Notebook » WHAT IS YOUR CORE BUSINESS?
I am sometimes asked ʻWhat is your core business?ʼʼ and I mumble a response something like, “we design beautiful sustainable buildings which are exquisitely tailored to people’s needs”. That is a fair statement but one which youʼd hear from just about any architect living on earth today.
“Designing beautiful sustainable buildings” is a great general statement but what does it mean?
I think it means, and every architect will and should have their own meaning, having a knowledge of The State of Hum. Over recent years there has been an avalanche of information about sustainability of buildings from an energy saving perspective. This is well and good and should be encouraged in what ever way possible. As well as this very technical aspect of sustainability I think sustainability of the mind is also important, something I call The State of Hum.
Hum is a state of mind where you are at ease with yourself, you are interested and curious about the world around you and you conduct your activities effortlessly without fear and worry. Hum seeks out qualities of delight and inspiration. It seeks to balance ‘the technique of sustainability with the art of sustainability. The technique of sustainability is visible performance able to be measured, documented, annotated and monitored. The really interesting art of sustainability is an invisible, non measurable quality but yet we sense it immediately when it is present.
Hum freely exists. Some places have Hum. Many do not.
Make sure you and your architect allow Hum in at every opportunity.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:15 am
Hmmmm… let me think about that one?
July 21st, 2010 at 9:18 pm
What a hummer of a statement.
August 22nd, 2013 at 5:04 am
Congratulations on your winning design for a Canterbury house.
August 22nd, 2013 at 5:55 am
Thanks for that Ritchie, it’s been very exciting so far.
Cheers
Richard