Jeffrey Stafford

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Jeffrey Stafford

Jeffrey Stafford

Senior Architect Jeffrey Stafford currently leads design teams at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture on Gang Xia Tower and Sanya Resort Towers and Master Plan, both awarded through international design competitions.  At AS+GG, Jeffrey has led numerous winning design competition bids, including 1 Dubai and Atrium City Master Plan, as well as 1 Park Avenue.

Jeffrey’s design teams exercise computational techniques that are specifically crafted for each project.  He considers computation, analysis and "mistakes" as vital in breaking misguided preconceptions and to aid in the design exploration process. His projects range in extremes from highly rigorous simplicity to gracefully flowing geometries, reflecting his approach to each project as a unique endeavor of discovery.

Prior to joining AS+GG in 2007, Jeffrey was a Project Leader at the Chicago office Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, where he worked with Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill as the Senior Designer of Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China.  After completing work on Pearl River Tower, his design contributions aided in the winning entry for Shanghai White Magnolia Plaza.  He also worked on several other important projects, including the supertall Zifeng Tower at Nanjing Greenland Financial Center.

On a smaller scale, Jeffrey also led efforts for SOM’s 2008 AIA Award-winning Central Trust Bank - Branch Bank Prototype, built in Lee’s Summit, Missouri; and was instrumental in the design of the exhibit installation of Zero Energy Tower in conjunction with designer Bruce Mau’s “Massive Change” exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006-07.

Education

Bachelor of Architecture, 5-year Professional Program, College of Design, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 2004
Study Abroad, Iowa State University Rome Program, Rome, Italy, Rome Urban Design Studio, 2003

Professional Registrations + Affiliations

Licensed Architect in Illinois

Presentations + Publications

Chicago Architecture Foundation lecture: "Me, Myself & Infrastructure," Chicago, 2007. Lectured and discussed architectural projects and experiences in China and how China's new wave of contemporary architecture relates to its changing infrastructure and China's current pursuit of sustainability.
Architecture Week, "Architectural Fabrications" by Celine Pinet, December 15, 2004

Awards + Honors

Senior Designer/Project Leader of AS+GG’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC).  Winner of the American Architecture Award
Senior Designer/Project Leader of AS+GG’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC).  Winner of the Chicago Chapter AIA—Unbuilt Design Award: Honors, 2011.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of AS+GG’s winning Sanya Haitang Bay Resort Competition, Sanya, China, 2011.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of AS+GG’s winning Gang Xia Tower Competition, Shenzhen, China, 2009.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of AS+GG’s winning 1 Dubai Towers and Atrium City Master Plan Competition, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2007-2008.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of SOM’s Central Trust Bank: Branch Bank Prototype.  Winner of the Chicago Chapter AIA—Distinguished Building Award: Citation of Merit, 2008.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of SOM’s Pearl River Tower.  Winner of Spark Award—Green, Carbon-Lowering & Environmental Category: Gold Award, 2008.
Senior Designer/Project Leader of SOM’s winning Pearl River Tower Competition, Guangzhou, China, 2005-2007.
ACADIA/AIA Fabrication: Juried Exhibition, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, exhibited works, 2004

Major projects at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture:

Sanya Haitang Bay Resort
The luxurious development will consist of two separate hotels, luxury villas and a condo hotel tower, set within a sustainable master plan. Hainan Island, China

Nanshan Tower Exterior Wall
Exterior Wall design for a mixed-use development in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District that optimizes solar and wind mitigation.  The development includes a 300m tower, 160m tower and conference facility.  Shenzhen, China

Gang Xia Tower
198-meter, 43-story tower in Shenzhen’s Futian Central District, with views to the adjacent Civic Center Park and a series of high performance solar shades. Shenzhen, China

KAPSARC competition Entry
Competition entry for research facility for major international corporation’s headquarters. The design was developed specifically for extreme weather conditions and features a high-performance, lightweight ETFE skin, intelligent cladding to respond to solar radiation and wind, and the incorporation of a building-integrated photovoltaic system. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

1 Dubai
Three-tower, supertall mega-structure includes luxury hotels, condominiums, offices, retail and cultural facilities. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

1 Park Avenue
Supertall tower with podium complex includes luxury hotel, condominiums, offices and retail. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Eco-Bridge
Proposed 2-mile breakwater, completing the last major recommendation of the 1909 Burnham Plan. The bridge, which includes wind turbines, provides a grand civic space and includes a soft shoreline for the study of Great Lakes ecology. Chicago, Illinois


At SOM:

Pearl River Tower
Architecture for the 69-story China National Tobacco Corporation headquarters. This 2,243,100 sf building proposes to be the first supertall tower to attempt to produce as much, or more, energy than it consumes. Every aspect of the 303-meter tower is designed to harvest wind and solar energy. Guangzhou, China, 2009

Nanjing Greenland Financial Center
Architectural design and engineering for 3.5 million sf mixed use super tall building including office, hotel service apartments and commercial functions. Nanjing, China, 2007

Shanghai White Magnolia Plaza
Mixed use complex including Supertall office tower and two hotel towers on a retail podium base, scheduled for completion in 2012. Shanghai, China, 2006-2007

Central Bank Community Branch Prototype
3,000 sf prototype branch bank designed as a recognizable building to be constructed throughout the Midwest. Lee's Summit, Missouri, 2006

 

Jeffrey Stafford on...

…design
As designers, we are very fortunate to get paid to play and spend the day with incredibly thoughtful and energetic people. However, there are some great responsibilities that go along with what we do, and helping to design the built environment is hopefully a contribution of mine which positively influences and inspires people. I take great care that designs also positively affect the sustenance of life and the environment beyond humanity.

…where he finds inspiration
Anywhere. I particularly appreciate the play of clash and contradiction, and I respect both the logic and illogic that goes into the process of creating an enjoyable space. Lately I am very intrigued with form and the geometrical rigor that structures nature's soft geometries. The way that soft forms can soothe the atmosphere of a sharp, jagged and harsh environment is very compelling to me.

…his favorite "moment" in architecture
When I witness remnant and ancient structures which have transcended their time into the present and are adapted as part of the current usable and tactile city fabric.

…his favorite city architecturally
Rome. It's cliché, but I can't deny it. It's a contemporary city with contemporary people that has an intentional lack of contemporary architecture and lack of overall cleanliness, and somehow that is refreshing.

…his favorite thing about a collaborative design process
The forming of a collective thought process toward the concept of the project. This results in one solution playing off of another and helps form a cohesive project. There's a great feeling when all of the individual components and interesting solutions from everyone involved seem to just fall into place as if it were meant to be, and we all agree that the results couldn't be any other way for that particular project.

…the accomplishment he's proudest of at AS+GG
Initiating the pursuit and challenging the limitations of advanced computer modeling and parametric design tools used to push design solutions beyond preconception.

…what he'd be if he weren't an architect
A philosopher-artist-musician.

…what he does when he's not designing
I'm with family and friends, here and abroad.