Publications
The Zucker Race Horses
A job interview is not exactly an expected set up for an art sale. So when Lauren Zucker (now Richards) came looking for a job at Blackburn Architects some years ago, she found one. One she didn’t accept because graduate school had a stronger pull.
But in a strange twist, John Blackburn liked the student artwork she showed in her portfolio so much he bought it. Two beautiful Lauren Zucker black oil bar on paper works hang in the Blackburn Architects’ offices in Washington, DC. The large 48’x60’ framed paintings are captivating for the brush strokes evoking the fevered jostling of racehorses leaving the starting gate. They are lovely paintings, and visitors to the office often comment on them.
She described her work this way:
Jockey: Horse
The RaceThe Race: Within the confines of 10 furlongs there are meta-corporeal aspects of the horse race never experienced by the spectator. I first knew the horse race as an unfolded experience through the medium of literature. Drawn out in detail were the visceral relationships between horse and jockey, the operations/politics implicit in a racing farm, the strategies and traditions of breeding and training, the excitement of race day morning, and the cognizant thought behind every move during the course of the race. The race compresses into 2 minutes, the life experience of each racer- horse or jockey.
The Drawing: Through drawing, I looked to fold the life narrative of the racer into gesture. Then, as in the race, montage the narrative of different racers. I found inspiration for expressing this agony of entanglement in Picasso’s Guernica. The narrative gesture of war is apparently not unlike that of the horse race.
The process of these drawings was subtractive, many beginning as a coat of black oil bar. The slow drying time of oil bar and linseed oil allowed me the time to carve the horses’ bodies out the blackness. Portions of the drawing were reworked over and over again, conveying motion/time lapse through the multiplicity of elements, such as the doubling of the jockey’s hand in different positions.
There is a dichotomy in horse racing which at once evokes both nobility and grit which I found to exist even at the scale of the horse’s eye, loaded with both the noble courage and animalistic fear. And in the relationship of the fear in horse’s eye to the Jockey’s eye of focused determination. “
As time passed, though, Lauren’s identity was lost to Blackburn Architects. We could make out most of her signature in the lower right hand of the paintings, but was it Lauren Ziker, Zucker, Luker? What had become of the artist who made the art we live with every day? Was she still an artist? A practicing architect? We didn’t know. Finally, John was inspired to track Lauren down through a connection to a colleague who knew her and had kept in touch. And voila! Lauren is indeed still an artist, and an architect, and she was so excited we had tracked her down.
“I have such great memories of Blackburn Architects and of John. I remember being equally disappointed that the timing didn’t work out as the job would have merged my two greatest passions as a life-long horse lover / equestrian and architecture. I am still working in architecture and still enjoy painting and drawing.”
https://www.laurenzuckerrichards.com/
The Superior Stable, At Home Magazine, August 2017
Publications
How Emotions Can Help When Designing Horse Barns, Podcast, March 2017
Inside the Rider’s Home, Dressage Today, October 2016
Building Your Green Barn – Land Management, Equine Wellness, April/May 2016
Designing For Extremes, Equestrian Living Magazine, April 2016
When Barn Builders Dream, 2016 Tryon Equestrian Directory
Over Three Decades of Experience in Design Excellence, Metro Architect, March 2016
His & Hers with LA Pomeroy: John Blackburn, Elite Equestrian, January 2016
Find Barn. Add Architect. Say “Whoa” Inside Hook, December 2015
6 Barns Converted into Beautiful New Homes, Inhabitat.com. July 2015
After A Million-Dollar Makeover, Behold the Party Barn, The Wall Street Journal, June 2015
Home, Reimagined, Architectural Digest, June 2015
Barn Again, UnTacked Magazine, May 2015
Dressage Barn Gone Green, Dressage Today, April 2015
Building A Green Barn, Equine Wellness Magazine, April 2015
Lucky Jack Farm, Horse and Style Magazine, December 2014
Where Do You Stand on the Great Carriage Debate, Horse and Style Magazine, September 2014
Things to Consider When Purchasing Equine Property, Field Sport Concepts, September 2014
Sheik Island Horse Training Farm in Dade City on the Market for $4.5 Million, Tampa Bay Times, May 2014
John Blackburn Basics, California Horse Magazine, April 2014
My Kingdom, Mi Casa: Pegaso Farm, Horse Sport International, Issue 1, 2014
Barn Design Masterclass: How to Get the Best Barn While Working on a Budget, Equestrian Quarterly, Fall 2013
Fire Wind Water: Thoughtful Barn Design May Reduce Disaster Risk, Polo Magazine, September 2013
Barn Envy: Oakhaven Farm, Horse & Style Magazine, August 2013
Building an Eco-Friendly Horse Barn, Equine Wellness Magazine 2013
Let There Be Light, Equestrian Quarterly, Summer 2013
Colorful Kitchen Updates, Food and Wine Magazine, November 2012
Beauty and the Barn, DCmud, November, 2012
Value Added: This Well-Compensated Architect Designs for the Horse, Of Course, Washington Post, October, 2012
Staying ‘Stableminded’, The Zweig Marketing Letter, July 2012
How to Choose the Right Remodeling Professional for Your Needs, The Washington Examiner, June 2012
Returning Sagamore to Her Rightful Glory, The Equiery, April 2012
Seeing the Light, Stable Management e-blast, April 2012
Bank Barns, Acreage Life Magazine, March 2012
A ‘Bettor’ Racecourse: NYRA Discusses Improvements to Racetracks, The Saratogian, September 2, 2011
Barn Saver, Saratoga Living, Summer 2011
From Native Dancer to Native Son: Restoring Sagamore Farm, DCmud, June 22, 2011
Barn Beauty, Cowboys & Indians, July 2011
A Modern Sports Success Story Meets a Historic Racing Farm, The New York Times, May 21, 2011
A Handsome, if not Historic, Hotel, The Washington Post, May 22, 2011
A Dreamer’s Latest Long Shot, The Washington Post, May 17, 2011
Green Barns,Clemson World Magazine,Spring 2011
Good Barnkeeping, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar Magazine’s 2011 Barn & Arena Guide, Spring 2011
No More the Desert Nomad (reprint), Desert Mirage Arabian Horse Virtual Magazine, April 2011
In the Spotlight: Blackburn Greenbarns, Green Business Quarterly, March/April 2011
Re-Use Architecture, Chris van Uffelen, Braun Publishing AG, 2011
Green Building Materials for your Horse Barn, Holistic Horse Magazine, October/November 2010
They Love Horses, Don’t They?, DCmud, August 9, 2010
Building a Green Horse Barn, Equestrian Professional Newsletter, June 2010
Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms, Kathryn Masson, Rizzoli Publications, April 2010
Fresh Air and Lots of Light? It’s Just Good Horse Sense, Architecture DC Magazine, Spring 2010
Ask the Experts, Dressage Today, March 2010
Build-On: Converted Architecture and Transformed Buildings, edited by Robert Klanten and Lucas Feireiss, Gestalten, 2009
Greenbarns: Sustainable Homes for Your Horse, Inhabitat.com, July 13, 2009
More Escapes At Home, Web Extra, Washington Spaces Magazine, Summer 2009
NYRA Details Track Season Giveaways, Daily Gazette, June 30, 2009
Sustainable Barns for Green Horse Owners, bestgreenhometips.com, June 9, 2009
Architect Launches Eco-Friendly Barn Designs, customhomesonline.com, June 3, 2009
Selling the Outdoor Room, Remodelers’ Journal, April/May 2009
Beautiful Bank Barn Renovation, Inhabitat.com, April 3, 2009
Safe Haven, Western Horseman, March 2009
Seeing Green, Stable Management, February 2009
Good Barnkeeping, The Horse, February 2009
Green, Greener, Greenest, Horse Connection Magazine, November 2008
Lighten Up, Stable Management, October 2008
Stable Environment, Keeneland Magazine, Summer 2008
Arena Considerations, Western Horseman, June 2008
Saving Sagamore, Maryland Life, May/June 2008
Maximizing Work Flow, Western Horseman, May 2008
Potential Energy, Western Horseman, April 2008
Good Flow, Western Horseman, April 2008
Site Planning, Western Horseman, March 2008
Sagamore Farm Reborn, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Magazine, February 2008
Lighten Up, Western Horseman, February 2008
Fashionable Fire for the Home, The Remodelers’ Journal, December/January 2008
Hill Country Horse Barn, Western Horseman, January 2008
Equine Design, Estates West, Winter 2008
Second Chances, Green Builder Magazine—Cover Story, December 2007
A Breath of Fresh Air, Western Horseman, December 2007
Barn Rebirth, Best of Southern Living (special issue), Holiday 2007
California Dreaming, Western Horseman, November 2007
Heating Up the Backyard, Garden Compass, September/October 2007
2007 Southern Home Awards, Best Preservation, Southern Living, October 2007
Champagne Barn on a Beer Budget, Everything for Horse and Rider, Summer 2007
Creature Comforts, Stable Management, September 2007
Quiet Impact (Monticule Form), Keeneland Magazine, Summer 2007
Adding On, Stable Management, August 2007
Get Organized: A well-organized tack room is attractive to your clients and allows you to find what you need when you need it, Stable Management, July 2007
Safe Footing for Barn Aisles, Practical Horseman, June 2007
55 Tips for Better Barn Function, Dressage Today, May, 2007
Ranch Dressing: Devine Barn as High Fashion Backdrop, Genlux Magazine, April/May, 2007
Horse Heaven, The Austin American Statesman, November 30, 2006
A Barn for Every Budget, Equestrian Magazine, November 2006
An Old Red Barn Gets A New Life, Washington Spaces, Early Winter 2006
A Breed Apart, Austin Home and Living, September/October 2006
Ultimate Horse Barns, Randy Leffingwell, Voyageur Press, 2006
Run-In Shed Makeover, The Horse, May 2006
Oakhaven Farm– Texas Hill Country, Sidelines Magazine, June 2004
Turning Old Into NewWeb, Thoroughbred Times, March 2004
A Sunday Horse, Vicky Moon, Capitol Books, Inc., March 2004
Master Planner, The Washington Times, February 17, 2004
Simply Devine, Sidelines Magazine, November 1, 2003
Advantages of an Architect-Designed Barn, Riding Magazine, May 2003
Out of the Box, Home Magazine, April 2003
Design on the Hoof, Washington City Paper, November 22, 2002
Brilliant Moves, Kentucky Herald-Leader, November 8, 2002
A Face Lift, Stable Management, April 2002
Creating a Better Barn, Thoroughbred Times, December 1, 2001
Doing Your Homework Before Building A Farm, The International Equine Journal, Fall 2001
Equinomics: Stall Flooring, The Horse, September 2001
A Brilliant Idea, Keeneland, Summer 2001
So You Want A Farm, The Horse, June 2001
Building a Safe Breeding Facility, Horsecity.com, April 2001
Building Barns in Albemarle, Albemarle, April/May 2001
Barns By Blackburn, Whoanews.com, January 2001
Middleburg Mystique, Vicky Moon, Capital Books, Inc., September 2001
Putting Your Mare Under Lights, Warmblood Magazine, November/December 2000
Parade of Barns, Polo Players Edition, July 2000
To Buy or Build, Thoroughbred Times, September 25, 1999
Field of Dreams, Horse Show Magazine, July/August 1999
Taj Mahorse, Polo Players Edition, July 1999
Blackburn Architects Builds Area Barns, Keswick Life, May 1999
Home Sweet Home, The Horse, May 1999
Blackburn Architects: Stables A Specialty, In & Around Horse Country, April/May 1999
Bungalow: American Restoration Style, by Jan Cigliano, (Salt Lake City: Gibbs-Smith Publichers), 1998
Housing Your Horse, The Horse, September 1998
Riding High, Elle Decor, August/September 1998
Kingdom for a Horse, Town and Country, April 1998
The Air In There, The Horse, March 1998 (photos only)
Dream Stable, The Blood Horse, March 14, 1998
Morven Stud: Age-old Virginia Farm Builds Toward Future, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, February 1998
Breeding Facilities, The Horse, January 1998
Barns East and West, Wood Design & Building, Autumn 1997
Variety is the Spice of Riding Arena Design, Rural Builder, May 1997
Building Your Dream, In & Around Horse Country, Oct/Nov 1996
Rhapsodies In Blueprint, SPUR, March/April 1996
Take Stock of Design to Eliminate Common Hazards, The Maryland Horse, Oct/Nov 1995
Born Again, The Washington Post Magazine, October 1, 1995
Horse Sense: The New Breed of Barn, The Washington Post, February 18, 1995
Saints Preserve Us” A Timely Addition, Church of St. Stephen Martyr’s New Recovery, The Washington Post, August 14, 1993
Dream Schemes, Remodeling Ideas, Spring 1993
Food Retail Design and Display, Martin M. Pegler, Editor, New York: Retail Reporting Corporation, 1993
Designing Horsemen, SPUR, Sept/Oct 1991
Thoroughbred Landscape, Landscape Architecture, June 1991
Will and Sarah Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, SPUR, Nov/Dec 1990
Back Porches Make a Comeback, Washington Home, June 15, 1989