Architecture

I am an architect. It has taken me a while to realize this. I wanted to go to school for architecture. I applied to a couple of architecture programs, but did not get in. So I went into biomedical engineering, but I am not an engineer, so I transferred into organizational theory. So on and so forth....

I have continued to have a fascination and love of architecture and have on a few occasions been tangentially involved in design, but it was not until recently in my professional career that I realized, that being an architect best describes the way I see the world, and problems specifically, regardless of whether or not I actually draw buildings.

When looking at a problem I first like to get a lay of the land. Then I like to get a picture in my head of what the end product looks like, how it will be used , what its limitations are, what are the things that take top priority, what color is it, what does it feel like, how does it make you feel. Once I know these things, I can work backwards, (we have to have this door here, so therefore this window goes here, etc...) to develop plans. In both business as well as in my personal life, I tend to design around use and beauty. I like simplicity and will not sacrifice function.

Once I have complete plans drafted, I can get to work building. Like in a real life building, I like to do this part step by step. First, site prep, second, the foundation, third the steel structure, etc, etc, and finally the finish work. I get flustered when people try to mix up the order. I also get flustered when people try to rush though building the foundation and core structure. I see these as the most fundamental, and critical parts of the process, that which everything else is based on. I also get flustered because I can still see the final product and can clearly understand how it is impacted. Similar to architects I am interested in building things that endure. Things that are classic, adaptable, functional, beautiful, and purposeful.

Not everyone works like this. In fact I think many of them ended up in the architecture field, and not in business. It seems that sadly today many businesses are not built for endurance, beauty, steadfastness and functionality. They are mobile homes instead of bungalows, McMansions instead of brownstones.