A Decade of Practice in Architecture
It’s been over a decade since I began my practice in architecture. There have been serious moments of doubt, times where I was sure I would quit. When I could not persevere, I learned to reframe my goals and update my mindset. All these years later I find myself with new reasons to fall in love again.
What I find interesting about architecture is how we find our humanity in it. The architecture industry leads us to believe that buildings are beautiful objects, but the reality is architecture never truly happens in the forefront. Architecture provides a horizon line or a frame to the experience, the backdrop where lives play out. How we live out our lives (to play, and work, and rest) and are stewards of our lives (how we clean, and maintain, and take care of).
I find myself concerned with the people that will inhabit the building and how they might use it. Of course it’s important to consider beauty and aesthetics, but for me, form finding always derives from an empathetic understanding of the inhabitant. When I consider the best projects I’ve contributed to, I think of those where I witness people come alive: spaces where children can play and parents are offered a place of solace.
While much of my life has been about moving, growing, and curiosity, I finally realized this is the one thing I’ve taken the time to see through. Have you ever owned a T-shirt so long it’s worn thin with holes? Or a favourite pair of shoes you ran until the soles fall off? I believe life offers the same satisfaction, and thus we must allow ourselves to let go of our last chapter and begin with the new, updated model. I offer two important themes I’ve come to understand in my journey: beauty and patience.
Beauty lies in harmony. People make the mistake that beauty is akin to balance. Balance by its very nature is static and must occur simultaneously, where harmony is achieved over time and is dynamic. Life is beautiful because it is dynamic.
Patience is the highest form of trust. I trust that it will work out. I trust that you will find your way. I trust that things will come together in the end. Patience means that in times of uncertainty you find trust in the process.
