Thinking Like An Architect

      Peyton Manning on fourth quarter comebacks: "You hear about how many fourth quarter comebacks that a guy has and I think it means a guy screwed up in the first three quarters."

      Football and Architecture do not have too much in common. You may be wondering why I am trying to draw connections between the two, and why I would choose such a clumsy quotation to draw said connections with. Let me explain. Peyton Manning is no wordsmith by any stretch of the imagination, but he raises a valid point. Fourth quarter comebacks are exciting, but they suggest by their very nature that somewhere along the way, somebody did not do their job. It's great to be able to get yourself out of a pinch, but it's better to avoid getting yourself in one all together.

      The same can be said for architects and their work. Architects create things, and it is our hope that these things we create do not create problems. These problems can manifest themselves in a number of ways, from the mildly obnoxious to the massively problematic. Afternoon glare, okay, but a leaking ceiling? Nope. Thinking like an architect means that you know how to deal with these problems, and you deal with them by making sure they never happen. A good architect is like a master chess player. (I really like that, should've gone with that instead of Peyton Manning). As a chess player contemplates a move, they are thinking several turns on down the line.

      The same can be said for design. The architect must think of all the ramifications of their design choices. Good architects are aware of more than just the immediately visible effects that their choices may have. They should know trouble before it arises, and they sure as hell don't want anything to do with fourth quarter comebacks.