McEuen Park Avista Pavilion

Avista Corp contributed to the construction of the Avista Pavilion at McEuen Park in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We were asked to document the structure and signage for helveticka and Avista Corp. The first time out, in spite of our planning and coordination with the city facilities folks, there was a wedding in progress as we arrived. Not having any wish to infringe on the bride and groom's important day, we did what we could and planned a return trip, checking now with the person who actually books events there. Success! Here are a few samples:

Spokane Roofing

Spokane Roofing, a venerable Spokane roofing company came to us with the need to document some of their recent projects. I asked if they wanted to see the actual roofs and they said "no- they get dirty right away". Good point- they are mostly white membrane roofs. This made our task much more simple, too. 

GGP NorthTown Mall Renovation Before and After

GGP (General Growth Properties, Inc.) arranged with J. Craig Sweat Photography to do before and after architectural photography of their NorthTown property as they go about a major renovation update, particularly to the North quadrant of the shopping center. I've always liked NorthTown because I grew up across Franklin Park from there and, as kids, we used to walk over there and have all sorts of adventures. (Karmelcorn!). It is surely the oldest shopping center in Spokane and was already going strong in the 1960's, when we lived nearby.

Below are some before and after images of the completed project.

NAC Orifino Medical Clinic

NAC architecture brought us in to shoot the new "Clearwater Clinic" in Orofino, Idaho which they designed and helped concieve. Pat Watkins, their facility manager, was super helpful all day as we executed both exteriors and interiors for a long full day. The assistant I hired said that it was the "longest day he had worked in his life". He's young- he'll have more chances to beat it. He was good help right through the end, then for the three hour drive back. Once we arrived back at the studio we added grass, bark, and cleaned up the images for their final stage, as you can see using the image sliders. It's a beautiful building which is as much a community center as a clinic judging from the traffic and activities all day long. 

Spokane International Airport Fire Station: Architectural Photographer J. Craig Sweat Photography, Inc.

Here are some images of the Spokane International Airport Fire Station, courtesy of US taxpayers and Integrus Architecture. J. Craig Sweat Photography, Inc. was asked by Integrus Architecture to photograph the structure; both interior and exterior. Be glad these folks are here for us. Nice people, great building. The facility has a workout room where the Fire Fighters can maintain a healthy fitness level. The main bay of the building houses three serious fire trucks, two that are each capable of holding 30,000 gallons of water as well as a fire deterrent foam. The new building was moved to near the center runway to help with speed of deployment and allow greater access to the whole airport. A first class facility that we all hope is never needed for its greatest purpose.

Integrus Architecture, Spokane Commercial Photographer Craig Sweat Photography

Integrus Seattle and Spokane Portraits as well as Candids. Integrus Architecture, for whom we occasionally photograph finished building projects, asked us to show their staffs and culture through images of their principals as well as working candid images of everyone during a normal workday. Given the qualities of the location and the intensity of their work, taking an unobtrusive "fly on the wall" approach to these candids offered a wealth of opportunities. It was great fun as I stated several times "I'm not here" to avoid affecting the meetings and allow them to focus on their work. The reality of this method shows in the images and is a truer reflection of the intensity and collaboration required of their high-stakes trade. The video was produced by Spokane's ILF media (and not us). We have included a link to it to give a little more depth here. This project (and the video) was partly motivated by Integrus's 70th anniversary in business.

helveticka SPOMa, Spokane Commercial Photographer Craig Sweat Photography

CK Anderson, principal of "helveticka" design agency in Spokane took it upon himself to recognize the considerable legacy of architectural modernism that Spokane enjoys. He did so publicly and powerfully with this full-blown exhibit at the MAC. Direct connections to Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus school) and, by extension, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright exist in our Spokane architectural community and many examples of superb modern building are here to be discovered. The exhibit was titled Mid-Century Modern and was a very thorough treatment of this design movement in our fair city. We documented the installation and contributed a few of the many images presented.

This really is a noble history and the legacies of the talented players still exist in several current Spokane firms, including ALSC Architects, Integrus Architecture, and NAC. All firms of extraordinary talent and all clients to us here at JCSP. (We did not author the attached video productions; they are included to more completely tell the story)

Spokane Architectural Photographer: NorthTown Mall (GGP)

GGP (General Growth Properties, Inc.) arranged with J. Craig Sweat Photography to do before and after architectural photography of their NorthTown property as they go about a major renovation update, particularly to the North quadrant of the shopping center. I've always liked NorthTown because I grew up across Franklin Park from there and, as kids, we used to walk over there and have all sorts of adventures. (Karmelcorn!) It is surely the oldest shopping center in Spokane and was already going strong in the 1960's, when we lived nearby. We have executed the "baseline" photography of the structure as it has stood. We tried to find angles that would still exist after the remodel and that demonstrated the traffic and aesthetic improvements.

We will post the finished project, with comparisons, when the build is finished. It really is a big project with major demolition and large scale reconstruction and thus won't be finished until mid-2015. The designer and management team from GGP have been superb to work with. They gave me plans and showed me the site along with discussion of the strategy and purpose of the project. All of this helps us make better decisions as we work.

Spokane Architectural Photographer: WSU Football Stadium

Chris and I headed down to the Pullman WSU Campus a little while ago, just in the nick of time for fall weather. It was a fun shoot- there had been a big game Saturday and Sunday they had apparently cleaned up because when we got there at 7:00 am it looked real good. It was a beautiful day. Clear skies and great color. Our task was to execute several exterior photos from the stadium (east) side of the new Football Center. It is a large building that houses the locker rooms and indoor training areas, as well as football administration and related activities. ALSC Architects designed the building (as well as the new box seat and announcer building above the south bleachers a few years ago) and it is substantial. It sits right between the Coug's two practice fields and Martin Stadium. The stadium was at it's best (absent a game in progress) and we escaped a big parking ticket through a bit of good luck. The Palouse drive, there and back, was just great this time of year, too.  

Rockwood Lane Retirement [helveticka]

CK Anderson of helveticka came to us to photograph the various interiors at Rockwood Lane Retirement to help build their occupancy. These are all lived-in homes and their owners were good to us as we tried to represent what seems a very agreeable lifestyle. This is a well-maintained facility with everything from free-standing homes to small apartments available with a range of dining, support and nursing services on call. The folks I met seem real happy living there and the food looked great. 

The challenge for us was the tight quarters in the smaller apartments with the dense furnishing that happens when a person, or couple, tries to narrow down a lifelong collection of nice things to fit a smaller space. In one case, there was absolutely nowhere to put a light , so we lit first for the right half, then, being very careful around the camera, we re-lit for the left half, combining the halves later, with little problem, as we edited. Good lighting for each half with just a little added editing time. We spent a full day on the interiors and then a couple of hours on a sunnier day for some exterior views. 

Spokane Commercial Photographer: Google Storefront

Follow this to the Google Virtual Tour click "Tour the Studio".

My good friend, photographer Roger Myers, set us up to do a Google Virtual Tour of the Studio. This is where, from Google Maps, Google Earth, or various other portals, a viewer can take a tour through our studio interior in some detail through navigable photographs. Roger has aligned himself with Google as a Google Certified photographer. He's the guy for this area. Roger does great work and knows how to do these "spins", as he calls them, expertly as well as entry to publish them on the Google system. From any of the camera positions you can turn 360º around and up and down as well. Any public business should have this done. In a year or two it will be standard for any public business.

Roger's phone # is 509-703-2672. Website: Ailana360.com

Spokane Architectural Photographer: ALSC Eastern Washington University

ALSC Architects asked us to photograph the new snyamncut Residence Hall at Eastern Washington University. It's a beautiful facility and the students who live there are lucky. Given a difficult to pronounce native (Salish?) name, I am curious what it might be nicknamed by now. Said phonetically, the "c" is pronounced like an "s". It was just opened and populated this last fall (2013). We hoped to get the exterior but the landscaping wasn't in place yet- too limiting. We covered the interior thoroughly with images of the great ground floor common areas, the entry, and upper floor study and kitchen areas. The client was happy with the result and we licensed them to Leone and Keeble Construction, as the contractor, as well. 

Wellpinit School District

Integrus Architecture hired us to photograph the Architecture of Wellpinit School for which they designed and oversaw a very major rehab project. The High School/ Middle School combo is source of pride for the people who spend their days there. A lot of nice big windows and pleasant common spaces make school good for all of them. The school features some cool ideas such as drinking fountains that allow for quick-filing of your water bottle, so students can stay hydrated throughout the day, and automatic energy saving lighting.  Congratulations to the Wellpinit School District on their new Facility!

Wellpinit High School-Middle School.