The architect needs to learn to see, and to open his eyes because there is always a lesson to learn from the streets.
~ Santiago Calatrava

Research

Continuous research is integral to the program for the DTS Project House. Research is both the collecting of information about a particular subject through inquiry, examination, investigation, and experimentation aimed at the discovery of facts and the practical application of such facts.
mills studio and the Owners have actively applied their research efforts to both the large and small scale aspects of the project, from overall design approaches to specific building components to the minutest unseen element, such as concrete additives.

mills studio and the Owners have visited and documented numerous relevant local and national architectural sites including Dominus Winery in Napa Valley, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Clyfford Still Museum and Denver MOCA in Denver, the Museum of the Holocaust and Getty Villa in Los Angeles, Tadao Ando’s Fort Worth Modern Art Museum and Louis Kahn’s Kimball Art Museum in the Dallas area, the Charles and Ray Eames House in Pacific Palisades, Pierre Koenig’s Case Study Houses 21 and 22 in Los Angeles, and Richard Neutra’s VDL House in Silver Lake and Kaufmann House in Palm Springs.

  

mills studio and the Owners have also visited and documented landscapes and gardens and interiors throughout the United States, including the City Hall Park in Newport Beach, Garden at the Getty Museum, The Highline in New York City, Tonga Park in Santa Monica, Perot Museum in Dallas, and Apple and Tesla Stores.

  

mills studio and the Owners continue to attend local and national trade shows and fairs, such as Coverings, Light Fair, Dwell, the World of Concrete, GreenBuild, and CEDIA to gain exposure to the latest options in products and technologies.

The Owners continue to access and invest in crowd funding sites such as KickStarter to provide exposure to the most current product and manufacturing developments and provide a glimpse into the future of design and product development.

mills studio and the Owners have searched out experts in specific fields who are innovating, experimenting, and pushing forward technology in its broadest sense so that the best and most innovative thinking is integrated in all aspects of the project, from concrete to home automation.

mills studio and the Owners have used each specific project element, such as overhead doors, switched glass for projection, shading devices, glass elevators, gabions, concrete formwork, light switches, and recharging docks as an opportunity to research and document the best of existing technology, find ways to integrate and push forward these technologies, and ultimately make the most innovative technologies accessible to a wider audience.

    

mills studio and the Owners continue to visit manufacturers and vendors showrooms to use and experience products and furniture in person and gain exposure to otherwise unknown design.

mills studio and the Owners have visited the shops and building sites of numerous sub-contractors, installers, fabricators, and vendors to document working methods, fabrication processes, and how the construction and fabrication process affects their work and ultimately affects the finished building.

mills studio and the Owners have attended artists openings, visited and documented specific art works, and visited artists in their studios to look for ways to integrate art and technology into the design and experience of the DTS Project House.

  

Research: The distance between an idea and its realization.
~ David Sarnoff