I Want To Take You Higher

It's a new year, so reflective compositions are rife. Well, I guess I have to admit that I have one of my own. My latest newsletter is now up on the web at http://goo.gl/wy6CM.

Working for or with colleges and universities, as I often do, has its own set of idiosyncrasies and challenges. They're mostly curious and fun. But, as my father-in-law used to say, they are "different".

Check it out. Happy New Year!

McGill Class of ...

I recently returned from a stimulating visit north of the border. The first destination was Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where I was excited to see a sea change in Canadian politics with the drubbing of the entrenched Conservative part by the resurgent Liberal party. Regardless of your party preferences, there was no denying the drama of the massive redirection of voter sentiment.

But that was not the ultimate purpose of the trip. I was there to pick up a classmate, so we could drive to Montreal together for our McGill University Architecture School reunion.

Our class was small - just 30 people; but, oh, what a group! One of the activities was a show & tell by each attendee of our career paths, with requested visuals on a few A2-sized panels (only in Canada!). I felt totally outdone by the accomplishments of my mates.  Let me offer examples of what some have done:

• Moved into construction management, to eventually oversee construction activities in the US embassy in Ottawa and Canadian embassies in Tajikistan and Kyrgystan.
• Lived for 7 years near the Arctic Circle, later moving to Ottawa to become a sought-after paint and digital artist and a designer of transportation artwork installations.
• Lead planning efforts in India, seeking ways to improve the minimal housing of millions of people in Calcutta and Delhi.
• Joined the World Bank organization to lead efforts to fund and build subsistence housing for impoverished peoples of central Africa.
• Founded a company to design and deliver software to manage infrastructure for governments around the globe, and moved to advising urban planning in Saudia Arabia.
• Designed and built (yes - both!) a 21 story office building in Hong Kong, while refusing to succumb to the common practices of financial scullduggery.
• Lead one of the largest Architectural firms in Canada, only to eventually be bought out by an even larger international AE firm.
• Migrated to lighting design, now with a company selling across North America.
• Became an Anglican priest and once Dean of the Cathedral in Montreal.
• Became a professional photographer, and casting director and location scout for major movies.
• Moved to business and real estate development with large inner city projects, some approaching $1B in total value.

This comes on the heels of two classmates being featured on PBS's Cool Spaces. I must admit, I felt totally outclassed. But, I'll accept that regret for the absolute joy of being part of a very elite group.

McGill, I hope we have done you proud.

Millennials at Work

Yesterday's Diane Rehm Show had a fascinating topic: Millennials In Today's Workforce. Find a link at http://goo.gl/qxot1x. The discussion of the merits and demerits of this dominate group in business was fascinating. Their self-perceptions and the impressions they impart on others are further explored in another website at http://goo.gl/2RVmKE.

I will admit that this is not my personal age group. You'll have to try and figure out what that may be for yourself. But I do know about the challenges I have had in using and accommodating these people.

Their parents deserve some credit (and blame) for making them both smart and demanding. Now we, as employers, have the opportunity to use those "smarts", while figuring out how to cope with the "demands". It's a little bit like being parents again - This time with someone else's children.

I will admit that I have found the sense of entitlement somewhat irritating. At the same time, I find stimulation in the willingness to adopt technology. I wish I were a better thumb typist.

What will the workplace be like twenty to thirty years from now, as the Millennials have to deal with with their offspring? It'll be fun to watch.

Is It Finally Over?

The recession, that is.

My wife said "Let's go see the windows." To a New Yorker, this means looking at the creative store displays at Barneys, Saks, Macy's, and others. "Sure", I said.

OK, I have to admit there was some real artistry in a few of the locations. But another display left an equally strong impression: the enormous crowds. The seas were nearly impossible to part at times. What were all these people doing?

Even though the jostling was intense, spirits seemed light (at least by New York standards). Our visit was after Christmas. But, shopping was still going on; and people seemed please to be out and about.  Not so much, I would guess, if you were agoraphobic, perhaps.

While I may admit to some phobias, that's not one.

I had a sense, though, that sometime last year we may have turned some sort of corner in our economy. Fighting your way through pedestrian traffic may not be the best way to describe or sense this, but why not. It's as real as any economist's mumbo-jumbo to me.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this in our livelihoods? Maybe with just a little less elbowing.

Cool Classmates!

For the last month or so, PBS stations have been broadcasting a new show which examines noteworthy new architecture. You may not always agree with host Stephen Chung's appraisals (I sure don't), but the analysis is intelligent and very well considered. Check it out.

But also, check this out. In just four weeks, two of the featured architects are college classmates. Isaac Franco of Safdie Associates and Paul Zajfen of CO Architects were with me back then - in what was a very small group. We graduated only 30 souls, and not all of us went into architecture. Heck - one went straight to seminary to become an Anglican priest.  My guess is that the show now has selected about 10% of those who became traditional design architects for praise.

I'm jealous perhaps. But, more to the point - I'm proud. Isaac & Paul, you have reaffirmed that we were a special group. As if I didn't know already.

On the Waterfront

If you read my blog posting about Visceral Connections back in January, you know that I am affected by my environment. I also tried to justify how this relates to a refined notion of what constitutes a valuable and legitimate "sense of place".

It's happening again.

This weekend, my wife and I are staying with friends in Cohoes, New York. Now, sitting on their second floor deck barely 30 feet from the banks of the Hudson River, I'm at peace. Calm waters, chirping birds, swimming turtles, gentle nearby wind chimes, walking dogs, and other sights and sounds of nature flood my senses. Alone on the deck, I am sipping a wonderful wine, and enjoying the moment. It was just too good to keep to myself.

If you're lucky (as I am today), you will have similar moments. If you're especially lucky, and maybe a little skilled, you might figure out how to make this possible for others. You'll have my eternal admiration if you can.

The world seems like a better place right at the moment.  Thank you Ellice and Fred.