My "Design Beliefs" in Six Words

Teamwork accomplishes that which groupwork cannot

Less Arrogance, More Empathy

Less ARROGANCE
More EMPATHY

My selection from the Less and More list by Rafael Gomez-Moriana is a basic perception of the world around you.  Both within architecture and without, there is a great deal of arrogance that we could do without.  I know I too often find myself abandoning humility when a stroke of pride comes along, but I try to remember how important it is to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

The Incomplete Manifesto for Growth outlines a considerable number of ways we can grow, not only as members of the design profession, but as people, and I think empathy appears on the list implicitly across many of the subjects.  "Listen Carefully," "Power to the People," "Don't be Cool," and "Everyone is a Leader" are a few examples in which we can practice architecture with less arrogance.  When I read As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner for the first time, I was struck by the seemingly obvious notion that we can never truly know another person like we know ourselves.  However depressing or sad that message might be at first, part of what I took away from it is that even though it may be an endless task, it is no less important.  As it states in the Manifesto, it's the process that's more important, not the outcome.

As architecture students, I feel we are failing to serve the public and failing to allow ourselves to grow if we don't listen and learn, allow others to take the lead on occasion, and ultimately try to look past our own bias.  Olon Dotson's 4th World Theory course last summer helped me to realize how well-suited architects are to take a stand for social equity.  As members of a profession that helps shape the world we all live in, it's important to remember that there are many others we are responsible for, and that we do not take that responsibility seriously if we aren't listening.

This photo was taken in an abandoned factory in Detroit while on field trip for 4th World

Koyaanisqatsi

I don't know what I was expecting when the movie began, but I was certainly surprised.  I didn't know anything about the movie other than Ana saying it was "dense," and she was absolutely right.

My first impression of Koyaanisqatsi was confusion.  Like I said, I didn't know what the movie was about.  I honestly thought that the time-lag video of various locations and actions was an extended introduction.  I kept expecting someone to start speaking, and segue into a "plot," or some other documentary-type discussion on architecture.  Instead, what we got was interesting in an entirely different way.

How would I describe the movie?  We discussed this somewhat in class, and I said "ominous."  By showing us all these high speed images of places and people going about their lives, it really gives you a sense of futility.  It showcases "the daily grind," and, at least to me, makes you question the "point of it all."  In the grand scheme of things, the tedium of these repetitive, monotonous activities are meaningless.  At the same time, the cyclical nature of the movie shows how similar we are.