The occupational hazard

One of the hardest things to accept is that, as an architecture student, you learn to look at places differently. Eventually, you won’t be able to look at them the same way everyone else does anymore.

And so it begins: you are finally experiencing the architect’s occupational hazard.

It is no longer about looking at how ‘pretty’ the building looks, or how ‘elaborate’ the tile work is, these facts are perhaps a given in an architect’s mind. Now it is about looking at the reason why people would call it pretty and elaborate. Sometimes it is even about looking at what it would be if the building didn’t look like that or if the tile work was not done in such a way at all.

Confusing? Yes, it is a hard concept to grasp and not even I am close to mastering it, but let me put it in a simple way- 

When we visit a new place everyone likes to take at least a few pictures. They are a way to record our memories, capture our experiences, and are solid evidence that we were once there.

But this is where the architect tumbles into the occupational hazard: no more tourist poses, no more panorama pictures -it’s time for you to capture ‘moments’.  

And so instead of taking the picture of the beautiful fountain and the surrounding gardens, you end up doing things like this:

It’s okay. (We all do it shamelessly.)

People are going to be utterly confused because, as a designer, shouldn’t you be taking pictures of the whole building?

If you are a true architect (or you are at least in the path to become one) you will understand why it is more significant to end up with pictures like these:

 

Perdón mis amigos arquitectos, but this is the way it’s going to be from now on.

It’s not that bad actually. Between us, it feeds a little bit of your ego to know that you are able to see moments that other mortal non-designers cannot.

I guess it balances out.

~MelanieMuñoz