Designing a better candidate

<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There is a widely accepted history of Abraham Lincoln that goes something like this:</span><br /><br /><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1831, Abraham Lincoln failed in business.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1832, Abraham Lincoln was defeated for state legislator.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1833, Abraham Lincoln tried a new business, and failed.</span></div><div style="padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #555555;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">In 1835, Abraham Lincoln’s fiance died.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1836, Abraham Lincoln had a nervous breakdown.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1843, Abraham Lincoln ran for congress and was defeated.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1848, Lincoln ran again, and was defeated. Again.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1855, Lincoln ran for the Senate, and lost.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1856, Lincoln ran for Vice President, and lost.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In 1859, Lincoln ran again for the Senate. He was defeated.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln ran for President and became the 16th President of the United States.  </span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Can you imagine if Lincoln was running today?  I can just see the ads - Lincoln in rehab after a nervous breakdown.  Lincoln's economic policies being ripped apart because he couldn't even run a business.  His opponents would paint him as a loser who has no business running for anything.   So with that in mind, how was he able to become one of the greatest leaders in history?  As you may have suspected from the title of this post, the answer is rooted in Design.</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In nature, every thing is designed for a purpose.  It is our job as Designers and Architects to employ those things for the best possible purpose.  We do this with intent.  Most designers have a unique perspective that makes them interpret the world in a certain way.  This is the essence of our individuality and determines our path in life.  Our perspective.  </span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In politics today, it is hard to know who stands for what.  It seems the main purpose of being a politician is to raise money and spend it on marketing and PR.  The better the PR, the more likely you are to win.  That's where Lincoln went wrong.  For most of his life, he didn't have alot of money and he didn't have alot of power.  But he did have a unique perspective.  And in that sense, he was a true designer. </span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lincoln imagined the world that he wanted to live in much like Designers do.  He imagined a world where all Americans were united regardless of color or social standing.  He spoke out strongly against a government that permitted slavery and segregation. He made this position the foundation of his platform and he won the election of 1860 despite losing in practically every southern state in the Union.  After he was elected, the South was so outraged they started a war of secession.   And in those days, it probably would have been easy enough to let them go.  But as everyone knows, that just wasn't part of the design.  In his 'House Divided' speech of 1858 Lincoln stated that the plan was for all of us to be united, one way or the other.  Although Lincoln lost the Senate race that year, he did not change his plan.   Lincoln's mission was not really to be President.  His mission was to live his life in fulfillment of the way that he was designed.  He couldn't help being a leader.  If he wasn't a leader, he wouldn't have kept trying after every failure.  He wouldn't have stuck to his post when everyone else was telling him he was crazy.  Does this sound like anyone else you know?  Steve Jobs?  Frank Lloyd Wright?</span></div><div style="color: #555555; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is certain that the current Presidential election will be the most expensive in history.  Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on TV ads, billboards, robocalls and bumper stickers.  This excessive spending comes at a time when most politicians are trying to get elected by saying we need to cut excessive spending.  The irony is amazing.  What I'd like to see is a return to the days where you have two people running on the strengths of their convictions without fear of having every mistake they ever made thrown at them on a screen.  Let there be a candidate who has a vision of the world that they want to live in with the acknowledgement that there will be consequences.  Let there be a candidate who wins a vote on the strength of their character and not the flaws in their opponent.  Let's see someone with a plan- or even a <i>Design</i> for the America of the future.  I think that a candidate like that would win - eventually.</span></div>

Designing a better candidate

There is a widely accepted history of Abraham Lincoln that goes something like this: In 1831, Abraham Lincoln failed in business. In 1832, A...

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Travel: Fallingwater

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On my recent trip to the US I took the three-and-a-half hour drive from Washington, DC to rural Pennsylvania to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. It's a wonderful house and a surprisingly moving work of architecture (actually, until a recent refurbishment, it was literally moving, as the cantilever was threatening to tip into the water ... our guide told us that Wright miscalculated the amount of steel required in the concrete, and even though the engineer added more during construction, it still wasn't enough to ensure its long-term stability). Anyway, here's the classic view of the house from a short way down the river. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqI5p_rcxWk6nK0Y14WncnAdC4aDvuI3aAYTwplGkYBKlH3CdlNQ-nu621bkhJJB58C7Yt8UcDlxguPsTtUKAlBjJmH0zCGB7ElBQttaXTfKO5M6w6RPQsnWg4fB4hyphenhyphenUjQ15XlOh2YHYJ/s1600/471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We approached the house down a path from the visitor centre up the hill. The view below is one of the first we saw, as we crossed a bridge towards the home's entry. The stairs in the photo descend from the living room to the stream. The wall at lower right is the edge of a swimming pool positioned in the stream, requested by Mrs. Kaufman.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFXdG4PmJXaaOcaxcgPWT2lGjpUyyy4kouhf5A79_HrA6z4x3ICpHOOGSce9DzYA1R44kdfdYRXMvdDzKB7Y-CBzPhNGSPd8oJBUeY-OtwxiE8K2GgucfxP-rTC7khKcvhNHWwUBgCY-J/s1600/468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The photo below shows our group at the home's entrance. The tour I'd chosen took us to every room in the house, and we were also allowed to take photographs inside. You can see in this image how the home's structure reaches back into the rock face behind it for extra stability. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hrOXVSs3BDDxucFedur7B_6ioFad_2Kfthb_j09hU14CkN7iQgp_3rRRmjzpJpv2CzWtqrnjiRJL6FXP0eDlsPzuv4DGaCW2Xr5tTV8vDRu2y-TuCEGpH4zVh9GxJmqoomKD8sEThDob/s1600/432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the kitchen, used not by the Kaufmanns, but by their cook, who accompanied them on the family's visits to the house. It's a pretty simple affair, with great views towards the stream and also across the main terrace off the living area. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSj-416WZqzLhxZhyphenhyphenl9WtiFV-KArKPIzY1zn2vI9Q3P4qkdXflcpf-RHXqZ1mX00-ggdfqmnuitP6nEpnCKzipd0YXU6T_TIeUJb38xvCj2pHzwQnXTB7rYyrfOfid6arYpmJSRmN-iYIS/s1600/433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The living area had to be dismantled for the home's recent refurbishment, when extra reinforcement was added to the floor to stabilise the cantilever, but now it looks much as it did when the Kaufmanns occupied the house, with a stone floor, built-in furniture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and a low ceiling that enhances the sense of drama and spaciousness when you walk out onto the terrace. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCNpJMNOKfMsPPzRiHlzzTInxOQBPAwzFAfhM2UQaQh1qWK409yk-uUfyAj-tqLvidqigCcFqU1qXFZRu0iTiyhGUL1cdbmDMh2jKNdcw3_0U2OJGitLo3JXAwSULbYFp0wUdat7S7ZvS/s1600/442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This view of the living area and the fireplace shows the way Frank Lloyd Wright accommodated natural rock formations in the design of the house. The red vessel is a large kettle that swings into position over the fireplace and was used to heat water or mulled wine. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnR_SwNQVHipccUTJ0Nlqh_d19bCImjMT5VRk6p84h7q9pVKiUEiZL_uXmaHrX2-9UlIW1FZN4haCvDPkKZFyW_ialT_QMDp9TvKe7nAOZDUfiqjPGwylR2U8zArPAgFVPk_uEwbPzjE-/s1600/445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The image below shows the dining area, still part of the large living space. The door at left leads to the kitchen. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf7FG3ZIGDBRVUVzY49A3IicWIfqNLkK3ryL18scxZfERaLMTFHGCBQPzpBjSPJ_EGw0w2P5Z8V3x71E0nbZ6mOspMFgibl7EwV-ZYsfHkLhGPWZVpOCAWfGVC7K9Ule55thiMM01l9HD/s1600/444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This view is from the terrace off the living room, looking back at the dramatic interplay of the strong vertical chimney and the horizontal lines of the terraces. What you don't get in this image is the noise of the water rushing down the falls below, a constant reminder of the way the home hovers over the stream. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJBnxrUt72gdnn4SvevlpnW8qdKWIvqgtmzhOnr5MMu9jyWZjlJTSzEtGiu3Ki0r_8R66BnyVdyTw4YYy0O_SrJJhyNpH1vuJw3n4MmJPPWHsXA-x1ak-qiq0MkMRDHHuZNf-YI-Qd5_z/s1600/448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And this view is off the stairway leading up from the middle terrace to Edgar Kaufmann Jr's 'apartment' at the top of the house. Edgar Kaufmann Jr had studied under Wright at Taliesin and was instrumental in persuading his parents to hire Wright to design their weekend home. He also gifted the house to the Pennsylvania Conservancy, the reason Fallingwater is now open to the public today. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5AGENszlZRY_6cGz3QhSxgcEnWGL9khhMuiG8X7p_foYAzSNWEvdEdd0KSETpH9oMpkznyDOzWMvtrf48mXyYxgH9TBPEyi3r6l4fTkj0vxJ1VpGNkeEeB2jNvyPMAMQnqdhHkIpK79L/s1600/458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There's more to come next week - I'll post more images of the main house, and also the guest house further up the hill. But if you're heading to the East Coast of the US and are keen on seeing Fallingwater, you can book your tour at the link <a href="http://www.fallingwater.info/">here</a>.</span>

Travel: Fallingwater

On my recent trip to the US I took the three-and-a-half hour drive from Washington, DC to rural Pennsylvania to visit Frank Lloyd Wright...

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What you can learn from Frank Lloyd Wright...

<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you ask most people in this country to name a famous Architect, I have found that nine out of ten people will say 'Frank Lloyd Wright'. If you probe further and ask them to name a building by this famous Architect, you might get 'Guggenheim' but more often you will get a blank stare followed by 'I'm really not sure'. I was always curious how Frank Lloyd Wright became so famous without anyone really knowing much of his work. Practically every book store has a book about him on their 'SALE' shelves, yet beyond a few notable buildings, most people are generally clueless about his work. As Designers and Architects, we aspire to be acknowledged and compensated for our work. I believe that Frank can offer us a little insight into how to do a better job of it.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">-'Well now that he's finished one building, he'll go write four books about it' - Frank Lloyd Wright talking about Le <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Corbusier</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This quote illustrates several of Wright's successful attributes. First, he detested any Architect who was gaining fame during his reign. He referred to himself as 'the World's Greatest Architect' and lashed out at anyone who suggested otherwise. Secretly, he was happy that 'the International Style' was making it's way to America and often copied the ideas of his contemporaries to make them better. Publicly, he said that he hated Architects such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mies</span> Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">der</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Rohe</span>, Le <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Corbusier</span>, and Walter Gropius, but privately, he studied their work and learned from them. In this way, he was constantly able to re-create himself professionally without anyone thinking he was a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">plagiarist</span>. You could say that Apple uses this same technique. They don't always invent the technology that they use, but they find a way to improve it and make it their own. This is a very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">FLW</span> trait.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Secondly, this quote talks about self promotion. Wright could very well be guilty of the same thing that he is accusing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Corb</span> of. During the depression, when there was no work, he decided to write an Autobiography and embellish many of the details to make it read more like a novel. Wright was a tireless self promoter, often doing TV and radio spots in addition to maintaining two studios and dozens of projects at a time. When he had no projects,he conjured up a program for apprentices to come study with 'The World's Greatest Architect' and rich kids paid <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">handsomely</span> to live and work on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">FLW's</span> farm. While the curriculum was focused on Architecture, he also had them working the fields and building his house. Genius.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">'Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves.'</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This is truly counter-cultural. During times of crises, most people would probably make sure that they have the necessities. But not Frank. When his family couldn't pay their food bills, he went out and bought a grand piano on credit. He believed that the small stuff would take care of itself. He always maintained the appearance (through his cars, clothes, and residences) that he was doing quite well, and therefore attracted the types of Clients who would pay his bills and indulge his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">eccentricities</span>. As Designers, we rely on attracting the kinds of Clients who will allow us to do our best work. To a great extent, appearances are important. So if you think you can't afford that great web site, or that extravagant ride, think again. Frank wouldn't hesitate.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">'The next one'</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">When asked what was his favorite building or his greatest project, Frank would always say 'The next one'. This almost always ensured that he would stay on the radar because everyone would always be waiting to see what was next. As George Costanza would agree, you have to always leave them wanting more. As Designers, we often focus on what we've done as a barometer of how well we're doing. Maybe it's time to re-direct that focus on what is to come as way of getting people interested in our work. Frank would often dream of 'larger than life' projects that of course, would never get built, but they did get him attention. His designs for a mile high building or the ideal city are the stuff that museum exhibitions are still made of.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">'Maybe we can show Government how to operate better as a result of better Architecture.'</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Being the ego maniac that he was, Frank never believed that anything was beyond his grasp. I have written about this before, but it was never more true than in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. He was the true Renaissance man. He enjoyed writing, music, art, architecture, cuisine, travel, culture, and he had an opinion about it all. He painted his own car Cherokee Red because at that time cars only came in black. He felt that he could do or improve upon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">anyone's</span> work and he never took no for an answer. When building the Guggenheim, he stayed at the Plaza hotel and re-designed the suite to meet his needs. Can you imagine?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">'Mr. Hotel Owner, I'm going to be staying here for a bit, so I'm going to bring in some construction crews to re-do my room while I'm here. That's OK, right?"</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">As a Designer, you have an opinion. A perspective. Use it. Madonna once wrote that most people don't get what they want because they don't say what they want. I'm not a Madonna fan, but I couldn't agree more. I think Frank would have agreed too.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">So if you are into fame and success, perhaps you should take some cues from Frank Lloyd Wright. More than 50 years after his death, people are still talking about him and celebrating his work. Remember that every day is an opportunity to slam your competition, promote yourself, and address your adoring public. Just remember to exit on a high note and keep them wanting more.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span>

What you can learn from Frank Lloyd Wright...

If you ask most people in this country to name a famous Architect, I have found that nine out of ten people will say 'Frank Lloyd Wright...

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