Architect as Leader?

A funny thing happened on the way to my desk...

Well, not really, but I figured out what to do about this question in that time...

A presentation was made Monday morning regarding elevating our sustainable presence as architects in our community. We already incorporate sustainable practices in nearly all of our projects, but it has become so ingrained in what we do that we forget to promote it like we should.

It reminded me that as designers of people's environments/communities we need to lead by example and lead through our designs. A crap building that does not better the lives of the end users is better left alone.

As designers we have more power than most realize. We create environments, we shape the lives of those who encounter the space, for better or for worse. That's a huge responsibility! And for you architect haters out there...that is why we take our jobs so seriously and are always trying for the things that seem impossible.

I am reminded of Filippo Brunelleschi. He told the city of Florence that he could build an impossible dome on Santa Maria del Fiore even though he did not have a plan for it or even an inkling of a way to construct it. 600 years later it is there, standing tall as a marker of enormous pride for the Florentines.

Brunelleschi led the town, along with several other architects of the time, to great heights (literally and figuratively). These architects created an environment that the people could be proud of and are still proud of today. If you're as big of a nerd for Florentine Renaissance architecture as I am, right now you're saying "that's awesome and unbelievable and I can't believe how true that is!"

If you don't have the same enthusiasm as I you're hopefully saying "I see your point, architects DO have a lot of power over our environment."

To me, architects have the opportunity to leave their mark on a community through their thoughtful design (hopefully they aren't remembered for how terrible their building was...though I know some are...). They LEAD people through a space with careful planning and sometimes a bit of innovation. They LEAD by actively participating in their community and sharing their knowledge to help build a better life for those around them. Architects LEAD a client and user to help them find the best possible solution for their environment.

It is a selfless profession, when I really think about it, full of leaders. Even if some think they are just following along by doing mark-ups, they are leaders by taking the time to simply place the door in the Revit model that opens to a space someone might never have gone if it hadn't been there. We lead in so many ways. Powerful stuff. Powerful People.

"Written for Entertainment Purposes"

The Gazette, 18 April 2013

There is something to be said about horoscopes...I am not an avid horoscope reader nor do I believe in their accuracy. I think I did one day when I was in Junior High and was likely searching for reasons why a boy didn't like me, but also on that day I recall seeing in small writing "written for entertainment purposes" at the conclusion of a daily horoscope installment. It ended right then and there. Since then I have operated on making my own "horoscope" and taking things in strides.

Yesterday was the first time I looked at my horoscope in probably 20 years while I was waiting for the coffee in the gold handled pot to finish brewing...

In case you were not reading the Sagittarius horoscope in an Eastern Iowa newspaper it said" Go where you can use your talents. You need to be put in a position that speaks to your strengths. Otherwise, you will be in a constant state of resistance and dreading the next step".

I didn't think twice about it, but it made me think about the other Sagittariuses out there. I would be money that some are struggling with their positions and might read this as truth and perhaps even take it as a sign and act on it.

Because I always try and get the posts to relate to architecture here is my attempt...well, it's more of a story and why I didn't take this horoscope to heart:

Many architects have the story of "I've always wanted to be an architect. Since I was a little boy or girl playing with an erector set and Lego's, I knew it." For me it wasn't that simple. I didn't know I wanted to be an architect until I had an anthropology degree and most of a Masters in Architectural Studies completed. It was a fateful day sitting in my professors 1426 palazzo on the Arno River in Florence when I put the book down and said "No! I want to design the buildings, not read about them!"

And I never looked back.

This was my ah-ha moment, much like I'm sure a few Eastern Iowan Sagittariuses had yesterday reading their horoscope. If it was meant to be, I wonder if they acted on it. I'm not sure I would be as happy as I am had I not changed my life around in that instant.

I do, I must confess, always read my fortune cookie...I've had too many come out to be true than not. I had one once that said I would receive a very important letter and two days later I got a letter in the mail from Shive-Hattery saying that they wanted to interview me. And another time I had one that said "your mate will bring you a pleasant surprise"...within a week he proposed! Nutty.

"Alan Dreams of Surgery"

The other day I asked Alan, an architect, "If you could design within one type of architecture for the rest of your career, what would it be?"

He thought for a few seconds and said: "health care, primarily surgery units".

Curious answer. Well, "Why?" of course.

He is passionate about the patient experience from the moment they arrive to the time the leave and everything in between. There's so much to it and it' pretty intriguing. If you want the best understanding, Alan is your guy.

It got me thinking about what I would choose. Only a year and a half into my career I can only say "I don't know". But I thought about things I want to try. Since I began I have largely worked on health care projects, from clinics to labor and delivery to patient support spaces. So far my favorite has been the support spaces. I get so connected to the users throughout the design process and want to create the best space where they will be most productive and happy. I haven't seen anything completed yet, but it's already rewarding.

Types of design I want to experience are large public spaces because they cater to every walk of life. The designer has to think of literally everyone; so challenging!
Specifically I am interested in sports complexes/venues, museums, civic spaces, theaters, just to name a few, but at this point I'll try anything at least to find out if I don't like it.

Hearing from a few people in my office on what really drives them I wonder about everyone else.

If you could design one type of architecture for the rest of your career what would it be and why? Your answer may inspire the aspiring architects out there.


You might be wondering where the title of this post came from...a documentary called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". Check it out.