Six degrees (or less) of architectural separation

Posted: 2012 01 24 In: staff musings

One thing I enjoy about architecture is how it is interconnected to so much of our surroundings and our lives. Architecture, the good, the bad and the ugly, is everywhere.  In working on projects, I enjoy that as an architect I get to learn a little (and sometimes a lot) about a wider variety of people, jobs, places, etc. I take even greater joy when this learning coincidentally crosses over with friends and family members.

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CHARITY

Posted: 2012 01 23 In: staff musings

CHARITY – According to the dictionary – it is ‘generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless…or a benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need’….something that feeds into our culture at SOA…

We have three major efforts each year to help those that are less fortunate than us.

The first is Canstruction®.  It is sponsored by the Society for Design Administration and is a community service project for the A/E/C industry.  Each group designs and builds something primarily out of canned food….this year the theme is ‘Playing with Food’ and the event build is the first weekend in March.  At the end of the event, all the food is donated to the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. 

The second is the Heart of Missouri United Way – we are very proud to be one of only 30 ‘Pacesetter’ Companies.  So why does our staff want to be charitable to the United Way – because they encompass many different areas of impact – education, income, health, and safety net – partnering with many different agencies including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Job Point, Meals on Wheels, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army to name but a few.  By giving to the United Way, we feel we are helping stretch our dollars as far as possible to have the largest impact.  The United Way’s goal is ‘to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of problems in our community’.  Their campaign slogan this year is to ‘LIVE UNITED’.  They support 31 local agencies and 67 Community Programs.  In addition to their regular monthly contribution, several staff members have chosen to designate a portion of their pledge to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – this program helps to ensure that all pre-K children in the area have access to books to better prepare them for school.  If you would like more information on the United Way, please visit their website http://www.uwheartmo.org/

The third big effort that we support is the Voluntary Action Center (VAC) Christmas Family program.  Each year we sponsor a family in need.  This past year, we had a family of 6 and we knew that we would need to shop smart in order to stretch our dollars…however, by having some of our staff brave the Black Friday sales, we were able to provide all of the family’s ‘needs’ as well as several of their wants…we hope they were able to have a wonderful holiday and are thankful that we could help a family in need.

In addition to these bigger efforts, many of our staffers at SOA also contribute their time or talent to many very worthy organizations in their communities and/or children’s schools….we have a pretty active bunch!

So I will leave you with the same quote as last time from Benjamin Franklin…“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.” 

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Empathy as an Architect…

Posted: 2012 01 09 In: staff musings

Ever since the separation of the roles of architect and builder there has been a bit of a rift between them.  Too often there is the accusation from the builder that the architect does not know how something is really built and the architect gets frustrated because the builder doesn’t understand the drawings.  It is common because neither the builder nor the architect is ever required to practice the other’s trade. 

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