by: Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP
“We aren’t changing half as quickly as our environment. The question is, can we catch up?” asked Peter Bohlin, FAIA, recipient of this year’s AIA Gold Medal Award. While he may be a great admirer of Modern architecture, he has always criticized its negligence to address the way people actually live. Through his designs, he tries to enable groups to have a greater quality of life. For him, it is a search that is both intuitive and intellectual.
But not every architect has the same strengths. He acknowledged the wide range of career paths for architects, and urged individuals to discover what they personally can bring to the profession. “We are all unique with different talents, interests, and abilities. We are lucky to be able to dance between people and places and make sense of it all.” Whatever path you choose, however, Bohlin cautioned, “if you don’t love it like a great hobby, do something else.”
When asked to give advice to emerging architects (via Twitter), he responded with the following:
– Find where you fit
– Start wondering
– Don’t believe what everyone tells you
– Read a lot
– Get used to stumbling and finding your way
– Don’t just be computer-based
Bohlin ended his talk by pulling out a pencil from his shirt pocket emphatically exclaiming: “And please use one of these!”