Professional Profile: Michael Paul Krug

Michael Paul Krug, AIA, LEED AP, science & technology studio leader, SmithGroup

Michael Paul Krug, AIA, LEED AP, is science & technology studio leader with SmithGroup in Detroit, MI. Lab Design News spoke to Krug (as he’s known to clients and friends alike) about what drives his design approach, the architects and ideas that inspire him, and how creativity shows up in every part of his life.

Q: If you weren't in this profession, what job would you like to have instead?

A: Community organizer. I’m a Gen Xer and at a pivotal point in my life and career. I’ve started to think about what I’m committed to and why these things are important to me. What do I need to fulfill myself? What is my north star? Right now, I’d say that banding communities together is the throughline that connects the activities and initiatives that I find myself a part of. ‘Community organizer’ is a term that’s nice and vague, but the spirit of this position is invaluable to the many people who identify with that community. Activities that occur in an ‘organized community’ can give people purpose and build relationships and support structures. It’s what helps make our society whole and well at a foundational level.

Q: What is your favorite building, lab-related or not?

A: I have always been interested in works by Thom Mayne and the architecture firm Morphosis. Mayne’s avant-garde take on the profession and making architecture is striking. His design for the San Francisco Federal Building is the one that first comes to mind. ‘I’m willing to fight for my ideas, and it disturbs some people,’ he says to describe how he operated in this project’s design process. He describes this building as gutsy because the way it behaves as the machine it was designed to be (using unconventional techniques to keep the building thermally comfortable) is not proven. His designs, especially this building, go beyond the pragmatic function into poetry.

Q: If you could collaborate with any architect, designer, or scientist (past or present), who would it be and why?

A: Leonardo da Vinci. The quintessential Renaissance man, so inquisitive and so intuitive in his thinking about how to identify and solve problems. He was considered an exceptional genius and had such a diverse range of accomplishments, including painting, engineering, science, architecture, and invention. Not many people can check all the boxes: architect, designer, and scientist. To collaborate with him on solving the current challenges facing society would be quite an experience.

Q: What kinds of hobbies or interests do you have outside of work?

A: Gardening. I tend a modest garden filled with plants and flowers, that is looked out upon from my living room. The soil is not great, and I have not delved into improving the chemistry of the soil for more bounty. Instead, I take note of and reward those plants that are hearty and can survive without pampering. I prune and train and compose those plants into the best versions of themselves. I do not let them grow out of bounds. I determine which plants are weeds and work to not let them stay. Gardening is a Zen activity for me, like bonsai. It reminds me of team building and providing guidance to come together as a cohesive whole.

Collecting. I see the value in objects, and I hesitate to let things go until I know their potential will be fulfilled. So, recycling is a form of collecting that I take seriously. I also collect materials from my daily routine that can be re-used for other purposes, say for instance, school art projects. I also enjoy creating artistic compositions with found artifacts.

Design/building. I am not a millworker; I have much respect for those who have mastered this craft. But I enjoy designing and building small fabrications around my house, whether an entertainment center or workbench or tree fort. I always take to hand sketching for concepts and ‘shop drawings’—a part of design/build that I truly enjoy. Taking the step forward after design and being the one to bring those ideas into reality is a challenging and rewarding process. It strengthens my respect for the indispensable role skilled trades play to perform the work to make building designs real.