Philosophy & Travel

I see architecture as the ultimate challenge. It is an ever changing ever evolving entity. We must respect and learn from the past, while we work to secure the future. Architecture is the solution to the various problems of the client, yet creates many ecological problems as well. This does not have to be so. I believe that sustainability and minimal destruction of the environment is an achievable goal. I intend to spend my future career striving to achieve said goal. I feel education and experience are most necessary to reaching such a point.

I seek knowledge in all aspects of architecture, building systems, and environmental design. I feel that all knowledge is valuable and should be incorporated into my designs. I am eager to learn from those who use spaces. What would they change to improve their space? I believe strongly in the necessity of function. To be aesthetically pleasing is a definite function of form and space but must not supersede the interactions and services required by the client and users.

I believe in serving multiple masters. We as architects must serve our clients and their needs but we must not stop there. We must also serve the environment and community that our designs will be constructed in. We must enhance the surroundings of our sites, not destroy them. We must also serve ourselves. Our designs are extensions of our minds and souls. We must balance the needs of the client, surroundings, and our own aspirations as architects. Our designs must serve all our masters.

I have done a fair bit of traveling and even had the chance to study in Paris. During the year that I lived in Paris, I visited cities in over ten nations. Through my travels I have witnessed many western cultures and a wealth of architecture. I have come to understand the significant place that architecture holds in society. It is both an expression of a culture and a guiding influence on that culture. Depending on who and where a building is built the same basic functions can take on drastically different forms. What is functional in one civilization can be absorbed as aesthetic by another. Specific building styles can give a sense of power in one culture and weakness in another. We must be understanding of not only economic and ecological contexts when we design, but a cultural's history and aspirations. We must also understand that the uses of our buildings will change as the occupants change. It is important that our designs be flexible lest our buildings be torn down to make way for the next generation.