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Getting to Know:  Jason Oury

June 24, 2015

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We are very pleased to introduce you to the newest member of the Allison Architects’ team – Architect Jason Oury.  Jason joined our Northwest Arkansas office this month, and today, we share a brief interview with him.  Welcome aboard, Jason!  We are thrilled to have you with us!

 

Where did you grow up?

 

I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas.

 

What brought you to Northwest Arkansas?

 

I moved to Eureka in 1991 and enrolled at UofA Fayetteville in 2001, which of course brought me to Fayetteville where I now live. Hoping one day to have some property and a small weekend cottage in Eureka someday.

 

What is your favorite color?

 

Orange

 

Do you prefer to cook at home or eat at a restaurant?

 

Cook at home

 

How do you take your coffee?

 

Everywhere and preferably in a travel mug – Ha!  Actually, I like really strong coffee with real sugar and whole milk.

 

Where would you love to visit that you have not?

 

Norway or Greenland (not Arkansas) are a few places I would love to see, especially the port towns. There are too many to list but basically anywhere that has been inhabited by human cultures for centuries like some places in Asia, the Middle East, South America. I love ruins!

 

Do you prefer to draw with a pen, pencil, or computer?

 

I prefer to draw by hand. 

 

What led you to pursue a career in Architecture?

 

It is difficult to pinpoint anything in particular. Things that come to mind are Lego blocks, my early childhood love of castles and future cities and trying to draw and model them, a sappy song by Dan Fogelberg. I really don’t know what led me to pursue a career in Architecture but I do know that the support and encouragement I have received from several people over the years gave me the strength and courage to take the leap.

 

What do you like to do in your “free” time?

 

Garden, fish, camp, travel, and build things with my wife Erin. We are in the first year of building an intense urban homestead we are calling the Soggy Hollow House Project. You can read more about it at soggyhollow.com.

 

Do those same things inspire the buildings that you design?

 

Absolutely.

 

What is the last book you read (or last movie you watched)?

 

I read so much that I don’t usually remember the title or author of the last book I read, it had something to do with copper scrolls from an ancient city/temple in Cambodia and the race of several people to get to it first. Right now I am reading A Soldier of the Great War.

 

Do you have a favorite style of architecture or favorite architect?

 

I don’t really have a favorite style or architect; there are so many great ones. What I do love is when the architecture is harmonious with the landscape, be it abrupt and in contrast or subtle and nearly hidden.

 

What is one of your favorite aspects of being an architect?

 

The challenge of creating a space and aesthetic that not only meets the needs of the client but also influences the surrounding environment in a positive (and hopefully lush) way.