User:ArchLover0000/eddie jones

Eddie Jones is an American architect, who was born in Texas but grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He claimed his works are inspired and affected by Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff. He is the founder of Jones Studio in Arizona and focuses on sustainable design.

Life and Education
Eddie Jones was born in Texas. His family moved to Oklahoma City when he was very young. His father was a petroleum engineer and his mother was a housewife. When he had chance to go to oil fields with his father and see how heavy engineering equipment worked, he was attracted by engineering and construction of the equipment. Additionally, since he lived in Oklahoma City area, he frequently watched the construction processes of houses designed by Bruce Goff and Herb Greene. This made him want to become an architect. He got his Bachelor's degree of architecture at Oklahoma State University. After that, he worked in an architecture firm in Oklahoma City and gained experience of design and construction. However, he decided to move to Arizona to find his "childhood naivete" of being an architect. He worked at Arizona's oldest Architecture Firm Lescher & Mahoney for five years as a lead designer. Then, he founded his own architecture firm Jones Studio in Arizona in 1979. He started his business in an empty bedroom in his house. He had an educational job at Arizona State University to solve his financial issue after the opening of his office.

Jones Studio
After Eddie Jones had many design experiences by working in an architecture firm in Oklahoma City and Lescher & Mahoney, one of the oldest architecture firm in Arizona, he founded Jones Studio in the state of Arizona. The studio was established three months before his 30th birthday in 1979. Neal Jones, who is the little brother of Eddie Jones, joined the studio and became a partner in 1986. Neal got his Bachelor's degree at Oklahoma State University and gained two Master's degrees in business administration and architecture at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He runs the office for marketing and managing the business.

Now, the firm has grown into a mid-size firm and focuses on architecture, interior design, and planning. The firm has ten members, and designed many projects include education facilities, performing arts centers, college campus and houses. Sustainable design is one of the characteristics of Jones Studio's works. Their design concerns about the tough landscape and climate in Arizona. Therefore, the works of Jones Studio frequently use local materials and sustainable design strategies include natural ventilation and sunlight, to show the connections with the environment. Jones brothers integrates environment, beauty and good life style in their projects. The firm has received over 200 design prizes, include the 2016 AIA national Institute Honor Award.

Inspiration from the American School
On Jones' presentation at University of Oklahoma, he stated that the American School influenced his design style, even though Jones did not attend to the University of Oklahoma. When he was a kid, he was attracted by Herb Greene's architecture projects and drawings. He described his first impression of Herb Greene's Prairie House architecture as a representation of poetry. He also mentioned that many of his projects were inspired by the Prairie House. He presented the core concept of the American School is to think something new. He said he does not have a typical style of his work, because he truly believes the spirit of American School and never wants to repeat himself. This is one of the reasons why he designed many great and innovative projects but they never looked similar. He is not limited by places, materials, forms and other aspects for his design. He is always seeking design in a new way and uses materials that other architects usually not use.

Major Projects
ASU Beus Center for Law & Society, Phoenix, AZ, 2016

Karsten Clubhouse, ASU, Tempe, AZ, 1994

Prairie Raptor, Oklahoma City, OK, 2015

UofA College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Tucson, AZ, 2007

Halas Residence, Paradise Valley, AZ, 1985

House of Five Dreams, Phoenix, AZ, 2004

Prizes
Melvin R. Lohmann Medal (for career achievement in architecture), 2014.

AIA Arizona's Architects Medal, 2018.