CONSTRUCTION MANAGER BY DAY, ARTIST BY NIGHT

In true comic book fashion, Marcos Armenta leads a double life. By day, he's a construction manager in our San Jose office. But by night, he transforms into something else entirely—a talented artist and anime illustrator. In search for his own artistic style, he has amassed hundreds of sketches, developed multiple characters, and for years distributed a weekly Fantasy Football comic strip illustrating each week's highlights. But it wasn't until this year's Xref that he gathered his sketches into a cohesive presentation (in manga comic book format) and revealed his true self to HMC.

Marcos' Xref proposed a quest to Tokyo, Japan to understand the origins of anime. Anime, or Japanese animation, is part of Japan's culture and influences architecture and fashion. His journey would have taken him to the Ghibli Museum, designed by one of the world's top animators, Hayao Miyazaki; Nakano Broadway, home to anime specialty stores; and a visit to one of Japan's top anime studios.

His Xref proposal is formatted in anime style, complete with original sketches organized to read right to left and back to front like a traditional Japanese comic. The Xref judges were impressed with his submission, and noted "that it looked like the work of a professional illustrator."

Now that we know Marcos' true identity, is his anime life compromised? We caught up with him and asked him a few questions to pry deeper into his love for all things anime.

When did you first become interested in anime? Was there one particular moment or event that comes to mind?

I first discovered anime in a television series called Robotech back in the 80s, which was adapted from a Japanese television series and released in the United States. I don't recall any particular moment or event that turned me into an anime fan, but I would say video games had a strong influence; they introduced anime style characters in games like Street Fighter and Mortal Combat.

If you could be any anime character, who would it be and why?

If I could be an anime character I would probably like to be Afro Samurai. I have been active with martial arts for a good part of my life and I can relate to Afro Samurai–-–-we both have a similar walk of life.

What inspires you to sketch?

I find sketching to be relaxing—no codes, rules or limits, just freedom to create.

How does sketching balance your job at HMC?

I would much rather sketch a detail and write plan notes by hand than to do it on some sort of computer-aided platform. Sketching allows me a hands-on outlet outside of my normal work tasks.

Although his submission was not chosen for 2011, Marcos shared with us that he does plan on tweaking and resubmitting his Xref proposal for 2012.

Check in With Our 2011 Winners

Our 2011 Xref winners are busy planning logistics for their upcoming trips. Ruth Oh has been researching and planning her bike route for her ten-day trip through Denmark, while Kaysha Bucher reflects on the significance and reality of her trip to Haiti.

Biking Denmark // By Ruth Oh

While planning for my ten-day Xref trip to Denmark, I conjure up images of quaint villages, windmills, miles of open fields, and resting stops at medieval churches and Viking ruins. In preparation for my trip next month, I have done considerable research into the route I will be riding as well as accommodations and sites along the way.
I've divided the biking into three riding experiences with long, medium, and short distances. The idea is to be able to utilize different bike rental systems, cycling paths, and experience the infrastructure designed for cyclists in rural and urban locations. The first four days will be an intensive distance ride from Odense to Copenhagen, making stops at Slagelse and Roskilde.  The next four days will be spent in Copenhagen, sightseeing and learning how the bike share system is integrated into the greater transport network. From Copenhagen, an excursion to the city of Malmo, Sweden, will be a great addition to visiting another sustainable Scandinavian city with a strong bike culture.

Given Denmark's remarkably green credential and the popularity of cycling tours, I was not surprised to find that good quality bikes and equipment rentals are affordable and easy from various vendors. Within the city of Copenhagen, it will be even more convenient to sight-see by using the Bycyklen København. With a deposit of 20DKr coin (about 3 dollars), bikes can be taken for use with no time limit. Upon returning the bike, the user or anyone, can return and collect the deposit. The system allows revenue to be generated by placing ads on the bicycle.  The bikes are uniquely designed so that the parts cannot fit into any other ordinary bicycles. Check out the innovative bike sharing systems submitted for a recent design competition sponsored by the city of Copenhagen.

Finally, in the process of planning out my itinerary, I was able to gain a helpful contact in Denmark to inform me on precautions to take, places to visit, and cuisines to try out. As an added bonus, I'm compiling a list of all the great contemporary architecture to be spotted in Copenhagen. Between now and July, I hope to brush up on some Danish, build up my leg muscles, and get my camera ready to document this trip. Looking forward to blogging about my Xref trip and sharing my experiences in Denmark.

Haiti on the Horizon // By Kaysha Bucher

It's finally sinking in that I'm really going to Haiti for my Xref trip. With the planning in the works and my departure just around the corner, the realization that I have this opportunity to travel to Haiti is significant and meaningful for me. I am thankful for all the support from our HMC team as I eagerly prepare for my upcoming venture in August.

While anticipation builds, I have joined an on-going dialogue with Schools for Children of the World (SCW), the non-profit group of architects, engineers, and planners I will be traveling and working with in Haiti for eight days. Joining this team of SCW's ambassadors keeps me connected with the group to build vision in preparation for what the trip will hold. Between now and August, I and other SCW Ambassadors will take on initiatives through brainstorming sessions resulting in action plans. Topics will include evaluation and monitoring of the ten school sites I will be visiting in Haiti, and possibly designing playground equipment for SCW projects.

Other necessary preparations are in the works—I've scheduled my health check-ups and proper vaccinations recommended for travel in the Caribbean. Not so thrilling, but so worth it!

Winning HMC's Xref competition fills my heart with thanks; I'm eager to share more news of my trip as my dream of helping Haiti becomes a reality.

Selecting Winners: Tips from the Jurors

What goes on behind the scenes of the Xref jury? Ever wonder what impresses them during the judging process? The Xref judging event is always one of animated discussion and opinionated expression, and this year was no exception. We're giving you an insider's look as to what the jurors were looking for in the 2011 proposals.

This year, we took notes during the judging process to help guide future submittals, especially useful if you're thinking about retooling your 2011 proposal for next year—which we're highly recommending! Tips from our 2011 judges are below:

1. Passion! Jurors want to feel your enthusiasm and get revved up by your excitement.  
2. Succinct. An initial one-page executive summary was suggested by several jurors who recommended that submitters present or highlight a single, clearly stated supporting thought on each page.
3. Original thinking. The more unique the notion, the more the jurors loved it—and the more personal, the better.
4. Commitment and follow-through. Be sure to address what you would bring to your quest, and what would you gain from it. How would you apply what you learned to improve yourself, HMC, and/or the world at large?
5. Clear, clean, and simple graphics with well-edited text without typos, spelling, or grammar errors.  Don't be afraid to ask for help, and make sure your submittal is legible.
6. Beautiful presentation was a plus, but not critical; creative packaging and formatting counted more heavily with the jurors. How can your submittal format reflect your proposed travels?
7. Hand-crafted elements appealed to some jurors: sketches, handwritten notes, anything that made it more personal. The trick is to balance this with a clean, clear presentation. Be sure to test-drive your final version before committing to it.

The How and Why of Xref

During times when companies around the country are going on economic diets, HMC Architects continues to place employees first, and is continuing the much-anticipated annual Xref program. Each spring the program rewards two intrepid employees with a travel fellowship to go anywhere in the world, enabling them to experience more diverse outside influences, new ideas, and historic precedents. The resulting personal growth and creative renewal is reflected into all aspects of their lives, and winners bring back their experiences, enthusiasm, motivation, and new-found knowledge that can be shared with colleagues.

But how these winners are selected is a story and process all of its own. And each fall, the selection process gears up with brainstorming, inspiration, and the crafting of a winning proposal. In this article, we're lifting the curtain on this process to give you an inside look at how Xref happens each year.

The Committee
Led by Arturo Levenfeld, Sacramento's senior project designer and associate principal, the Xref committee is responsible for leading the charge and organizing the effort that will select two employees as annual winners of the program. The committee is comprised of volunteers from offices in both Northern and Southern California who help lead brainstorming workshops and nominate jurors.

The Jurors
The committee is thoughtful in selecting jurors who are found to appreciate traveling, adventure, and understand the benefit of being afforded this opportunity. When explaining the process to them, Arturo says, "They become hooked immediately and find it to be a thoughtful benefit HMC provides. Ultimately, they want to be a part of the fun."

The committee reaches out to key clients, consultants, and potential clients who we are just getting to know to put together two panels of five to seven jurors: one for Northern California and one for Southern. By taking this route, the Xref program allows the firm to spend time with our clients where architecture isn't the focus. Arturo says, "In this informal setting, the jurors get to see that behind the designers, administrators, marketing managers, and construction administrators, there are individuals that make up the family of HMC; the same individuals who make their schools, hospitals, and offices a better space for their life."

Jurors receive digital copies of the submittals about a week before the day of the selection process so that they can come prepared and can concentrate on the content and not be distracted by the presentation. This is why PDFs are required in the submittal package! Arturo remarks, "It is interesting to observe how surprised the jurors are when they see the physical submittal and how much the packaged presentation affects the initial opinion of each juror. "

The Venue
Gathering clients and consultants that might not know each other to spend an evening together to help HMC with Xref requires providing a space that will provide a memorable experience, that hopefully they would like to participate in again. HMC provides a comfortable, quiet atmosphere complete with good food and good drink. Each year, the committee rotates the venue from office to office to give each HMC studio an opportunity to engage local clients to be involved in the selection. This year, the L.A. office celebrated by hosting the selection process in our own office, while our Central Valley office hosted the jury at Fort Washington Golf and Country Club in Fresno.

The Selection
Jurors take the lead on judging—HMC is not involved in the actual judging process at all. The rules for the program are shared with the jurors in the same exact format that they are available to all participants. We take the time to read and clarify any questions they may have, but the message is clear—they need to select a winner without us being involved. Once they’re underway, HMC attendees are excluded from the process and their conversations; we are there to observe, take notes, and fill their glasses. Xref committee member Susie Lechner says, “We make a very conscious and determined effort to stay out of the process. As hard as it might be, this provides a fair and transparent opportunity for all submitters.”

When the winners are announced, the Xref committee is brought back into the conversation to share the experience. “Their comments always amaze us, almost as much as the quality of the submittals that catch their attention; it’s these last 30 minutes of the evening that really make all the effort we put into the program worthwhile,” says Arturo.