#302 - SCOTT UTTERSTROM, Principal at XTEN Architecture
SUMMARY
This week Architect Scott Utterstrom, Principal at XTEN Architecture joins David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design to discuss his journey into Architecture; studying abroad in Copenhagen; why he chose to pursue a Masters degree in architecture; leading an office; XTEN’s design process and principles; and more. Enjoy!
ABOUT SCOTT
Scott Utterstrom joined XTEN Architecture in 2007 and has since played key a role the firm’s many award-winning projects. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Scott graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2003. During this time, he spent a year abroad studying architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark. From 2003 through 2006, Scott worked in the Los Angeles office of AGPS Architecture to support the firm in building nationally recognized projects including the Portland Aerial Tram. In 2006, he received a fellowship to attend the University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design and finished one year later with a Master of Architecture. In 2015, he was named Principal at XTEN. Scott Utterstrom currently lives in Los Angeles where he leads XTEN with Founding Partner and President, Monika Haefelfinger.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Scott’s Background
“If you were really interested in architecture and you want to study architecture, you should go to a big city. Go to L.A., go to New York, go to Chicago, go someplace where not only do you have great buildings and examples of architecture that you could go see, but also professors that are practicing and working. I think that makes a huge difference.” (15:09)
(13:55) Studying abroad in Copenhagen
(24:26) Pursuing a Masters degree after graduation
“[After working in an architecture office] I realized that graduate school was a step in my education that I was missing and that I needed to continue to do what I wanted to do. I felt like I still needed that growth. So that's why I went back [to school]. I knew that I didn't need it for licensure or anything like that.” (35:58)
(37:04) Leading the XTEN office
“I've never really been that interested in actually going out on my own. I think a partnership was always more attractive to me and maybe that's also just a way of working. I kind of operate better when I have somebody else to bounce ideas off of and work with collaboratively, which I've found out over the years.” (44:23)
(46:00) Insight into XTEN projects
“I personally find you just need a lot of flexibility and maybe that's with residential work, specifically. But every client that we have operates in a different way, in a level that they're comfortable with. Every contractor that we work with operates a little bit differently and so I think you're kind of constantly just fine-tuning the machine in a way to approach that project in the best way. It's not a cut and dry, here's our method, this is what we do and that's it.” (57:34)
(01:09:31) The design process at XTEN
(01:25:28) The future of XTEN
