The process of building…

Managing the project IS managing the process.

The architectural project is just like our rescued, disabled pit bull.  Sometimes she is so sweet – so cuddly!  Other times, she transforms into Cujo.  No matter what happens, she is ours; we take responsibility for her. We watch over her, care for her, train her and make sure she has the type of stable home vital to her recovery. Her personality isn’t perfect. But, no one has ever accused her of not having a personality. And we love her because of it.

We just can’t help but being in the center; projects become our babies. If we leave them halfway through, or we don’t bother to understand how they will be executed, we’ve left our loved ones out in the cold. This responsibility, this connection – it makes the project better. As in life, the work takes on a personality of its own.  A Character – the ideas live and breathe independently; they become alive. 

This process, like life itself, is not always easy.  Memories born through struggle create the strongest link to our consciousness. Because we devote ourselves to them, they live within us for years after. A good friend to share a story with – and a place that shapes our character. This becomes the only appropriate response to the process when you view Architectural space as a container for memories.  And no one knows the project better than the architect…

So, as it goes with rescued, disabled pit bulls it also goes for architectural projects. You love them, you hate them – even when they want to kill you.

…Just like hugging a Piranha…