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In architecture school they tell you about design, theory and how to approach design problems. But they don鈥檛 talk much about construction technology or the ins and outs of putting together a building.

With a background in commercial construction as a cost estimator, as well as a degree in architecture, Rich Brooks has always felt like he has an advantage over other designers.

鈥淚 always felt like it鈥檚 if you ask an artist to paint a portrait,鈥� said Brooks, a principal at multidisciplinary firm CIDA. 鈥淵ou find an artist who really knows how to work with his media. And our media is bricks and steel and things that go into a building. If you don鈥檛 know how these things work and interact with each other, I don鈥檛 know how you can ever be a designer who can design buildings that are economical as much as they can be.鈥�

That multifaceted approach has served Brooks well during his 34 years in the industry, the last eight with CIDA鈥檚 Portland office. It also has given him the depth of knowledge that has allowed him to become a valued mentor and teacher, not only at CIDA, but at Portland State University, where he spent several years as an adjunct professor at the school of architecture.

鈥淲hat makes Rich special is his desire to help, and in that comes a lot of growth for our younger staff,鈥� said Jennifer Beattie, CIDA鈥檚 president. 鈥淲e joke that if Rich works with them he finds the path to bring out the brilliance in them. Sometimes it takes someone like Rich to do that; he鈥檚 a strong personality, but what鈥檚 interesting is his compassion and desire to teach comes to the forefront.鈥�

As his career has gone on, this has actually become his primary focus, both at CIDA and through the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards鈥� Architectural Experience Program.

鈥淚 always felt our job as architects is to train our replacements,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淚 like to work with interns, because they have very good ideas and a lot of times they are very creative and fresh out of school with interesting approaches to design. They make really good raw material, but they do need to learn more about how to actually turn their designs into something that somebody can build. I鈥檝e enjoyed that role.鈥�

Despite his aptitude as an educator, Brooks still enjoys working in the field designing buildings and finding solutions for his clients. His favorite projects to date have all involved renovations, improvements or re-purposing existing buildings. Whether it鈥檚 a century-old powerhouse, an addition to an existing building or a new build, he usually gets called upon to work on the most unusual or difficult design projects.
鈥淚 end up doing an awful lot of stuff that everyone describes as their add-on,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�楾his isn鈥檛 normal, you better give it to Rich.鈥欌��

Beattie said the project that comes to mind is Maxim, a three-story addition to a Beaverton chip manufacturing plant. The project involved not just difficult aesthetic work, but also complex technical specifications demanded by both the client and the high technology program.

鈥淚t was CIDA鈥檚 first LEED project, and he was able to navigate that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very complicated, it had stakeholder groups in Portland, in California and the kind of client explaining there was an ethos that needed to be adhered to, and he navigated all of that to have a very successful project.鈥�

This project is still used at CIDA as an example of how to successfully perform the role of client relations and lead designer at the same time.
鈥淗e came in as a teacher and I think that鈥檚 what an icon can do,鈥� Beattie said. 鈥淭hey bring the experience they have and people catapult off that experience and I think that鈥檚 what makes Rich special. He has the ability to make good people better, and better people the best.鈥�