Too many architects act superior to everyone around them, especially other architects. I want to punch them, but it all comes from a lack of confidence that they either refuse to admit, or are unaware of.
I at least admit that I do not know it all, but am willing to search, dig, beg and borrow to find a solution for my clients. This let's me be real, and REAL gets me projects, and clients that smile long after I have worked with them.
This is a picture of me blogging.....I love the iPad. (with two exceptions...flash and forms that do not allow photo upload)
Looks like I have to paint Dina's toes again....art is art.
I recently toured a few school projects I designed, to photograph. I kept running into my clients!! I could tell you how my projects turned out...but I'll let their smiles and thumbs do the talking:
Here is the community education director, Mary Ellen, happily using the walking track we designed together two years ago!
Here is the lead custodian, in the boiler room, after he walked me around happy with almost everything in "his" new school (440,000 sf school does not permit perfection, but we got as close as possible according to TJ!)
Here is the principal of a different school within the same district, still happy after 4 years in her new school. Lee had great color and huge boulder ideas!
Here is a happy shop teacher...I built a birdhouse in shop class...check the canoes! No thumbs up, but shop teachers are tough! His relatives own the original farmstead that most of the school building brick colors are based on!
Here are his happy students in the spray booth...they don't know me.....but boys with toys, right!?!
A happy teacher is an effective teacher...even science teachers appreciate the intangibles of good design. Notice the interactive white board on the wall behind him. Every morning the entire school gets to WATCH video announcements on these!!!
What really juices me is that almost everyone of them remembered me by name, and wanted to share their "new building" experiences with me.
These pictures were all taken in the same two week period....2-4 years after I helped them design their schools.
Now THAT is something to brag about......the school is BEAUTIFUL, functional, durable for decades, and considerably less expensive to build and operate, than another new HS of similar size built at the exact same time. That too is something I am proud of, intelligent use of our public dollars.......but I am glad every one of these folks can do their job a little better because of these well designed buildings at their disposal. Students are our future.
Call me to help you with your building type.....I have designed almost every type of building....and where I have not, I will call in the experts for you, not PRETEND I know it all, arrogance sucks, rely on the experts.
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Location:Cambridge, MN