Legacy

We will all leave a legacy of some sort, both with our family and in our career. It’s up to each individual to decide what their legacy will be. In order to create an architectural legacy of magnitude you need to accomplish three things:

1. Create projects of enduring worth. Your projects must stand the test of time.
2. Develop a protégé of significance. In order to continue on your legacy, you must develop those to help carry your vision into the future. 
3.  Have colleagues in the community at-large that respect you and your work. In order to create a legacy that endures you must be revered beyond your own community or firm.

Architectural Inspiration

Our first session for Season 3 of AIA Vision Program kicked off last week with a focus on Practice Legacy.  Each candidate was asked to give a short presentation on what we consider to be our greatest inspiration regarding our architectural practice.  In considering much of the minutiae that inspires and affects my everyday practice, it was more obvious for me to look back to my original roots of inspiration that pushed my decision to enter college and major in Architecture. 

The ability to craft and shape the built environment is the foundational inspiration I attempt to implement into my daily practice.  From monumental wonders of the world to modern buildings that challenge the preconceived notions of their typology, we as Architects get to do what very few other professions do, start with a blank sheet of paper to convey a creative idea that will define a spatial experience.  We are orchestrators of the built enviornment, and no matter the type of project, scale, or intended use, Architects have the unique opportunity to leave a mark on civilization.  So as you start your next project, or perhaps are already working on that crutial detail that will define your building's aesthetic, remember it started with a blank sheet of paper & an idea. 

Dear Vision class 2013 or should I say Season 3,

Welcome! You are about to embark on a year-long journey that will allow you to grow as an Architect, Community Leader, Firm Leader, Mentor, and Businessman/woman. This is a wonderful opportunity and I hope you all take full advantage of it. You get out of it what you put into it which can be a tremendous amount. Have fun and be a sponge – soak up all you can, including a couple brewskies in the late afternoon.

On behalf of Season 2, a.k.a. the Midwest Twelve – GOOD LUCK!

Christie Boron

THANK YOU AIA VISION 2011-2012

 

Words can't express my gratitude towards Doug Richards and Marcie Kinney for their countless hours dedicated to this program and participants this year. What a wonderful opportunity it has been for all of us. This has been such a rewarding year. We have all been exposed to so many innovative and inspiring leaders in our industry. I know I will be a better architect, leader, and person because of this program.

 

 

 

Doug - As I said in  my final presentation, your dedication to this program and the causes that you hold close to your heart is an absolute inspiration to all of us. You have motivated all of us to try harder and give more.

Marcie - Your leadership as a young accomplished woman in the world of architecture has been inspiring for me. I am looking forward to becoming an architectural leader in our city with you by my side.

Pro-Bono: A Means to an End or a Means to THE END

One of the topics of discussion that has been common place in the past 8 months of sessions has been the benefits and down falls of giving our work away.  In many instances, by “giving away” our services to entities that have the means to pay for our expertise, this could have the opposite effect of what we would hope pro-bono work to have and further degrade the value of having an architect involved in the process of building the world around us.  I would argue that in the right circumstances, this work can be fulfilling, engrain our leaders firmly in the community, and truly raise the benefit of having an architect lead the charge of any project in the eyes of the general public.

We all know that there are multiple reasons that we spend countless hours toiling away at our offices.  To name just a few, most of us fell in love with the prospect of the well-designed built environment and the effects that it can have on the people that come in contact with it. It tends to be in our nature to want to create and to refine down to the way that components are joined together to make it “just right”.  Of course, we also have the basic need to provide for our families.

At our day to day jobs, not every project that comes across our desk, for various reasons, has the potential to energize us on almost a spiritual level.  Be it budget, the prospect of a strictly utilitarian program, or something as simple as replacing a roof on a strip mall, some jobs just don’t get your heart racing or keep you thinking about solutions long into the night (unless a constraining schedule is the case).

When projects are chosen carefully, to appeal to the altruistic nature that many of us have and truly do some good for those around us, pro-bono work can be that catalyst for energizing the spirit, showcasing what we are capable of, and leading towards becoming a trusted advisor within our communities. 

When projects are done, not strictly to affect the bottom line, but because it is helping a sector of the community that otherwise would not have the means to come in contact with good design or helping a cause that is close to our hearts, they can have lasting effects:  

• When people are made to feel a part of something, they by nature become more invested and interested in the outcome and become your biggest cheerleader and brightest students.
• Altruistic work usually either has a challenging budget, challenging problem, or both.  This provides a vehicle with which to showcase our problem solving abilities to work within tight constraints and make a project sing. 

When these come together, this work can be extremely satisfying and energizing, can build long lasting relationships, and engrain us into the community.  While I do feel that “giving away” our services can be an extreme detriment to our profession; when the right circumstances come along, these types of endeavors every now and then can help to put us on the path to becoming that trusted advisor again and hopefully keeps us involved at the beginning of every project.

Friday we had some great meaningful discussion centered around the Architect's Civic Responsibility. I would like to first and foremost thank our guest presenters:

·         John Blake: Coordinator of Community Projects, Miami University - Center for Community Engagement

·         Tony Costello, FAIA: principal of Costello + Associates & Ball State University Professor

·         Mickey Jacobs, FAIA: 2013 AIA National President, Principal - Urban Studio Architects, Tampa FL

I had several requests to provide my presentation on Social Responsibility. So here is a link to a .pdf version. Let me know if you have any issues viewing it.

“Do architects and architectural firms have a social responsibility beyond our practice? We all have heard about the social consequences of architecture and about architects having a responsibility to the community when they create a piece of architecture. But do we have a social responsibility that extends beyond our practice?”

c.Boron_social reponsibility.pdf

Civic Leadership

Do architects and architectural firms have a social responsibility beyond our practice? We all have heard about the social consequences of architecture and about architects having a responsibility to the community when they create a piece of architecture. But do we have a social responsibility that extends beyond our practice?

How do we not? We would be fooling ourselves to think that we don't. All we need to do is ask ourselves why we got into this practice in the first place. It certainly wasn't for fame and fortune. It is because we all believe that architecture creates better places, that architecture affects society, and that it can even have a role in making a place civilized by making a community more livable.

No we aren't curing AIDS, or solving the world’s economy crisis, or ending poverty, but you better believe we are effecting the quality of life. It is why I design schools. While I am not an inspirational life-changing educator, I am providing a building that supports, stimulates, protects, and inspires young minds and encourages bright teachers.

We work in a profession made up of mostly introverts who seem more inclined to follow than lead. We tend to be too cautious and are too timid to set ourselves apart from the rest. Our world is missing out on a lot of conscious-minded individuals who are amazing problem solvers. It is our duty to serve others when we know what kind of talent our Architectural Society holds. Creativity is a form of social responsibility. I hold-heartedly believe that "creativity is how architecture makes itself matter, and how the generations take up the tradition of using architecture as a means of speaking to one another."

WE CAN AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITIES

WE CAN INFLUENCE SOCIAL CONDITIONS

WE CAN BE THE CATALYST FOR POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE

WE CAN PROBLEM SOLVE FOR THOSE IN NEED

WE CAN BUILD A DISCOURSE AROUND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

WE CAN GUIDE OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR PLANET