Experience

Towards a Blue Green Paradigm

James is the creator of Towards a Blue Green Paradigm, a “wake up call” to the design profession to increase its effort to understand and respond to the ecological disturbance created during the past few centuries. This paradigm envisions a design profession capable of continuing its creative and innovative advancement while utilizing different design processes that are more closely related to natural processes. The intention is to foster a more ecologically integrated and socially just global situation. This idea differs fundamentally from sustainable design practices which have not yet evolved from the linear industrial revolution processes that caused our current ecological dilemma. The focus of this research and philosophy is to engage the complex, highly efficient model of nature and radically transform the influence humans have on all natural systems .

Background

For more than 25 years, James has studied nature and the application of natural systems to architecture and design. This passion has been lifelong beginning with his thesis investigation at Auburn University. His student work focused on the patterns of nature and the enduring natural order of a place. Interestingly, his early professional experience in the Denver office of SOM fostered a continuation of this study. James was assigned to several projects which emphasized more cultural and spiritual issues than technological. The respect of natural systems, the importance of physical site conditions, and an emphasis on passive design were the most significant objectives in the design of these projects. While at SOM, James had the great opportunity to participate in the Cadet Area Master Plan for the United States Air Force Academy, but his more important experiences were gained while working on a university in Peshawar, Pakistan, the Northwest Frontier Province Agricultural University and the Hopi Museum and Cultural Education Center. The university project consisted of 85 buildings including housing and academic buildings. With few exceptions, all of these buildings and much of the campus infrastructure was designed to operate on passive design principles. The museum and cultural education center focused on a deep respect for the land and an understanding of Hopi traditional beliefs. These experiences reinforced the notion of a greater meaning in architecture than commerce might dictate, one that seeks to strengthen the relationship of mankind and nature. During this same period of time, James volunteered to represent SOM as a member of a collaborative task force that created a plan for the future of Downtown Denver. This framework plan is largely responsible for the restorative development in lower downtown Denver which is today a flourishing urban condition incorporating existing buildings, wide swaths of railways and the confluence of two rivers.

Prior to founding Bowen Architecture, James worked in the Los Angeles office of L. Anthony Greenberg AIA Architect. This small firm experience broadened James’ understanding of the practice particularly in project management, development services, and construction administration. Project design was still his strength. James was the project designer for Maple Drive restaurant which was published by Progressive Architecture and received several design awards. During a 3 year period in Tony Greenberg’s studio, James designed and managed a variety of twelve small scale projects mostly in Venice Beach including a sculptor’s studio, a film production studio office, one of the first artist in residence projects in LA, and a block of townhomes along the famed Venice Beach boardwalk.

Bowen Architecture

In 1990, James returned to Colorado to lead the planning and design for a gondola transportation system including four terminal stations and a base facility for the Telluride Ski Resort. While this system serves the ski area, its primary purpose is to provide alternative free public transportation between the historic Town of Telluride and the new Mountain Village. James also led a master planning effort to create a second Telluride resort mountain village named San Joaquin Village. Perched at an elevation of ten thousand feet in the stunning San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, San Joaquin Village was designed as a pedestrian village publicly accessible by gondola and ski trails. San Joaquin Village was envisioned as a small scale development of 3 -6 story buildings nestled into the existing landscape of an open mountainside meadow. The plan established footprint building sites for approximately 40 buildings varying in size from 15,000 to 75,000 square feet. The program also included a grand lodge hotel connected to the gondola system. The village master plan called for the use of indigenous and durable materials, passive building design for comfort and energy conservation and construction planning to minimize waste and site disturbance. The master plan, conceptual building design, and preparation of development guidelines followed an extensive analytical study of the site conditions. The analysis helped to determine pedestrian and skier circulation taking advantage of the existing topography. Also, the site analysis studied orientation and climatic data to inform building massing and placement within the overall plan.

During this time, James began working on residential projects for private clients. While a few were indeed “trophy vacation homes”, most of the work was sustainable and years ahead of the green building trend. Many projects provided alternative energy systems, were constructed from natural materials sometimes sourced from the properties where the structures were built, and all were the result of considered site analysis and passive design strategies.

James was the lead planner and architect for Eagle Hill Ranch, an equestrian community in Ridgway, Colorado. The community was carefully planned to provide preservation areas and migration paths for area wildlife. Equestrian facilities and residential development were located with great sensitivity to the existing topography and landscape.

Through his Colorado planning experience, James was able to nurture his desire to integrate his work ecologically. This skill earned him the opportunity to plan several beach resorts in the Caribbean including Sunset Harbour on Eleuthera in the Bahamas and Compass Retreat in the Dominican Republic. In each of these projects, James was the principal architect and planner. The goals for each resort were similar – to be self sustaining and constructed using indigenous materials and local construction traditions. Each resort was planned to utilize passive cooling through landscape and wind towers, rainwater harvesting, alternative energy for electricity, living machines for waste treatment, desalination for water, and local agriculture to serve the resort guests. On the eastern coast of Dominican Republic near Punta Cana, James planned El Bohio Resort on a working coconut plantation which took advantage of the existing high upper story of vegetation to create a cooler temperature within the resort area similar to a food forest and allowing guests to live in small houses similar to the typical local housing.

Soon after the Caribbean experience, James returned to California and a focus on residential work. He received several important commissions fueled by the first “dot com” years in San Francisco, Los Angeles and the Sierras. After a few years, while completing the “Turtle house” on a barrier island near Sarasota, FL, James decided to move his office to Sarasota. From a renovated church space, the practice adopted a new tone of camaraderie and collaboration. While pursuing work of all types, James also engaged in professional and civic activities and was recognized for the effort to promote art & architecture to the community. Sarasota was home to a large body of mid-century work by notable architects such as Paul Rudolph. James lead the effort to save the demolition of Rudolph’s first public building, Riverview High School. This was an important time for philosophical reflection which solidified James’ interest in pursuing the ideas of regenerative design. He gave his first lecture at the AIA Florida State convention, Toward a Blue Green Paradigm. Soon after, James moved his practice to Portland Oregon where he believed the ideas of regenerative design would be embraced given the green building notoriety of the Pacific northwest. Timing was not great as the move coincided with the economic downturn of 2008. He delivered Towards a Blue Green Paradigm again at the AIA Pacific Northwest Regional Conference held in Alaska. After an unsuccessful attempt to gain work in private practice, James worked for the City of Portland and for Skylab Architecture.

In 2015, after learning of an opportunity to revolutionize housing, James returned to Florida as Design Director for the St. Joe Company. The opportunity was a project on a 110,000 acre pine tree plantation with entitlements for 170,000 homes and 30 million square feet of commercial, institutional, civic and industrial space. The work consisted of two main tasks. The first was the master planning of the full scope of the entitlement. The dream was to regenerate the long leaf pine ecosystem once prevalent across the southern region from Texas to the Carolinas. Second, was the creation of a tech-driven homebuilding process to realize the volume of building nine homes per day for a fifty year period. The process should result in sustainable, beautiful and affordable housing targeted initially at the retiring baby boomer population and serving a more diverse demographic eventually. After a year of intense work, the project changed course. In 2016, James returned again to his practice in Los Angeles, his focus on residential projects for private clients, and his research of regenerative design principles.

Design Philosophy Statement

James’ design philosophy is derived from research and experiential study of the natural environment. The specific focus of his philosophy is regenerative design and integrated design systems. James rigorously pursues creative and innovative project solutions with the objective of attaining design excellence through ecological integration.

Professional Affiliations

Registered Architect
Oregon & California

National Council of Architectural
Registration Boards, NCARB

American Institute of Architects, AIA

AIA National Committee on Design

Professional History

2016
Bowen Architecture
Principal

2015
St. Joe Company
Design Director

2013 - 2015 Skylab Architecture
Business Director

2010 - 2013
City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Capital Project Manager

1990 - 2013 Bowen Architecture
Principal

1996 - 1997
Chancey Bowen Architects
Principal

1990 - 1991
The Telluride Company
Architect

1987 - 1989
L. Anthony Greenberg AIA
Architect

1984 - 1986
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Intern Architect

1981 -1983
Charles H. McCauley Associates, Inc.
Intern Architect

Education

Bachelor of Architecture BS in Building Science
Auburn University