08 JAN 22 | CRAZY 8

8 EIGHTS for January 8th, 2022

I like to snap photos of random (sometimes abstract) 8s as I make my way through life. This is my 7th almost-annual January 8th, CRAZY 8 post.  

See past CRAZY 8 posts here: 2021  |  2020  |  2019  |  2018  |  2017  |  2015

#1 Ice Pack “8”

#2 Overspray “8”

#3 Pumpkin “8” (Keep your pumpkin safe.)

#4 Survey Points

#5 Grand Lake -8

#6 Stanley Marketplace Steel Stamp

#7 Ruggable Shipping Box

#8 Abbot Kinney (Do you see the 8? And check out that chain.)

2021 Look Back

Typically I don’t use this post as an opportunity to do a yearly wrap up, but 2021 was not a typical year. 

Suicide touched us in 2021. It is crucial we all stay cognizant of mental health struggles. I would guess someone in your life at some point has considered self-harm. We must do our best to be aware of these struggles and face them head on. Matthew Murray was a part of our W8-family, his efforts at WORKSHOP8 on the Olin, Gateway North, Gateway South projects improved people’s lives, and he is greatly missed. I have a memento of him at my desk that will always remind me of lost opportunities and what ifs. His passing still hurts.

What we all consider normal has changed—how the world shops, works, communicates, and travels looks much different than it did two years ago. Hopefully, this leads to more sustainable habits. W8 is no different, we have become adept at working from home and having meaningful meetings in digital formats. We recently submitted for building permit on a new apartment project in Longmont, and I have never actually met the clients in person! Only via video chat. Strange times.

After working out of the Candy Shop Creative Offices for nine years, WORKSHOP8 created a new home we call the Octopus’s Garden (yes, after the Beatle’s song). We’ll share photos of our new space in the future and maybe have an open house. We look forward to creating new designs and memories at the OG.

Through all of this change and with the tight labor market, some W8 team members decided to explore new opportunities. We miss them, but are excited to watch them continue to do good in the design world based on what they learned at WORKSHOP8.

The December 30th Marshall Fire, which started about three miles from our house, and destroyed over 1,000 homes, was a really rough way to end the year. These homes held memories and lives which are now altered forever. My good friend Mike Macinko lost two homes and everything he owned. What was most important to him, what really mattered, was that his son know that he tried everything he could to save whatever he could—we should all be so courageous. Here is a piece 9News did on him and his experience. WORKSHOP8 made a $1,000 donation to the Boulder County Wildfire Fund through the Community Foundation and Cyclist 4 Community is planning a fundraiser.

I hope people are coming to terms with the fact that human caused climate change is something that we need to address more aggressively. We all need to do little things (and big things) to help reduce our impact on the planet. It is our collective responsibility to do all we can. I recently read an interesting blurb in National Geographic, that in essence says we can not just give up, humanity will survive, it is just a matter of trying to limit losses. Use less is usually a good rule of thumb (less gas, less electricity, less water, less stuff, less square feet). We at W8 try our best when it comes to the environment and how we design our structures. 

Thanks for reading!