I believe in buildings. I believe they can change lives, and that they will make a human future possible in light of the serious challenges we face. I believe they are one of the essential conditions of civilization, like agriculture, politics and medicine. I also believe there is much work to be done if we are going to raise the caliber of the built environment for all people. To make good buildings and good cities truly affordable, we need to re-think building production from the ground up.
I recently graduated from the University of Texas School of Architecture, where it was my purpose to incorporate my knowledge of building construction into the proper education of an architect, with the hope the combination of these two skillsets might have a synergistic effect. While attending UTSoA I also took classes in the McCombs School of Business to better understand the finance of buildings and the mindset of developers. I believe only when we can integrate all three: aesthetics, cost, and construction logistics, can we truly get the results we want and which the world needs.
While my interest in buildings types is not confined a particular type (e.g. commercial, residential, civic, etc.), I do appreciate simple, vernacular structures* that are unencumbered by the overbearing intent of the designer. I prefer instead what I call an "invisible" touch that leaves no trace of artifice, no hint of willfulness. In this way, the result (ideally) feels reposed, effortless, and inevitable. I explain this in more detail here. You can also see what this looks like in the design of the 5x5 House, which exemplifies this philosophy. It is pictured above; see more here.
— AHR
Austin, TX
April 2021
I recently graduated from the University of Texas School of Architecture, where it was my purpose to incorporate my knowledge of building construction into the proper education of an architect, with the hope the combination of these two skillsets might have a synergistic effect. While attending UTSoA I also took classes in the McCombs School of Business to better understand the finance of buildings and the mindset of developers. I believe only when we can integrate all three: aesthetics, cost, and construction logistics, can we truly get the results we want and which the world needs.
While my interest in buildings types is not confined a particular type (e.g. commercial, residential, civic, etc.), I do appreciate simple, vernacular structures* that are unencumbered by the overbearing intent of the designer. I prefer instead what I call an "invisible" touch that leaves no trace of artifice, no hint of willfulness. In this way, the result (ideally) feels reposed, effortless, and inevitable. I explain this in more detail here. You can also see what this looks like in the design of the 5x5 House, which exemplifies this philosophy. It is pictured above; see more here.
— AHR
Austin, TX
April 2021
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* "Vernacular" is a term used by professional architects to refer to buildings that have not been designed by professional architects. If not used deliberately as a pejorative, it often carries those connotations. Another distinction you hear employed is Architecture with a capital 'A,' vs architecture with a lowercase 'a' ... to signify that the former is something more significant. Again, I don't have much time for this "argument." The truth is both structures are can be equally well, or equally badly, designed. They are just by shaped by different cultural forces over different lengths of time.