Finding Inspiration: Stephanie Balsam

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Nearly every design challenge begins with some exploration and search for inspiration. Today, Stephanie Balsam shares about where she finds inspiration.

The temporal aspect of architecture is something that fascinates me. I find inspiration from spaces – both built and natural – with pasts that are palpable. I love spending time in places with deep but accessible, and maybe even quirky, history. I love contemplating how a space came about, how its origin differs from the state that I found it in and all that happened in between. I reference this perspective often when designing, thinking of not only how a space will look and endure over time, but how it will be perceived after having some time to settle in, get comfortable and find its own identity. How will someone happen upon it? And how would I answer the question of how it came about?

I am also interested in the complex relationships between the parts of a whole. I like to think about architectural design as a kind of collage art. We create architecture by assembling pieces of materials and products that are in many ways pre-defined. We navigate a palette of curtainwall systems, steel sections, door hardware and carpet patterns. And with it, we piece together a customized composition that aims to make you forget how it’s put together, and to give you a wholly original experience.

I find a lot of inspiration from the urban environment. I am passionate about an immersive urban lifestyle, and how the city is a resource meant to serve all. I try to bring an inclusive, communal-mindedness to my projects in hopes of enriching its context, beyond the walls. 

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