Style - Do I have any? | Life of an Architect

“Style” is one of those words that can be used in many instances but typically has a very particular meaning to an architect. Just about everything we do is associated with some sort of style. I frequently hear people ask me if I can design a traditional style house or do I just design modern style houses … the answer is both, but that’s not the point of today’s post.

A person can have a sense of style.

A building can be designed in a particular style.

A painting can be created in a particular style.

To me, I think style is more about the personality of the individual and that each person’s “style” will come through in everything they do regardless of how it manifests itself. For example, I have a particular writing style on this site – and it just showed up once I started writing these blog posts. I didn’t look at a book or look at what other people were doing, I just started typing and my “style” just came out.

One of the greatest compliments I receive on a fairly regular basis from people when they meet me, it that they’ll tell me that I am exactly like they imagined after they’ve read this site. I mentioned more times than I can recall that when I started writing Life of an Architect that I was not going to pretend to be something other than what I am – I’m not clever enough to keep that charade up for any length of time. Of course, that means is that you get the good with the bad. The good is probably represented in didactic posts where I explain pier and beam foundation systems. The bad – and there are so many to choose from – might best be represented by one of my many, many posts on toilets [Men and Urinals – Time for One of Them to Change].

However, if I get to play a role in defining my own style, it would be that I try to infuse my personality into everything I do. Since I like to think I have a good sense of humor, it typically manifests itself time to time in articles that I write for no other purpose than to amuse myself. These articles typically have almost nothing to do with architecture and most people who get paid to have an opinion on the matter, would tell me that I shouldn’t have those sorts of posts on my site.

Well, I don’t listen to those people … they cramp my style.

Here is a perfect example – it could be considered wildly inappropriate by some but I have no problem with having my name associated with this post. I’ll let you decide if it should fall in the good or bad category … the premise is simple enough – it involves some sexy time between two people of consenting age.

Today is Valentine’s Day so that can only mean one thing … [cue sexy music]

It’s “business” time.

Architects don’t seem to get out all that often – and when they do it seems they are surrounded by other architects and other people within the “biz.” As a precaution, I thought I would point out that when it’s business time, there are few things to consider … specifically that mixing personality types and skill sets can yield some interesting – and possibly unintentional – results. After consulting with world renown molecular biologists (no, I didn’t) and spending weeks cross evaluating current DNA models (I didn’t do this either), I have concluded with 99.98% accuracy (I made that number up) that the following combinations will produce the most logical – and ideal – results when two members of separate yet related industries get together.

WARNING: This guide is to be used only by individuals 18 years old or older.

What happens when an Architect and an Architect get together? They would clearly make another architect.

What about an Architect and an Interior Designer? You guessed it – a Graphic Designer.

An Architect and a Doctor would obviously have a Plastic Surgeon.

Not going to say that it couldn’t happen but …

See a pattern forming here?

I hope that by getting this guide published on Valentine’s Day, everyone will be just a tad bit more prepared knowing that their actions might result in another architect, interior designer or (Lord help us) an engineer.

… unless they’re German Engineers.

Cheers, and happy “architect-making”

So if you’ve met me, this article would not come as a surprise to you because I am just as likely to talk about a leprechaun as I am baby-making (the outcome, not the process) or pier and beam foundations. This is what you get with me and I would posit that I couldn’t help being myself even if I tried. Today’s post is inherently me and as a result, it is infused with me-ness … which isn’t a word, which makes it have even more me. The word that most people would use instead is “style.”

This is the 23rdth entry into a series titled “ArchiTalks” and the topic was a single word – “Style”

When I started #ArchiTalks, I wanted people to discover that architects have different experiences, backgrounds, and objectives. Despite architects all getting lumped together with a handful of broad stereotypes, we are all onions … we have many layers and not all of them smell good.

If you would like to see how other architects from around the globe responded to today’s topic of “Style” just follow the links below.

Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect (@LeeCalisti)
style…final words

Lora Teagarden – L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
The AREsketches Style

brady ernst – Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA)
What Style Do You Build In?

Brian Paletz – The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz)
You do you

Michael LaValley – Evolving Architect (@archivalley)
Defining an Architect’s Style

Michele Grace Hottel – Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
“style”

Jarod Hall – di’velept (@divelept)
What’s Your Style?

Greg Croft – Sage Leaf Group (@croft_gregory)
Architectural Style

Jeffrey Pelletier – Board & Vellum (@boardandvellum)
Should You Pick Your Architect Based on Style or Service?

Samantha R. Markham – The Aspiring Architect (@TheAspiringArch)
5 Styles of an Aspiring Architect

Kyu Young Kim – J&K Architects Atelier (@sokokyu)
Loaded With Style