I advise doing your best work every day with people that you love to work with. of people who could put it in context and into a device that printed it out. I remember we had one of the first CAD machines that could make a drawing and send it to a printer. This printer was using ink pens and it would start down in this corner and you could just watch this pen, start drawing the floorplan, and then it would stop working here and it would go up here and draw. I would ask the Computer Smart Guy, “How come it didn’t finish what’s down here?” He didn’t know. But it was interesting, to say the least, to see the early application of computers and how I interfaced with it. I think if I had any success in that transition, it was having trusted individuals I could give a sketch to and they could configure it and ask questions. The rapport between me and a CAD drafter was as important to the development of a project as the communication between me and a client. Were there any disappointments along the way? Other than a contract dispute I had on my last project, I don’t think I had disappointments that were lingering at all. I just enjoyed practicing architecture to a great extent. Maybe one of the things that defined my approach to life is my first wife dying of cancer. She was a wonderful person. That was a huge disappointment to me, to have the love of my life pass away. That experience taught me that you have problems and you have to increase your ability to deal with them. That was a pretty tough nut to swallow. I’ve run nine marathons in St. George. I happened to be running next to a guy from Hawaii, and I was feeling it and he was feeling it. He said, “You know, when I get to these points in a marathon I think, ‘What is the worst thing that I have had to deal with in my life?’ and compare it to what we’re experiencing at this juncture. This doesn’t seem to be as much of a deal as it might otherwise.” I always remember that and think of the passing of my wife. Running the marathons wasn’t that tough. I think my mentality was tempered to a degree by disappointments outside of the practice of architecture. What advice do you have for people launching their careers in architecture? Aligning yourself with clients who have integrity, partners who have integrity and people in the office who have integrity. I advise doing your best work every day with people that you love to work with. Because if you go to work every day and you don’t love the people that you’re working with, it’s more difficult. And I think love is an appropriate term. This is not romantic love, obviously, but it’s the joy that one feels when one’s effort is appreciated by the people you work with, and by your family and your clients. If you’re not finding that type of fulfillment where you’re at, you ought to cast elsewhere to determine if the problem is yours or somebody else’s. To view the full interview, scan the QR code. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vO_L_HrpeY0 15
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