10 Jul Well and Good Newsletter 2020 – Quarter 2
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Friends,
On behalf of everyone here at OLC, we hope that you and your circle of family and friends are safe, healthy and well.
Since our last newsletter, social distancing and face coverings have indeed become our new reality. There is little doubt that there will be lasting effects of this pandemic, and some things will never be able to return to the way they were pre-COVID-19. Just as we thought that the stay-at-home orders appeared to be working and the country is slowly coming back to life, we continue to learn of new surges in positive cases and how the virus continues to spread despite our efforts.
On top of all this, we are reminded that our society continues to need improvement in many areas. At OLC, we believe we can design a better, more just world by supporting causes that have a direct impact on the lives and futures of children and youth in our local community. In order to do so, we pledge to take action by providing financial contributions to Girls Inc. of Metro Denver (inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold), the SIMS-FAYOLA Foundation (improving the lives of young men and boys of color), and the Sun Valley Youth Center (empowering youth and community in the Sun Valley neighborhood). We will also coordinate volunteer opportunities and offer mentorships for students in these organizations to help them better realize their potential for achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers.
I am very proud to say that as a firm we remain as creative, diligent, productive and efficient as ever. We continue to innovate and bring new design solutions to market each and every day. We thank you for your trust and look forward to collaborating with you in the near future.
Be Well,
OUR WORK
Below are some recent progress photos from the Hancock Gateway Park South Wellness Center & Medical Office Complex. OLC is excited to be a part of this project, working alongside Davis Wince, Ltd. Architecture.
FEATURED ARTICLE
The Doubtful Future of Business Travel
The Extinction of the Frequent Flyer Species May Be at Hand!
As a long time, business-driven frequent flyer, I’ve racked up more than four million miles since my first business trip, in 1983, from Denver to Oklahoma City. The flying, the rental cars, the hotels, new restaurants, and, of course, the clients…. It was fun, at first. All that travel was a fulfillment of my dream, as a college student in the late 60s and early 70s, to become so skillful in my chosen career as an architect, that clients would gladly pay my airfare so that I could fly-in and solve their special problems — It was a good lesson in “be careful what you wish for”! Four million miles and 37 years later, an older, more road-weary version of myself was gearing up, in January 2020 for another year of more than 100 business flight segments. When my March 11 flight from Indianapolis landed in Orlando, I was on pace for another year of 100 K flight miles.
Continue reading here.
OUR PEOPLE
Congratulations to Tony Quattrini on his engagement to Morgan Phillips!
Brian Beckler’s Daughter, Isabel (Above), graduated from the Denver School of the Arts and will be attending the University of Hawaii – Manoa in August! Congratulations Isabel!
Robert McDonald had a good weekend fishing with friends and family on the Gunnison River!
MEET OLC
Michael St. John
Architect
Briefly describe what you do all day.
As a project architect, my daily tasks include communicating and coordinating with clients, engineers, consultants, contractors, etc. I also work on all phases of a project, from schematic design through construction administration.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The best part of being an architect is seeing the projects you’ve worked on to be built and constructed. Also, seeing the end-users utilize the space as it was designed.
What’s the best thing about OLC?
The coworkers and the culture that OLC promotes.
What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?
Golfing, exploring new breweries, spending time with family and friends.
I once met…
Pete Rose, former baseball player.
If you could pick one superpower, what would it be?
I think time travel would be the most interesting.
What is the song title that best describes your personality?
Takin’ Care of Business
What do you do to Be Well?
Running every morning, golfing, making “green” changes to my house.
EAT LIKE AN ARCHITECT
Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe
Recipe from Shady Moharrem’s wife Amira
Ingredients:
- 28 oz 800g digestive biscuits, or any tea biscuits*
- 1 cup hazelnuts toasted slightly chopped
To make the chocolate syrup:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder**
- 1 cup of water
- 2/3 cup butter
Chocolate Glaze:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, break the biscuits into small pieces and set aside.
Make the syrup:
- In a saucepan, stir together cocoa powder and sugar then add water and stir over medium heat until it boils.
- Add butter and reduce heat, keep simmering for 5 more minutes.
- Pour syrup over biscuit pieces and mix well, fold in chopped hazelnuts.
- Press the biscuit mixture in a 9inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the glaze:
- Place the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a bowl and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream and sugar.
- Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is hot.
- Pour over the chocolate and mix until smooth.
- Pour glaze over the chocolate cake and refrigerate again for 4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Take it out of the pan. And decorate with some chocolate balls if desired.
Notes
* Any tea biscuit can work as well, like Marie Gold.
** Use cocoa powder of your choice, I’ve used unsweetened Dutch if you use sweetened then you need to lessen the amount of sugar used.
WHAT DO OUR ARCHITECTS SAY?
Why did you become an architect?
“Growing up, our family moved often. Living in different countries and environments made me aware of direct experience and subconsciously of the real symbiosis between culture and the built world. The lesson–what one builds matters–continued during fortuitous stints through high school in construction, campground management, and facility maintenance. In school, since I was a foremost visual and spatial thinker anyway, I naturally gravitated towards the visual arts. However, growing up in a religious environment I seemed pre-destined to be a minister or educator-and so I started on that track in college. There I became aware of the possibility of architecture as a profession. The light bulb clicked on and I realized that this field offered me the opportunity to combine culture, the built environment, and creativity. The jump from a theology track to an architectural one was swift and inevitable. It was the only path for which I had the right shoes.”
Resources