An Interview with Charlie Vinz, Architect-in-Residence
As an Artist-in-Residence in 2016, Charlie focused on fiber arts. At the time he was already a well established architect, and joked he was “cosplaying as a fiber artist.” During his time on campus he challenged himself to use materials within a specific radius. This same philosophy Vinz has also applied in his architectural practices. He seeks out localized resources whenever possible to minimize the carbon footprint of his projects. The history of Ox-Bow House excited him in this regard. With Saugatuck’s roots as a logging town, it’s likely the wooden structural support of the building (originally constructed in 1870) came from the surrounding land. In the future, Vinz hopes to create a resources map that hypothesizes where materials were originally sourced from. These conjectures are one of Vinz’s favorite aspects of adaptive design projects. Most recently, by finding the geometric center of the building, Vinz was able to unveil center court of the old athletic club.
An individual bikes towards Ox-Bow House on a bright summer day. Photo by Ian Solomon (Summer Fellow, 2023).
When asked how Ox-Bow House fared in comparison to other projects, Charlie laughed. The words “one of a kind” tumbled out of his mouth soon after. It’s not too often that an architect receives three years to conceptualize a project, he acknowledged. “Architects are deliberate and thoughtful in any kind of process,” he said, and the nature of the three-year residence has allowed him to relish in that process. In his approach, his top priority is public interfacing.
In early conceptualization, Vinz proposed transforming the building’s accessible entrance into the main welcome way. He didn’t want anyone to feel like they had to use the backdoor. This ended up dictating much of the rest of the layout. “Things fell into place from there,” he said.
A person ascends the stairs of Ox-Bow House. Photo by Hai-Wen Lin (Summer Fellow, 2022).
A year into his residency, Vinz still has plenty of hopes for what he’ll accomplish and ample time to realize those dreams. He invites all those curious about the project to visit Ox-Bow House. His studio is available for viewing and his collection of books serves as a “public bibliography” for his architectural approach. And if you see Vinz in the House, he assures that he always welcomes conversations with visitors, especially if you have a story or two to tell about the building’s history.
Headshot of Charlie Vinz. Image courtesy of the artist.
Charlie Vinz is an architect, designer, and artist who searches for simple solutions to complicated problems. In his approach, cultural production is an extension of the built environment, which is part of an open-ended, collaborative process. Vinz studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and Bauhaus Universitat in Weimar, Germany, graduating with a BArch in 2004. He has worked at architecture firms in Chicago, with artist Theaster Gates and Rebuild Foundation, and was the Creative Director of the Rebuilding Exchange before starting his own practice, Adaptive Operations, which primarily adapts buildings and spaces for new and different uses and works with artists and cultural organizations. Vinz is currently an Architect-in-Residence at Ox-Bow.
This article was written by Shanley Poole, Engagement Liaison & Storyteller. The article was originally published in our 2023 Experience Ox-Bow Catalog.
Banner Image: a visitor explores prints in the main exhibition space. Photo by Dominique Muñoz (Summer Fellow, 2024).