July 21, 2015

Designer Spotlight on David Hacin

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David Hacin, Architect of Boston's Hacin AssociatesClarke is delighted to shine a Designer Spotlight on Architect David Hacin of Boston’s Hacin + Associates. David was one of the three New England regional winners in Sub-Zero and Wolf’s Kitchen Design Contest and he will go on to the Best of the Best Summit & Awards in September. In 2010, the American Institute of Architects elevated Hacin to its College of Fellows in the category of design. This designation, one of the highest honors bestowed on an architect, is given to recognize not only individual achievement, but also the architect’s significant contribution to the profession. We recently asked him about his firm, his design inspiration and more…

How long have you been an architect and when did you open your own firm?
I graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge in 1987 and became licensed a few years later. After working in a number of offices in Boston and New York, I opened H+A in 1993, as a sole practitioner. Now we’ve grown to a studio of 23 people who come from a range of backgrounds with diverse interests.

What led you to enter the field of architecture?
My father was an architect and, although he discouraged me from going into the field, like all sons, I wanted to rebel so I became an architect too. He’s happy about it now.

What inspires you in life?
People who seize the day and make the most of every situation inspire me. I also love to travel. People and places all over the world continually surprise me and expand my sense of what is possible, especially here at home in Boston — where I’m consistently inspired by the team of people I work with every day.

What is your proudest accomplishment both inside and outside of work?
In regards to work, Boston has a very rich architectural history and I’m proud that over the last 23 years we’ve contributed to that historic continuum and legacy, working in new neighborhoods, as well as in treasured historic settings. It’s rewarding to know that we will have played some role in the evolution of a great city. On a personal note, getting married to my husband after 27 years together, in a ceremony that gathered all of our family and friends, was certainly a moment of great pride and joy. It was a pleasure to celebrate the past, the future, and how far our community has come.

What is your favorite material to use in kitchen design and why?
At the moment, I’m personally liking using a singular natural material, like stone, in different finishes (polished, honed, ‘leathered’) in the same space. That said, we do many different kinds of kitchens for very different people and each time we try to bring together materials in a new way; so, in that sense, I wouldn’t say we have a favorite material. We enjoy the process of selecting a mixture of materials, textures, hues, and forms  and working with them to enhance and strengthen a strong concept that speaks to our clients and their needs.

Which Sub-Zero or Wolf appliance is your favorite and why?
Our design team often uses the Sub-Zero BI-36 Refrigerator that offers the possibility of fully integrating the unit into kitchen cabinetry, which, in our work, is largely custom designed. Being able to have such a minimal reveal around the unit allows it to become a seamless part of the cabinetry without any visual interruption, reinforcing the custom look. We also like to use the newer Wolf technologies like the Warming Drawer and the Induction Cooktops because of their sleek look and performance.
 
What project haven’t you designed that you wish you could?
A vacation house in a spectacular New England coastal setting.

When you travel, what’s your favorite destination?
The Mediterranean Basin, generally…Italy, Israel, Turkey, etc. I recently traveled to Portugal which, while technically outside of the Mediterranean Basin, is a highly recommended experience.

What book have you read that you would recommend to friends?
I like historically based literary non-fiction books like ‘The Devil in the White City’ or ‘Dead Wake’ by Erik Larson, the latter of which I’m currently reading, because the truth is always more interesting than fiction. I’d recommend those kinds of books because they illustrate all of the different perspectives that can exist around the same moment in history. It makes me wonder how people will look back at this moment of our city’s history in the future.

It is always a pleasure to work with Hacin + Associates and their clients. Congratulations to David and his team on their Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest win and we wish David luck as he heads to the Sub-Zero and Wolf Best of the Best Summit and Gala in Scottsdale in September.

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