I've been married to an architect for a long time. When we were in the years of raising young children, we divided up the work so that he did the lion's share of business outside the home and I did the lion's share of child-rearing. That was our arrangement and sometimes it seemed like our "worlds" were miles apart, so distant from each other that we had little in common as far as our work goes.
I've discovered if I remain open, concepts continue to evolve and things are not always as I once thought they were. Architecture and education (whether in the home or in the classroom) are not so different after all. Buildings are beings and in that way, they are like children and architecture like child education. These are some of the likenesses I have found.
Both buildings and children have fixed aspects that you have to work with and things you can change, that are more flexible. It takes a village to raise them, maintain them and if needed, change or renovate them. They are prone to influences from the outside as well as from the inside. The strength of the inside dictates to what extent outside influences will impact them.
It's always best to start with a good foundation and work up from there. A good, solid foundation will allow a building and a human being to live long and live healthy, reinventing itself as it goes along.
Since we're been renovating the building at 257 Lafayette, my interest in architecture has been piqued and I'm intrigued by the process, even though the building's quirks and especially its individual timetable have made me lose sleep at times. Although eager to see the end result, I have to temper my enthusiasm with letting go and not to force things to go my way but step back and let them go the way they will go, with the support of many trusted helpers who have the building's best interest at heart. Does this sound familiar to any of you parents?
Before my husband and I move our businesses into the same building, I'm glad to discover that our "worlds" are not so far away after all.
