Wisdom + Innovation =
Leadership
Last week, during the American Institute of
Architects (AIA) annual national convention, I participated in a presentation
alongside Adrian Smith with Smith Gill Architecture, when, in response to a
question from the audience, Adrian said the following [paraphrased]:
“Context is key to architectural design – and
maybe most important of it all is the context of time.”
Adrian is probably best known as the architect
who designed the world’s tallest building in Dubai, as well as Trump Tower in
Chicago. Those 2 projects, however, are just the tip of an architectural body
of work that is nothing short of astounding, and which spans over a series of
decades. Most importantly, Adrian and his associates are at the cutting edge of
sustainable design, realizing buildings that generate more energy than they
consume.
Adrian’s statement is an affirmation of a
quote by Kierkegaard: “Life is lived forward, but understood in reverse”.
