Born in 1980 and spending most of my teenage years in rural England, I was always convinced
that I was suited towards a life and career within an urban environment. At the age of 18, I went to the
University of Edinburgh to begin an Undergraduate Degree in Architectural Design. Until that point
I believed Architecture was ultimately concerned with the drafting and creation of buildings. Although that
may in part be true, at University I began to harbor a love for the more qualitative side of the profession;
not only questioning the what, where and when of architecture, but also the how and why.
In 2001, I spent six months living and working in New York City before returning to Edinburgh to
continue my education. After receiving my Masters Degree in 2004, I traveled back to New York
to begin work within the professional field, with my passion for modeling and hand-drawing
becoming infused with the development and practicalities of the computer. This sometimes conflicting
hybridization is something I feel every architect encounters. It may be quicker to draw and then replicate
something a dozen or more times, but by not drawing each thing specifically within its context, then do
we begin to remove ourselves from truly understanding the implications of our actions? Alternatively,
does it waste valuable time that could be focused elsewhere? Do we no longer imbue a sense of meaning
into things by not drawing them individually and at a multitude of scales? Or can we better test our
concepts and hypotheses by having the whole and the detail within the same drawing?
These are some of the questions that I ask myself every time I work on a project. In a society where
efficient deliverables and low costs are sometimes the most defining factors for a client or contractor,
it is the job of the Architect to provide these without forgetting the more qualitative natures we learn
at school. Our architecture should have integrity as well as enhancing the pleasure and experience of
the lives that inhabit them. As time continues to change how things are done, the reasons why
they are done will always remain the same.
that I was suited towards a life and career within an urban environment. At the age of 18, I went to the
University of Edinburgh to begin an Undergraduate Degree in Architectural Design. Until that point
I believed Architecture was ultimately concerned with the drafting and creation of buildings. Although that
may in part be true, at University I began to harbor a love for the more qualitative side of the profession;
not only questioning the what, where and when of architecture, but also the how and why.
In 2001, I spent six months living and working in New York City before returning to Edinburgh to
continue my education. After receiving my Masters Degree in 2004, I traveled back to New York
to begin work within the professional field, with my passion for modeling and hand-drawing
becoming infused with the development and practicalities of the computer. This sometimes conflicting
hybridization is something I feel every architect encounters. It may be quicker to draw and then replicate
something a dozen or more times, but by not drawing each thing specifically within its context, then do
we begin to remove ourselves from truly understanding the implications of our actions? Alternatively,
does it waste valuable time that could be focused elsewhere? Do we no longer imbue a sense of meaning
into things by not drawing them individually and at a multitude of scales? Or can we better test our
concepts and hypotheses by having the whole and the detail within the same drawing?
These are some of the questions that I ask myself every time I work on a project. In a society where
efficient deliverables and low costs are sometimes the most defining factors for a client or contractor,
it is the job of the Architect to provide these without forgetting the more qualitative natures we learn
at school. Our architecture should have integrity as well as enhancing the pleasure and experience of
the lives that inhabit them. As time continues to change how things are done, the reasons why
they are done will always remain the same.
