Julia Miner AIA
Beginnings
As a child I was always making creative projects – drawings, books, buildings. These would help satisfy an adventurous spirit. I’m still transported by the creative process of exploring a space to be built in the future.
Discovery
After joining the first class with women admitted to Dartmouth College and receiving a Master of Architecture at Yale, I worked for award winning design firms in Connecticut, New York, and Boston. A bike trip through Europe to sketch and photograph inspiring places solidified a vision of what was important to me in architecture. I felt as drawn to the way the light hit the landscape and buildings as to the architecture itself. I realized how vital a sense of place is to our psyche – European towns are layered with culture and history that add meaning to our lives and inform the design of new buildings. Shortly after I returned I opened my own office. Later, after traveling to Greece and Turkey, where I studied classical and Middle Eastern architecture and gathered ideas for my first book, The Shepherd's Song, I moved to Arizona.
The Poetry of Place™
From a studio in a historic adobe house with views across pristine desert, I completed architecture projects, books, and paintings while starting a family. After a decade we returned to Massachusetts. Buildings tell stories; historic preservation and adapting old buildings to modern uses and sensibilities have become specialties. As a landscape painter (link to JMS), I bring an interdisciplinary approach to siting a building harmoniously, thoughtfully creating indoor/outdoor relationships.
Paying it Forward
Architect Nick Peckham once told me, "What you do for children counts twice." Illustrating an occasional book that will inspire kids is a special privilege. I enjoy sharing with students of all ages the process of creating art, a book or a place we inhabit (juliaminer.com). In architecture, my biggest goal is to help clients realize their hopes and dreams, while restoring and creating places that will lift the spirit for years to come.
Working with East Side Studio Architects
We bring a substantial return on our clients’ investment on design with a poetic approach - the result of endless considerations distilled into a refined, efficient art form. We blend a client’s unique story with the local context, or what we call The Poetry of Place™, an evocative lyricism and energy in the built environment that results from generations of people responding to local climate, materials, and culture. We celebrate The Poetry of Place™ whether we’re renovating a historic building or designing a new, modern structure: our responsive design feels uplifting and artfully at home in its surroundings.
A narrative of light and the spirit of a place undergird Julia Miner’s landscape paintings and illustrations www.juliaminer.com. This same focus on the spirit of place in design, coupled with a commitment to listen actively and interpret a client’s goals, translates into buildings that meet needs efficiently and sustainably while rising above the ordinary.
"Julia Miner was an outstanding student in my art courses at Dartmouth College in the 1970’s. We have kept in touch ever since and I’ve admired her growth as a professional architect. When the non-profit Ashley Bryan Center planned to build a year-round museum of my life in art and education, I put the A. B. Center Committee in touch with Ms. Miner. After the committee reviewed her impressive portfolio, she was awarded the contract. In preparation for this project, Ms. Miner first explored and enjoyed the island landscape,…talked with a noted museum designer and conservator,…and contacted members of my family and drew from them deeper insights that would enhance the design of the building. She then created a design of the museum, which…has its special character that takes its place in an ideal relation to the Islesford homes and landscape. Ms. Miner brings care, ingenuity and humility to all of her projects. This makes working with her a learning experience and a joy." -Ashley Bryan
"Julia's pre-design "Story Board" service was really helpful. I LOVED her sketches. Not only did they capture the feel of what we wanted to do with our renovation - they made me (and everyone I showed them to) say "WOW!" And it was great to get her input on our budget and the investment in our property. Julia was generous with her time and gave us prompt service. I look forward to working with her further on our house." - Tracy Van Dorpe
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