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Beyond the Drawings: Experiencing Architecture in Person

Kelsey Munson on Sep 18, 2026

Architects spend years developing a project before ever experiencing the finished space. Drawings, renderings, and photographs tell much of the story, but some things can only be understood by walking through a building yourself. That was the appeal of a recent BBA team outing, which included a visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed SC Johnson headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin, followed by a visit to a BBA-designed residence in Lake Delavan, our recently completed Woodland Lake House.

For Senior Associate Monika Hemm, the visit to SC Johnson was particularly meaningful. “It was on my bucket list, so I'm glad I was able to go.”

The visit offered the team an opportunity to look closely at the details of Wright's design, from the building's distinctive brickwork to its approach to natural light. Glass tubes were stacked, arranged, and curved to bring daylight into the building, while dozens of different brick shapes were incorporated throughout. For Monika, seeing how those individual elements came together was part of the experience. “It's like a big Lego set kit of parts,” she says. “You're just amazed at the thought that went into all of this.”

The building also offered a chance to consider how ideas from historic architecture inform contemporary design. Wright's use of “compression and release”—moving from tighter, more intimate spaces into larger ones—remains relevant to BBA's work. “We really consider the experience as you walk through a building,” Monika explains, describing how changes in scale and space guide how someone experiences a home.

At the Lake Delavan residence, the team experienced a BBA project from a different perspective. Having spent time working on the project, Monika knew the design through drawings and the design process. Being in the completed home offered a chance to appreciate qualities that are difficult to capture remotely, particularly the way the spaces connect, the views, and the natural light. “Photos sometimes don't do the quality of light justice.”

It's also an opportunity to see a project through the eyes of the people who live there. Hearing clients talk about how they use and enjoy their home provides a meaningful measure of success, not simply as an architectural exercise, but as a response to the needs and lives of the inhabitants.

Experiencing projects together adds another layer. With a group of architects in the same space, everyone notices something different. Team members point out details, connect ideas to current projects, and revisit the decisions and challenges behind work they have completed.

For Monika, that combination of learning, observation, and spending time together was ultimately what made the day valuable. After years of working intensely on architecture, there was something restorative about experiencing it without having to work on it. “It felt good to be in the architecture and not actually be working hard at it,” she says. Sometimes, stepping away from the drawings is the best way to remember the true impact of the work. 

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