current interest to find the poetic expression of green architecture and the principals on which to establish the future of design. I am trying to fuse buildings, landscapes and sculptural feature together in an expressive and relevant whole. The germinal principals are beginning to find voice. My intention is to express the fullness of the idea, the fringe, the horizon. I am looking for that undiscovered continent as it were.

With this in mind I am presently expanding my reach with community activities. I am actively pursuing artist’s grants, teaching fellowships and entrepreneurial opportunities within the Tricounty Area. I am a participant with Habitat for Humanity in Pontiac, were I was born, through the Troy Interfaith Group.