DANIEL MARSHALL ARCHITECTS

14.06.12 by Nick Sayes

An Interview with Daniel Marshall

Maria of Design Elements has recently published her recent Interview with Daniel.

“Success is feeling that you have a mastery in the craft you have chosen.”  Daniel Marshall

Loving the work of Auckland-based award-winning architect Daniel Marshall. His houses look like a landscape element, like a piece of sculpture and the way he maximizes the views beyond the structures is fabulous. Daniel spent a lot of time in Asia, loves painting, playing the guitar and snowboarding the beautiful mountains in New Zealand. The interview below was made while Daniel Marshall was heading over to Waiheke Island for another project…

What was the moment when you knew you would be an architect?

I think from a very early age I was intrigued: really just a stationary fetish and many hours with lego as a child. However I really knew when I was in an IM Pei building when I was an architecture student – it was then that I clearly realised that spatial constructs and materiality had a direct resonance with the human soul: it is an art.

Is there something that connects all your projects?

We call it sculptural resolve – the commonality of our projects across quite different contexts and requirements are that the resolution is sculptural in nature – this is probably a result of my design process running between drawing, physical modeling and computer modeling throughout the entire project and across a range of scales. I place a great deal of emphasis on the context and we explore the landform, history and wider context a great deal.

Looking back at your first project what design knowledge do you wish you had back then?

I think that regret can not be part of the creative process – we have to be constantly projected into the future. So the things I learn on each project enable the growth of the creative process.

What do you enjoy most in your work?

Most of it – I think architects are generalists and as such you encounter a large range of conditions – from introspective analysis to highly collaborative action. I think the diversity is what keeps me stimulated and interested in the process.

What do you love to do when you are not designing?

Diverse – I love painting and playing the guitar as both are creative in a direct way while architecture is an abstract from the finished result. I love drinking and catching up with friends, and I love snowboarding the many beautiful mountains in New Zealand.

Your favorite books?

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Your favorite places in New Zealand?

New Zealand is so diverse geographically – just from Downtown Auckland where I live, you can travel in 30mins by car in one direction and you are on the wild west coast with crazy black sand and ferocious waves crashing in from the Tasman Sea. 30 minutes by ferry in the other direction and you are on Waiheke Island which is a tranquil and beautiful island littered with vineyards, quiet private beaches and wonderful places to eat.

What does success mean to you?

Success I think is feeling that you have a mastery in the craft you have chosen.

What’s your advice to upcoming architects?

Listen to your intuition.

My signature question – what are the most important design elements?

One of my lecturers said that the Sydney Opera House wasn’t about the arching iconic forms, rather it was about the platforms. That statement has was a revelation to me. I think the interaction of various floor levels, and how they interact with the surrounding context is the most important design element.

Written and originally posted by Maria of Design Elements at http://design-elements-blog.com/2012/06/14/interview-with-daniel-marshall/