#404 - EDDIE JONES, Founding Principal of Jones Studio
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design to discuss his childhood influences; passion for hand sketching and architecture; his educational background; the business operation of Jones Studio; the Land Ports of Entry project; architects in politics and public sector projects and more. Enjoy!
ABOUT EDDIE
For more than 40 years, Eddie Jones has led Jones Studio with a persistent optimism that is fueled by his enduring commitment to sustainability and his intrepid spirit for innovative design. Eddie is founder and principal of Jones Studio. Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, Eddie received his Bachelor of Architecture from Oklahoma State University in 1971 and shortly thereafter moved to Arizona to work for one of the oldest firms in the state (at the time). In 1979, he founded Jones Studio. His younger brother Neal joined the firm in 1986, completing their childhood dream of working together and forever changing the scale of the practice.
Eddie holds the rare ability to create responsive architecture, timeless in design and bound distinctively to its place. His sense of space, materials, and detail—inspired by the history and nature of the places he works— is the foundation of all his work. Eddie works closely with clients to craft a shared vision and lead all aspects of design from concept through construction. Under Eddie’s design vision and leadership, Jones Studio has received 228 design awards, including a National AIA Award and a GSA Design Excellence Honor for the Mariposa Land Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.
In 2021, Eddie was elevated to The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects for his work to promote the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession. In 2018, he won the AIA Arizona’s Architects Medal, the highest honor an individual practitioner of architecture can receive in the state. He is the 2004 recipient of the Melvin R. Lohmann Medal (for career achievement in architecture) from his alma mater, Oklahoma State University—the highest honor bestowed on a graduate of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT)—and is an inductee of the CEAT Hall of Fame. In 1999, the University of Oklahoma College of Architecture named him the Bruce Goff Chair.
Eddie serves on numerous design juries, academically, professionally, and communally—including the GSA Design Excellence Peer Review and the 50th Progressive Architecture Awards—enriching the connection between education, community, and architecture. He has served with Arizona Forward, Arizona’s premier organization for promoting sustainable design, as well as with numerous other professional boards and committees designed to positively enact policies that directly affect architects. Furthermore, Eddie was appointed a Founding Governor for The School of Architecture (formerly at The School of Architecture at Taliesin) and has served on numerous civic and academic boards and committees designed to advance the quality of architecture in the community.
Eddie has lectured widely throughout North America, Europe, and Asia and is active in numerous civic and academic committees with a focus on design excellence, education, community impact, and sustainability. He has published two books on the work of firm, one titled Jones Studio Houses: Sensual Modernism and the other titled STRIVE: Jones Studio Adventures in Architecture.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Introduction.
(06:05) Hand renderings.
“I find peace and joy whenever I am at one with my drafting board. I disappear into the paper, and it talks back. It tells me what it needs, and I comply. When the drawing allows me to say, “You're done.” I can sit back, and I can objectively appreciate what has happened. I can admire it without feeling like it's all mine. It now belongs to the universe.” (09:33)
(12:58) Business of architecture.
“I've known so many brilliant young people that were gifted, but the business of architecture just chewed them up and spit them out, and they burned out. It would probably have done the same to me had it not been for Neal taking the business seriously. It's one thing to be devoted to excellence, concentrate, and be committed. But it's another [challenge] to fulfill that payroll responsibility every month too.” (14:38)
(18:30) Eddie's education background.
(22:13) Early career and starting own firm.
(31:48) Building regulations and cost factors inhibit good architectural projects.
“Everything about architecture is wonderful except having to interact with bureaucrats. All those layers [of bureaucracy] tend to inhibit creativity. They take a lot of energy and time and therefore, a lot of money from our clients. It just makes [the design process] harder and it's so unnecessary. I have yet to have a plan checker that improved my building. It has caused me to ‘cheat’ because I'm tired of arguing. Just tell me what you want in the plans, and I'll put it on the plans. It doesn't matter to me because after I get a certificate of occupancy, I go back and fix everything.” (33:15)
(38:08) Architects in politics.
“Doesn't everybody have a social responsibility? I feel like I have a responsibility to my community to make it better or at least prevent it from getting worse. Maybe it's because of my age, and I have nothing to prove. I'm not afraid of losing anything, therefore, I can speak my mind and I’m not distracted by the consequences.” (45:08)
(45:54) Land Ports of Entry project.
“You can look at any border and say, “Oh yeah, that's the border. It separates the United States from Mexico.” But we looked at the border and thought, “Oh, that's the border. That's what connects us to Mexico.” By [treating] the border as a unifier, and the symbol of our great dependent relationship, that will produce a different design. Ports are typically surrounded by razor wire and threatening barriers. We figured out how to use architecture and landscaping to define and secure the enforcement zones, so we didn't have to use razor wire.” (54:11)
(58:46) Working on government projects.
(01:09:25) Design build and in-house production.
(01:15:55) Eddie's favorite building.
