Doin' it For Themselves 2

When the architect is his/her own client, the use of presentation drawings to sell a design isn’t necessary. However, there is no limit to the number of sketches that might be created for one’s own project. Don Olsen, Jerry Veverka, and James Ream used numerous sketches for every aspect of designing their own homes.

Donald Olsen (1919- ) believed deeply in the tenets of international modernism. He worked at Saarinen, Swanson & Saarinen; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and  Wurster, Bernardi, & Emmons prior to beginning a long teaching career at the CED.

Currently practicing local architect Jerry Veverka recently designed a new home for himself in El Cerrito. His prior self-designed residence was in San Francico, where he began his career working with Henry Hill and John Kruse.The next section contains a range of sketch designs for this project

James Ream (1929-2010) came to San Francisco in 1966 and served as Chief of Design for John Carl Warnecke & Associates. He opened his own firm in 1969.