Behind the Scenes at Spertus Institute, Chicago

Video Interview and Tour, recorded by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Gang – Hollwich – Rojkind

This Saturday, I had the pleasure to participate in a panel discussion at the Art Institute of Chicago, moderated by the indefatigable Iker Gil. Jeanne Gang, Matthias Hollwich, and Michel Rojkind presented aspects of their work, and a group of local architects acted as respondents.

At the end of 2.5 hours of exchange, 3 things stood out to me: first, how much focus there was on people when discussing architecture, as opposed to, say, materials or proportions or scale; second, how one audience member posted a comment on facebook saying “did anyone else note that, for the most part, all of the presenters and participants made a point of speaking in plain english, and not "archi-speak" , and lastly, how the successes of these firms prove them right in the argument over being relevant: they render a service that is wanted and valued by their customers. If the definition of innovation is the new and useful, the works of these 3 architects are remarkable in satisfying current needs and anticipating future ones.

I have been wrong many times before, but somehow, I believe our profession is on the brink of a great comeback. A few firms are leading the way in reclaiming the role in society we architects ought to play.

For the rest of us architects, let’s follow suit. Let’s speak out, advocate, design, organize. There is no other professional group that is as passionate, broadly educated, able to embrace constraints, and sincere in the desire to create livable environments, both built and natural.

Our times need architects. Let’s go.

Dealing with Change

In the face of rapid and accelerating change, architects have an opportunity to reclaim a leadership role in society. The video was recorded by Architect Magazine.

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”.

Wisdom, when combined with the search for the new and useful, is true leadership.

On being wrong, part II

When we do something, when we look at our own behavior, we tend to see it in context. For instance, we think of ourselves as being safe drivers, but if we are driving fast today, it is because we are running late for an appointment.

But when we look at another person driving quickly, we say this person is a reckless driver. That person must have an inherent personal weakness.

This tendency, which we are all too familiar with, was coined The Fundamental Attribution Error by social psychologist Lee Ross in 1977: There is a pervasive tendency to explain the behavior of others as a result of a personal disposition, when the behavior could just as easily be explained as a natural response to situational pressures or constraints.

We are way more often wrong than we realize. And no wonder so many people take things personally.

The Greatest Lesson of History

When I recently came across the saying that the greatest lesson of history is that we do not learn the greatest lessons of history, I knee-jerked. Of course, humans are just not smart enough to take advantage of the obvious benefits of knowing history, and the fact that it repeats itself. If only everyone else got that.

Then, a few days later, it struck me. What if you changed the sentence to the following: The greatest lesson of my life (or my personal history) is that …

You fill in the rest.

And once you have the answer, ask yourself what you have learned from it, and how it has affected your life.

By the way, the greatest lesson of my life occurred on January 31, 2000. That day, I started to understand time. 

On being wrong

Watch Kathryn Schulz on the personal rightness bias - a wonderfully accurate analysis of an inherent human condition. Her description of the rightness bubble we all tend to operate in is a great example of how limited our horizons typically are.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/kathryn_schulz_on_being_wrong.html

Let it grow

Any guesses at what specifically cracks the case in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax movie?

The protagonist, a boy who wants to save the world in order to get the girl (which, in my experience, is just about the only reason any young guy does anything proactively), breaks down the city wall, which has been containing his fellow townspeople, with a bulldozer. The crowd is amazed – there IS a larger context, and in light of it, a different path forward is adopted.

And, the hero gets the girl.

But, in a larger sense, . . .

24 hours into launching this blog, I have decided to change its title to “But, in a larger sense, . . .”

Spoken by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, these 5 words mark the beginning of the third and final paragraph of his address to dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.  For about three years now, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about those 5 words.

The speech consists of 3 paragraphs. The first one summarizes the past. The second one describes the present. The third paragraph makes sense of the future. Taken together, this could simply be seen as good structure for making a case.

The 5 words, however, are where the magic lies.

By using “But, in a larger sense”, Lincoln breaks the case by zooming out. Making sense of the Civil War, an indescribably brutal and trying challenge for a young nation, happens through broadening of context. About one hundred years later, scientific research by Economics Nobel laureate Herb Simon proved that a problem well represented is a problem half solved. Lincoln was able to solve the problem by representing it in its proper context.

But, in a larger sense, … shall be the guiding wisdom of this blog.

The Future of Education

Have you heard of Salman Khan? A friend of mine told me about him less than a week ago, and as a result, my 12 year old daughter is now voluntarily doing math at home. That’s why you want to know about Salman.

Watch him on TED at www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html or take a look at his website at www.khanacademy.org