letter from the editor

The Faces Behind the Places

Walking around Portland’s neighborhoods, with their profusion of beautiful homes and buildings in a variety of architectural styles, I found myself thinking of ARCIFORM’S motto, “Inspired by the stories of people and places.” Suddenly the homes and buildings looked like storybooks to me, and I thought, our buildings really are preserved stories. Stories of how people lived and live, of craftsmen who did such meticulous woodwork, of what people found aesthetically pleasing in former times and how people have modified that beauty to fit present tastes and lifestyles. From their structures to their original and present owners, houses really are the preserved stories of people and places.

In this issue of Iconic, we’ve decided to celebrate some of the people behind the places by bringing their stories to you, and associating them with some of the places that they’ve helped design and build.

Our first article is one of those sad/happy tales. In his eight years with the company, Site Lead Jack Ouska has headed teams of ARCIFORM builders and subcontractors through a multitude of restorations, renovations and remodels of homes, churches, and public buildings. Much more than a master carpenter, Jack brings a sense of humor and generosity to the job, sharing his experience and knowledge with younger carpenters who are the better for it. Now Jack is leaving ARCIFORM, not so much for a traditional retirement, but a whole slew of new projects, some of which, I can tell you, involve grandsons and baseball.

Over the decades, ARCIFORM and sister company Versatile Wood Products have worked on a diversity of buildings. But who are the team members who see those projects through? We thought it was time to listen to their stories. The result: we will profile some of the people who do everything from sell to design to manage to build ARCIFORM and Versatile Wood Products projects. It’s a fun and informing look into the inspirations, aspirations and challenges of the “faces behind the places.”

Just as the issue starts with the story of a seasoned craftsman who is retiring, we’re ending with stories of some young women who may just well be the future of the industry. In “ARCIFORM Builds More Than Houses: They Build Community” we revisit the community organizations that ARCIFORM supports, including Girls Build, a PNW group that teaches girls about the field of construction through hands-on camps and workshops.

Snow Blackwood

@dibblephoto

We – and ARCIFORM – so loved the idea of putting faces to the places that we decided to include a new regular feature in Iconic. “The ArciFiles” will highlight a fascinating person from the local design build community each issue. Creating a beautiful remodel or restoration is a community collaboration of designers, contractors, tradespeople and subcontractors, each with their own inspiring story. We’re excited to bring you their stories, and I hope you’re just as excited to read them.

Snow Blackwood snow@snowbdesigns.com snowbdesigns.com