Photo by Matt Roth
“I have always loved to walk,” says McInturff, principal of McInturff Architects, an eight-person firm in Bethesda, Maryland, “I love destinations, and I love the European landscape with its small towns and the interaction of culture. Some of the most interesting parts of walking across an ancient country are the buildings that vary from mile to mile.”
McInturff is a free spirit with an insatiable work ethic. His firm specializes in smaller, highly crafted contemporary design for residential, commercial, and small institutional projects. Their complete architectural and interior design services involve considerable client interaction in order to tailor the projects to the needs of the users.
His work has been frequently published both locally and nationally, and has received more than 250 design awards, including three national AIA Honor Awards, two for Interior Architecture and one for Urban Design. The work is the subject of two monographs, “In Detail: McInturff Architects” (2001) and “In Residence: McInturff Architects” (2007), both by The Images Publishing Group of Australia.
How did you get started as an architect?
It was probably in the eighth grade, I took a mechanical drawing course. It was the first time a teacher ever paid attention to me. I liked working with three-dimensional projects, and I loved the fact that architects made models.
What do you love most about your job?
I love seeing the buildings being built and seeing what I’ve worked on for a long time taking shape around me. In addition, I like the interaction with clients in the way that I feed off their ideas and excitement. I like the individuality of each project.
If you could change one thing about your industry what would it be?
I think in the United States we’ve become specialist oriented, for example an architect that does houses wouldn’t be selected to do a municipal library. In Europe or Japan architects can do anything. We are generalists that are trained to problem solve, but sometimes find ourselves pigeonholed into a specialty.
What accomplishment of yours makes you the most proud?
I have walked the entire Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage route–a 1,000-year-old 500-mile walk across Spain, and I did it with my kids, Marissa, 29 and Jeffrey, 26. We did it over a period of years, and this summer I will finish [my walk across] France with Jeffrey.
Who in your life was most instrumental in helping you get started with your career?
I am pretty self-motivated. My parents encouraged me, and I had a great teacher, Charles Moore, at the University of Maryland School of Architecture. He was one of the great residential architects and that’s when I learned the direction I wanted to go.
What was the biggest challenge you had to face to get to where you are today? How have you managed to overcome it?
In order to do the kind of work that I want to do, it requires a tremendous dedication of time. I have worked seven days for 38 years. I have never been able to find a way to do it part time or to work less and produce the kind of work I want to produce. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. And that’s how I feel.
What did you want to be when you were five?
I probably wanted to join the Navy because I liked the uniform, and I liked the water. I used to sail a lot, and now that I am building a house on the water, I hope to sail again one day.
If you could do anything other than what you are doing, what would it be?
I would be the drummer for the Rolling Stones. It would be fantastic fun. I was a drummer in high school. It would be great fun to go places every night.
What advice can you offer someone wanting to get started in your field?
I would tell you to be well traveled and to take as much as the world in as possible so you realize how broad the possibilities are. Prepare to work hard. I also think people should learn to draw and be comfortable with their drawings, so they feel like they are a part of you. Even though we all use computers, sketching will never go away.
Jennifer K. Dansicker is Special Projects Editor for ChespeakeHome.
Contact:
McInturff Architects: mcinturffarchitects.com or 301-229-3705
