James Theimer is the principal architect and founder of the award-winning Trilogy Architecture, which has been involved in a broad range of projects in northern California, from urban streetscapes to affordable and green senior housing to a rural health clinic. Before taking the stage to chat about what “healthy design” means, Theimer sat down for our In The Green Room Q&A.
Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?
A. Probably working on a project.
Q. What music have you listened to today?
A. I’m pretty eclectic, so, new age and movie soundtracks and everything in between.
Q. What do you consider to be the greatest simple pleasure?
A. A beautiful piece of design or art would be the normal answer for an architect, but I would say just standing at the ocean.
Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?
A. I used to love to play with blocks. I had Lincoln Logs and every other kind of building block possible. Every once in a while I’d take them all out and completely destroy my room. My mom would come in and freak out, but I loved doing it.
Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?
A. Refuse to work for clients because I didn’t think they were trying to do the right thing. The struggle with that is also trying to make a living.
Q. What is your favorite cocktail?
A. I like Champagne.
Q. When do you feel most creative?
A. I’m a morning person.
Q. If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?
A. Venice.
Q. What is your most prized material possession?
A. I tend to think that you’re not going to hold on to them forever, so don’t get too attached.
Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for dinner?
A. Louis Kahn.
To read more about Theimer’s panel on healthy design, click here.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.