Process
DIGSAU creates meaningful places that make the world more engaging, interconnected, and worthy of care. Our work explores architecture’s capacity to amplify the senses through the novel integration of material, craft, and technological innovation.
Sense of Place
Our work focuses on architecture’s ability to amplify connections between people and the places they inhabit. Much of our work is dedicated to public places that are keyed in to their context in a way that provides cohesion and belonging without replication or mimicry. Each of our projects provides a visually compelling figure, respects its surrounding context and ecosystem, and invites visitors to engage, inhabit, and connect with the specific material characteristics of its place.
Re-Framing Design Challenges
Our design ethos is process driven, consciously resisting the pitfall of reflexive application of pre-conceived solutions. Instead, we hone in on essential questions of program and reframe them to clarify design integrity and intent. This re-framing and subsequent iteration allows for unexpected opportunities and innovations.
Material Culture and Unique Identity of Craft
In a manufactured environment where authenticity is increasingly rare, our work explores innovative ways that the act-of-making is revealed through simple yet novel material expression. We believe that architecture can create a counterpoint to the ubiquitous placelessness characterized by the assemblage of indistinct buildings and components that disconnect us from our environment. Leveraging both the challenges and opportunities of site, program, and available resources, our aim is to create places that celebrate the history, ecology, and culture from which they arise; reflect the materials from which they are made; and reveal the distinct fingerprints of people who craft them.
Working Groups
DIGSAU’s Equity Working Group facilitates the creation and maintenance of an environment inclusive to professionals to enhance their professional development, networking, and leadership skills. The group hosts quarterly workshops with third-party educators, organizations, and internal sessions that are focused both externally and internally focused gatherings. These events cultivate officewide conversations and keep the team focused and aware on topics of diversity and inclusion, workplace conflict, oppression and harassment, and respectful communication and behavior.
The Sustainability Working Group leads our effort to make sustainable design intuitive and second-nature for all DIGSAU employees by expanding environmental literacy and applying metrics to our high sustainability goals throughout the design and construction process.
The Technical Working Group’s focus is improving and managing the quality of our design documents, supporting an innovative design culture, and delivering projects at a multitude of scales through the codification of technical knowledge management. The team works to develop standards and best practices for documentation and quality control processes, engage in materials and building science research, and support mentorship and knowledge sharing in order to promote consistency, quality, and technical proficiency across all projects and staff.
The Digital Working Group encourages design innovation and increased efficiency through digital design tools. The team continually invests time and resources into internal continuing education on emerging technologies for BIM modeling, visualization, graphic representation, and renderings.
DIGSAU
340 North 12th Street
Suite 421
Philadelphia, PA 19107
v 215.627.0808
www.instagram.com/digsau_architecture
Job Posting: Architect I/Designer I
We are seeking a full-time architectural designer with exceptional graphic and illustration skills along with drafting and modeling abilities. The roles and responsibilities of the Architect I/Designer I position include broad exposure to many aspects of project design and delivery, including participation in developing design concepts, creating presentation materials, working on construction documents, and assisting in construction administration. The candidate must be a multi-tasking, detail-oriented, hard-working team player.
View full job description here.
Job Posting: Architect II/Designer II
We are seeking a full time Designer II or Architect II. The successful applicant will be a self-motivated and creative problem-solver, exhibiting strong management and design skills. The roles and responsbilities of the Architect II/Designer II position include broad exposure to many aspects of project design and delivery, including participation in developing concepts, creating presentation materials, working on construction documents, and assisting in construction administration. The candidate must be adaptable and able to work to prioritizing tasks with Project Architect or Manager supervision; demonstrate an imaginative, creative and innovative design solutions to technical problems; be flexible, a motivated multi-tasker, detail-oriented, and a hard-working team player. Candidates should be fluent in digital and physical three-dimensional modeling, demonstrate strong graphic communication skills, and be passionate about design and architecture. The position requires the ability to collaborate with multiple team members, coordinate the efforts of consultants, and an ability to tackle new challenges.
View full job description here.
If you would like to be considered for an internship or full-time position, e-mail a cover letter, resume, references and portfolio to employment@digsau.com as one PDF document. Please limit attachments to 2MB. We will respond to you should the appropriate opportunity be available. No phone calls please.