Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Vanko.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Peter. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a young boy, I was always building and loved design! My family had a large farm in rural Colorado that felt like it had no boundaries, and suitable materials abounded, whether an old, fallen-down barn or fifty foot pines. It was like a giant canvas, and Architecture was my clear path from a very early age.
I had the fortune of being exposed to America’s most metropolitan centers despite living in a rural place. Between family in Washington/Baltimore, Houston, and Denver, and a father who worked worldwide in technology, I had a window into design’s applicability to human need: solving real problems, and building a beautiful society worth preserving.
Educated in Philadelphia, my Architectural pursuits always came down to those basic tenets. My early years of practice–now a decade ago–were steeped in theory as I remained in academia as an adjunct professor. Little did I know, this galvanized my belief systems and laid the foundations for managing a firm staffed with young, creative, inexperienced talent.
I spent almost 10 years in firms of all sizes and shapes–ranging from three person operations to corporate mega-houses. I excelled in all, but my first job was in a design-build firm. There I was drawing sketches in the office and then taking them into the field for immediate construction, sometimes by me! You cannot replace that education with any degree.
I am a different type of Architect; I don’t have the edgy glasses, and I enjoy chatting with the guys doing the work as much as the banker showing up for a project’s next financial draw. I’m well rounded, understanding the interplay between project quality, speed, and finance (pick two, you cannot have all three!), and often act as an advisor to my clients–most of whom are business-oriented, which, for most Architects creates tension, but not for me.
My journey, really, can be summarized by the presence of natural talent, right timing, and ambition/bravery. I’ve always had this tendency to out-work my competitors, and I was the first in my class to pass the Architectural “bar”–not because I was smarter, but because I saw that as the threshold to creating Architecture the way I felt it should be done. See, I had spent almost 10 years in firms of all sizes and shapes–ranging from three person operations to corporate mega-houses. I did well in all. And that leads to my last point: I am realistic. My designs are challenging, yet build-able–which ensures the Architecture is progressive–while rooted in reality. Concurrent forces generally affect Architecture: nature, finance, and urbanism. It’s our duty as Architects to make it beautiful and functional.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Challenges have been in both the public and private sectors…
Starting with the public, the neighborhood process is Boston’s greatest asset while also its greatest handicap. Believe me, Architecture should NOT be forced onto a neighborhood, but Boston’s diversity–generationally and economically–limits its own urban improvement. Everyone has an opinion, and Architects have lost their “what is appropriate” credibility due to their own foolishness (e.g. City Hall) so we have turned major design decisions over to lay-people, and, unfortunately, community activism often uses the zoning process to exercise a tangential voice and assert control.
Internally, I’ve always had a heart for people. Architecture is challenging because it incites gentrification. That’s a peripheral part of my practice, exploring how we can keep the middle class in Boston.
So, balancing my social beliefs with the vision of a more beautiful city remains tenuous.
As for the personal challenges to building my practice, the work/life/family balance was tough. I lost my first marriage along the way, partially due to the hours I needed to work, partially due to a partner who wasn’t on-board for those start-up years.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Vanko Studio Architects story. Tell us more about the business.
My practice is built upon a few guiding principles, creating the perfect blend of art, finance, and science:
1) Solve real problems, adding value beyond mere creativity
2) Every project should become part of sustainable built world worth preserving
3) Architecture need not be a slave to fashion
4) Architectural genius of the past deserves respect
5) Excellent service is a component of providing the finest product. My repeat clients become friends.
Specialties:
A) Adaptive re-use (re-purposing old buildings)
B) Multi-family residential
C) Business/Corporate Office
D) Hotel
E) Institutional
Project Delivery:
We are fast. I have always leveraged technology, and my firm employs the very latest and best tools (e.g. laser scanners, drones, 3-D printers, etc.). We are able to help stakeholders “see” the design clearly.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck.
It comes down to timing, work ethic, and credibility.
Pricing:
- ZBA (Boston) packages start around $3000
- Existing conditions drawings – $750 (1-2500 SF), $250 (for each additional 1000 SF)
- Our Architectural fees (without Engineering, furniture selection, etc.) are normally 3-5% of the construction budget.
Contact Info:
- Address: 407 Dudley Street
Suite 8, Boston, MA 02119 - Website: www.vankostudio.com
- Phone: 617.502.1120
- Email: info@vankostudio.com
- Instagram: vankostudioarchitects
- Facebook: Vanko Studio Architects
- Twitter: VStudioA
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
