This is another in my series of posts inspired by 1000 Awesome Things, the Webby Award winning blog written by Neil Pasricha. The series is my meditation on the awesome reasons
why I was and continue to be attracted to the art of architecture.
Like most creative
pursuits, the practice of architecture is fundamentally a process of discovery.
Each new project seduces us with its promise. Inherent in every design problem are
possibilities, inventions, and an order of systems waiting to be revealed. The means
of their discovery necessitates the exploration and study of concepts.
Ultimately, the process rewards architects who embrace opportunities, brave
the unknown, and dispel preconceptions.
Paul Laseau described the process of discovery as
consisting of two parts: 1) invention; and 2) concept formation. In his book Graphic Thinking for Architects & Designers, he explained how invention
seeks the basic discovery—the original idea for the project—whereas concept
formation converts the discovery into a graphic and verbal statement that can
give basic direction to the full development of the project.
But the
process of discovery is much more as well. Its course is seemingly capricious,
full of twists and turns. There are often surprises along the way. Some are
welcome epiphanies. Others are roadblocks, obstacles that momentarily frustrate
progress. Along the way, the journey is its own reward, its route marked by
leaps of understanding and creativity. There is a great deal to be learned, and
the learning is achieved by doing.
The greatest
thrill comes to us when the process suddenly reveals a clear and obvious path
toward the solution we have been seeking. What was previously inscrutable swiftly
and surprisingly becomes a simple, elegant, and robust design concept. This is
our eureka moment, that exhilarating instant of the judged truth being laid
bare. The process of discovery has coupled the thrill of creative effort with
the joy of achievement.
Because
it can so often be unpredictable, exasperating, and difficult, the process of
discovery is inherently challenging. Then again, it is also a voyage every
architect willingly embarks upon. Like inveterate explorers, we repeatedly seek
knowledge, insight, and answers to questions of great importance. Architecture
is as much about how we arrive at our design solutions as it is about the designs
themselves. We trust the process of discovery to get us where we want to go.
AWESOME!
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