IN THE FIELD

I can’t lie, I find spending time on the job site during construction most rewarding. Thanks to my grandfather, hands on lessons in fine carpentry and boat building were a normal part of life so it is no wonder I’m drawn to the sound of saws running and the smell of fresh cut wood. I feel that all architects should have at least some construction experience in order to claim construction expertise. Unfortunately architectural education is getting further and further away from the concept of “learning by doing,” so I try to get my interns and colleagues out to a job site at least once a week, affectionately know by contractors and clients as “Field-Trip Fridays.” It’s a shame that many architects avoid visiting projects under construction like the plague due to a lack of confidence, or worse, a lack of interest. During our field trips, I find it most important that my team confirms the design problem, evaluates our design decision making, and grades our design solution. Field-Trip Fridays aren’t just a reward for working hard all week, or a way to avoid doing office work, all of us return to studio more knowledgeable and more inspired then before we left.