#illuminatetheproject

mmm that makes sense. it doesn’t come out negative from him and I hope I don’t sound negative not really, but not warm fuzzies either – i know what you’re meaning, but I’ve realized recently that it’s been yrs since Ive worked in that office and a lot of those ppl still deal with me in that same way not taking the time to understand how much I’ve changed. I guess cos they are still mired in the same crap [same project type over and over…] man it was so depressing seeing all that money, time and design opportunity go to waste. totally agree with the sentiment of wasted opportunity, and this is where i start to feel cheated, seeing pearls go to swine there are ‘cool’ things here/there but that’s all they are, and the space feels fine I’m sure.. but so much more could have been done and easier and better …. a lot of fussy expensive details that don’t have the same impact as drawing it and thinking it up. idk

but I hope I don’t sound angry.. just frustrated same here, lost the corrosive anger long ago, but still get frustrated cos it’s not always like that [but] it makes sense. places like that can only be perpetual motion machines because, like you said, they have no real ideas… beyond making it to the end of the day and hope to have a weekend and hope to do a kind of version of this ‘thing’ or reinvent the money wasting detail… the only progress had is what can be calculated in a spreadsheet (LEED, AIA, etc). everyone hates that place, when I get to them one-on-one… but this is what they went to school for and where else can you not think that much spend a shit ton of money make a good living when things are going well and sometimes even when they are not; overall it’s a good life in these large places, AND you feel like you’re making a difference, A School, A Hospital, the security, security, security… the only reason I hear from these ppl over and over again.. even the ones that have been laid-off. wtf. like uncle frank said, the problem is being more concerned about the architect than the architecture, and you can see this in most places you look. the corporate firms are magnets for those who wanted to be an architect, but not for those who fell in love with architecture – therefore, they have to cater to this, and that is exactly what they sell on all accounts, internally with their staff and externally to their clients – architecture is either left in the dust or re-dressed as a building in drag – pitching architecture, as we’ve seen everywhere we’ve worked, is a dangerous endeavor, as it would be a systemic change that would undermine all those in power and all those following that power – focusing on design itself would crumble many concepts of many things. this is why i always say you can’t just hire anyone if you want to create a design firm – you have to have compatible outlooks on this matter. it can’t go the other way. they don’t get that our job is not to illuminate the individual, but for the individual to illuminate the project.
-oskar & anonymous