Monday, April 8, 2013

Architect

There are many different kinds of architects.



I recently saw an exhibition of lebbeus woods' works at sfmoma.  He is a paper architect with so very few built works.  But I can see the allure and power of his mind.

Tadao ando is one of the fathers of modern architecture in Japan.  He had a high school education, no formal training in architecture, and was a boxer.  He has a crazy temperament and would even punch his workers.  Crazy guy - iconic.

I have only worked in small offices except for my short stunt at bgk and nbbj.  I like learning architecture through a mentor - or a boss.  I was always fascinated by artists, monks, and the types.  I cherish the living relics - and to me - even if this way of learning architecture is by default - anti- trendy, NOT fashionable, it's fulfilling to me.  I like the personal factor and it makes me want to give a good fight.  "design like I give a damn"

And so - working as a part of a huge system or factory, like school - can be fun, but too competitive and empty for me.

I had been working at this 3person office since last June.  It's about 9 months now - and my boss and I are establishing some kind of connection - finally.  It was crazy when I had first started- worked a crazy lot of hours - 12, 14 hour days.  Because my boss was not nice to me, and kept dumping things on my feat at 5:30pm.  Of course I tried to please him.  But was mostly scared of him.  Especially because the fate of the previous Asian girl was scary-typical.  She was sort of in tears most of the time and ended up quitting.  My co-worker said that he hates women.  And seeing how he talks to and about our female clients - I BELIEVED it.

But somehow - now - my boss had taken up my casual ways of speaking.  Slipping 'cool' and 'awesome' in his vocabulary.  I had gotten pissed at him last Friday when he tried to make me stay late to meet with him.  I think I snapped and just told him that I have to leave promptly.  I don't know if I can be a better architect than him - probably not.  But I realized that I've snubbed him and an opportunity to learn - because of my preoccupation with other parts of my crap life hunting for love.

So time to refocus again.  The kind of architect I want to be?  Is NOT what I thought when I was a student...  It's kind of silly to think of a lazy fat architect - and respectable?  Who am I trying to win the respect of?

What KIND of architecture I want to practice?  I think that is a bit more clearer - and lets just say that there will never be a TED talk associated with REIKO.

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