Time is valuable; why AIA?
The importance of community cannot be understated for the balance of the human mind. Our lives are increasingly complex and isolated. When I made the decision to start my own firm, I understood the risk I was taking, psychologically as well as financially. Spending time amongst other motivated practitioners has been my bulwark against the isolation that I knew would be inevitable if I took no action. The AIA brings us together to discuss issues that plague our profession and the state of Utah, and gets me out of the home office to be amongst other architects. I have enjoyed learning from all of you, and I look forward to our next event together.
Favorite Utah space, built or natural:
When I was in my 20s, I felt an intense wanderlust that carried me far away. I lived abroad for a time, then in Los Angeles. In the end, the Rocky Mountains called me home. I am grateful I had the opportunity to live amongst so many people from disparate places in the world, and I am forever grateful to be able to call Utah home. My wife and I take many opportunities throughout the year to escape the city to go to places where the only sounds are birdsong and the wind in the trees. Nowhere else have I been as close to nature as we are here. I cherish our magnificent backdrop every day. It’s a special place, with a farcical name. The Rocky Mountains are rocky, you don’t say?
Honorary mention for Abravanel Hall. In spite of its trick staircase and inadequate bathroom facilities, I spend as much time there as I can. If you have been to Abravanel and have not stumbled on those stairs, then you must possess a supernatural agility that is beyond most of us mere humans.
Favorite book:
“Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. I’m sure I read it 20 times or more growing up. As I matured, I explored the rest of the series, which requires more intellectual acumen the longer you read. It grew with me, or I with it, as years rolled by. Later entries took a second try in my later teens before I was able to appreciate them. I carried some of the ideas in those books for many years before a more nuanced understanding supplanted them.
Mantra:
Progress is built over months and years, but may not be visible from day to day.
