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The Proust Questionnaire: You

abracadabra

Since Archinect's highly popular The Proust Questionnaire is giving an agency to otherwise highly criticized stardom in architecture (we all know they all lie and don't really read poetry) I've decided to extend  this opportunity to highly colorful Archinect readers in order to preserve famous Archinect democracy and rascaldom. Please copy paste and response, reflecting your true colors. Who's gonna bite the poison pill first?

Who is your favorite living architect?


Who is your favorite dead architect?


How would you describe the personality of your practice?


What is your practice's main weakness?


What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?


What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?


What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?


What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?


What is your favorite type of project to work on?


What does architectural happiness mean?


What does architectural misery mean?


Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?


What is your favorite color?


What is your favorite flower?


What is your favorite bird?


Who is your favorite poet?


Who is your favorite artist?


When do you lie?


What power would to most like to have?


What architectural strategies do you most overuse?


How would you like to die?


 
Aug 1, 17 12:57 pm
x-jla

Who is your favorite living architect?

Ando

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Kahn

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Hopeless romantic

What is your practice's main weakness?

networking and connections to rich people

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

sense of adventure

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

boredom

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

sense of humor and passion

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

ego

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

A small garden with a fountain

What does architectural happiness mean?

Designing something that becomes integral to someone's life in a meaningful way

What does architectural misery mean?

parking lots

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

Southern Italy 

What is your favorite color?

Green

What is your favorite flower?

Hard one...The Night blooming cerus Peniocereus greggii is pretty amazing.

What is your favorite bird?

owls

Who is your favorite poet?

Henry David Thoreau

Who is your favorite artist?

Jackson Pollock

When do you lie?

When its better than telling the truth.

What power would to most like to have?

teleportation

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Mass

How would you like to die?

Id like to keel face down into a chocolate cake at my 200th birthday celebration

Aug 1, 17 2:50 pm  · 
 · 
randomised

Who is your favorite living architect?

Rem Koolhaas

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Currently Huig Maaskant

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Informal

What is your practice's main weakness?

Lack of commissions 

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Character/personality

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Compromise

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Vision

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Lack of vision

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

The next one

What does architectural happiness mean?

Getting things done properly

What does architectural misery mean?

Not getting things done properly

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

On my own piece of land (which I don't own yet)

What is your favorite color?

Currently the colour of my sons poopy diapers, so mustard yellow

What is your favorite flower?

I hate flowers and prefer cacti

What is your favorite bird?

Blackbirds because their songs make me wake me up in the morning with a smile

Who is your favorite poet?

Georges Perec

Who is your favorite artist?

dead: Constant

living: currently Ryoji Ikeda

When do you lie?

All the time but mostly to myself

What power would to most like to have?

The power to change what needs changing but can't be changed

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Making diagrams

How would you like to die?

I would not like to die at all

Aug 1, 17 2:59 pm  · 
 · 
z6jbishop

Who is your favorite living architect?

Larry Speck - http://larryspeck.com/

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Antoni Gaudi

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Technically sound.

What is your practice's main weakness?

We don't do design.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Ornament - the old school way. Little details in generally straightforward buildings that give it beauty.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Minimalism done wrong. 

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Understanding detailing and materials.

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Glossing over the details and making things less buildable for the sake of being right.

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Old churches.

What does architectural happiness mean?

Indescribable feeling you get when you feel welcomed in and outside of a well designed building. 

What does architectural misery mean?

Watching a builder make mistakes because they weren't looking at the drawings.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

Alaska

What is your favorite color?

Burnt Orange

What is your favorite flower?

vibrant purple nootka, or Alaskan lupine

What is your favorite bird?

Raven

Who is your favorite poet?

Nietzsche

Who is your favorite artist?

Michelangelo

When do you lie?

When it saves me from hurting someones feelings too bad.

What power would to most like to have?

To be able to see into the past. 

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Belt and suspenders. 

How would you like to die?

Of old age, in sleep.

Aug 1, 17 3:18 pm  · 
 · 
archanonymous

Was Neitzsche really a poet?

May 15, 18 12:23 am  · 
 · 
Wilma Buttfit

Who is your favorite living architect? Olaf, if he is still alive. 

Who is your favorite dead architect? I do not have a favorite architect. 

How would you describe the personality of your practice? creative visionary

What is your practice's main weakness? production

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building? relevance

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building? I got two: when it is not designed with the site in mind (plop downs) or when it looks like the materials are slapped on like wallpaper. Also: wastefullness.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect? Don't take themselves too seriously. Good sense of humor.

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect? Narcissism, perfection

What is your favorite type of project to work on? Interiors and renovations. Projects with existing conditions to consider.

What does architectural happiness mean? working through a tough multi-dimensional problem and arriving at a meaningful and beautiful solution

What does architectural misery mean? eventually you have to stop drawing and let them build it

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)? The middle of nowhere. I'm eyeing western Nebraska

What is your favorite color? indigo and pink

What is your favorite flower? sunflowers

What is your favorite bird? eagle

Who is your favorite poet? Jim Morrison

Who is your favorite artist? The one whose work I'm currently engaging with at any given time. 

When do you lie? It's rare. On the internet if I do.

What power would you most like to have? omnipotence

What architectural strategies do you most overuse? hand sketching

How would you like to die? happy, fulfilled, and without regret

Aug 1, 17 4:53 pm  · 
 · 
Wilma Buttfit

I'm changing my fav poet to Pablo Neruda. I can do that, right? Revised.

Aug 4, 17 9:03 am  · 
 · 
Wilma Buttfit

And Rumi. I forgot for a sec but I read Rumi translations every week.

Aug 4, 17 9:32 am  · 
 · 
JLC-1

Who is your favorite living architect?

Me, of course.

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Others.

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Agreeable

What is your practice's main weakness?

Not enough billionaires in the world.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Honesty

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Pomposity

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Selflessness

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Egotism

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Clean slate

What does architectural happiness mean?

A building with no operational issues

What does architectural misery mean?

The opposite of above, a roof leak, a broken concrete slab, a sinkhole

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

In Yucatan, close to Tulum

What is your favorite color?

Blue

What is your favorite flower?

Columbine

What is your favorite bird?

Hummingbird

Who is your favorite poet?

Rimbaud

Who is your favorite artist?

Haring

When do you lie?

sometimes

What power would to most like to have?

see the future

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Frontal attack?

How would you like to die?

Old.

Aug 1, 17 6:17 pm  · 
 · 
mightyaa

Who is your favorite living architect? Daniel Libeskind

Who is your favorite dead architect? Gian Lorenzo Bernini

How would you describe the personality of your practice? Schizophrenic creative

What is your practice's main weakness? Schizophrenic creative

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building? An ability to illicit an emotional response

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building? Ignoring place and surroundings

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect? Thoughtful lines

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect? Allowing the tools of our trade to become the focus rather than the built building; That mindset that the drawings/renderings are our final ‘product’. 

What is your favorite type of project to work on? One where the client allows me to the job where I get to think rather than just wanting a draftsperson who can wrap a box they envisioned it should be and put a ribbon on it.

What does architectural happiness mean? Emotionally and intellectually rewarding teams and projects.

What does architectural misery mean? Blameshifting confrontational teams.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)? Space where physics & orientation are less suggestive

What is your favorite color? Blue… no… red …..  ahhhhhhh

What is your favorite flower? Night blooming cereus

What is your favorite bird? It’s a simple question of weight ratios; African swallow… not European unless there is a pair…

Who is your favorite poet? Jack Handey’s deep thoughts

Who is your favorite artist? Depends on the mood.

When do you lie? On surveys

What power would to most like to have? Absolute financial power

What architectural strategies do you most overuse? Shattering the enthusiasm and hopeful ideologies and dreams of interns using the undeniable blunt trauma force of undeniable physics, budgets, and code constraints.  

How would you like to die?  Quickly, rich and happy.

Aug 1, 17 7:19 pm  · 
 · 

Who is your favorite living architect?

I can only pick one?

Who is your favorite dead architect?

My father, of course. 

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

No bullshit.

What is your practice's main weakness?

Clients.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Attention to detail at every level.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Commoditization.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Experience.

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Deceit.

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

I'm happy when I'm making things, it doesn't matter what.

What does architectural happiness mean?

The joy of the process.

What does architectural misery mean?

Does not exist for me as I won't allow it. Been there, done that, never again.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

A very steep site.

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

What is your favorite flower?

Alpine wildflowers.

What is your favorite bird?

Chickadee.

Who is your favorite poet?

Pink Floyd.

Who is your favorite artist?

Banksy, Wim Delvoye, Claes Oldenburg, Franz Hals, Vermeer ... this could be a long list.

When do you lie?

Never. Except to myself.

What power would to most like to have?

I never learned to play a musical instrument.

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

If one is not working I move on to another. 

How would you like to die?

By choice.

Aug 1, 17 11:58 pm  · 
 · 
A.I.

Who is your favorite living architect?

Jean Nouvel

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Mies van der Rohe

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Autocratic

What is your practice's main weakness?

Management

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Appropriate use of materials.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Materials faked to look like something they're not.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Effective hand sketches.

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Abuse of technology. 

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Cultural Projects - Public

What does architectural happiness mean?

Financial Freedom

What does architectural misery mean?

Being bullied by idiotic clients.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

Mountainous terrain.

What is your favorite color?

Blue

What is your favorite flower?

Tulip

What is your favorite bird?

Red-tailed Hawk.

Who is your favorite poet?

I wish I was more in to poetry - none.

Who is your favorite artist?

M. C. Escher

When do you lie?

When telling the truth would cause unnecessary harm.

What power would to most like to have?

Telekinesis

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Asymmetry 

How would you like to die?

Fulfilled

Aug 3, 17 1:34 am  · 
 · 
∑ π ∓ √ ∞

Who is your favorite living architect?

Who is your favorite dead architect?

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

What is your practice's main weakness?

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

What does architectural happiness mean?

What does architectural misery mean?

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

What is your favorite color?

What is your favorite flower?

What is your favorite bird?

Who is your favorite poet?

Who is your favorite artist?

When do you lie?

What power would to most like to have?

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

How would you like to die?

Aug 3, 17 9:18 am  · 
 · 

is that a sly reference to freejack?


Aug 3, 17 1:04 pm  · 
 · 

U

b3ta!

Aug 3, 17 10:01 am  · 
 · 
bowling_ball

Who is your favorite living architect?


Zumthor


Who is your favorite dead architect?


Breuer


How would you describe the personality of your practice?


Caring


What is your practice's main weakness?


I work only in trade for goods and services. No cash.


What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?


Clarity


What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?


Thoughtlessness


What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?


Vision


What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?


Laziness


What is your favorite type of project to work on?


Those with good clients


What does architectural happiness mean?


Having enough time to resolve details


What does architectural misery mean?


Having too many cooks in the kitchen


Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?


Somewhere hot


What is your favorite color?


White


What is your favorite flower?


Heliconia


What is your favorite bird?


Crow


Who is your favorite poet?


....


Who is your favorite artist?


Not sure. Robert Bruno's steel house blew my fucking mind when I first saw it


When do you lie?


Almost never, and to a fault. But I'm learning.


What power would to most like to have?


Not be on the spectrum. Would help with personal relationships of all kinds.


What architectural strategies do you most overuse?


Aligning everything and use of 90 degrees only. Rigor at the expense of fun.


How would you like to die?


Jumping the Grand Canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle

Aug 3, 17 2:57 pm  · 
 · 
archinine
Who is your favorite living architect?

Farshid Moussavi

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Oscar Niemeyer

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Doesn't take itself too seriously

What is your practice's main weakness?

Not getting into project management proper

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

A puzzle

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Opacity

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Varied life experiences, big picture thinking

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Overly technical, narrow minded, inarticulate

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Urban, community

What does architectural happiness mean?

Longevity in usage and adaption to continue usage

What does architectural misery mean?

Demolition

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

The desert

What is your favorite color?

Blue

What is your favorite flower?

Bonsai

What is your favorite bird?

Griffin

Who is your favorite poet?

Lauryn Hill

Who is your favorite artist?

Kehinde Wiley

When do you lie?

When necessary

What power would to most like to have?

Time travel

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Axon

How would you like to die?

Skydiving
Aug 4, 17 9:53 pm  · 
 · 

How did I miss this thread originally?!

May 13, 18 9:47 pm  · 
 · 
randomised

It's never too late to fill in, don't be shy :)

May 15, 18 2:56 pm  · 
 · 

Took a crack, though I felt I had to take a broader reading to some prompts, not being an architect or architectural professional myself.

May 22, 18 11:18 pm  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

Who is your favorite living architect?
Moshe Safdie with Yona Friedman following closely behind.

Who is your favorite dead architect?
Oscar Niemeyer and I am sad to say, W. Alsop.

How would you describe the personality of your practice?
Aggressively commercial with the ability to do good when the opportunity presents itself.

What is your practice's main weakness?
Too much rope given to junior staff without sufficient oversight, No adhesion to drafting or office standards, Blind faith by the principles when an applicant claims they are a 10 in Revit.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?
How the mundane but necessary parts are dealt with.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?
wood grain (or other material) prints on composite panels.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?
Their ability to hold a pleasant discussion on subjects other than design

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?
Adhesion to arbitrary rules as excuse for "style"

What is your favorite type of project to work on?
Commercial, Institutional, Academic, Assembly, Office... basically anything but residential.

What does architectural happiness mean?
Seeing a project go from sketch to completion with minimal molestation

What does architectural misery mean?
Discussing colour theory with interior designers

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?
Sub-Arctic

What is your favorite color?
Red

What is your favorite flower?
I've never thought about that before.  I'd say a tulip

What is your favorite bird?
digitus-medius

Who is your favorite poet?
Eddie Vedder

Who is your favorite artist?
Cezanne, Rothko, Alsop

When do you lie?
When I don't like you and need to move on to other things

What power would to most like to have?
the power of patience when I'm surrounded by idiots

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?
Asking the interwebs for advice

How would you like to die?
Alone and lost in the wilderness

May 15, 18 3:19 pm  · 
 · 

Who is your favorite living architect?

Continue to be consistently impressed by the work of Steven Holl Architects.

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Walter Gropius, as my visit to Gropius House illuminated how even a rational “Modern” home can be/feel personal and intimate.

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Youthful and loud.

What is your practice's main weakness?

Lack of discipline, preference for comfortable routine.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Accessible, porosity.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Selfishness

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Sensitivity

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Ego

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Inspirational and/or challenging.

What does architectural happiness mean?

Getting it right.

What does architectural misery mean?

Value-engineering and/or change orders.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

The future.

What is your favorite color?

Blue

What is your favorite flower?

Super excited about the finally, sprouting Mirabilis multiflora I planted last fall.

What is your favorite bird?

Woodpecker

Who is your favorite poet?

Matsuo Bashō

Who is your favorite artist?

Currently really digging, Chiura Obata and artists highlighted in “Ode to the Sea: Art From Guantánamo Bay.”

When do you lie?

Instinctively, when put on the spot.

What power would you most like to have?

Prophecy

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Intellectualizing and post-rationalization.

How would you like to die?

Quietly and content.


May 22, 18 11:17 pm  · 
 · 

Who is your favorite living architect?

Steven Holl. The Hamsunsenteret is by far my favorite building ever.

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Eero Saarinen. He was responsible for shaping my hometown (along with J.Irwin Miller)

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

Current office: laid back and kind of quiet. My home office: Metal up your ass. 

What is your practice's main weakness?

Mine, since I rarely do side stuff - wanting to paint instead of doing projects on the side.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

Didactic, honesty in materiality

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

Bad acoustics (especially since I lost half the hearing in my right ear and wear a hearing aid now)

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

Intuition

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Ego (stealing your answer Nam)

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

Anything with a civic impact that helps people

What does architectural happiness mean?

Creating a cohesive whole that is beautiful, honest, didactic out of all the layers of stuff we have to account for in a building.

What does architectural misery mean?

Dealing with a bad GC. The good ones are worth their weight in gold.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

Columbus, Indiana. I learned a lot about architecture just by experiencing the buildings growing up. I'd love to get some work in Columbus and hopefully inspire someone.

What is your favorite color?

Orange

What is your favorite flower?

Hell if I know. Tree on the other hand - Birch

What is your favorite bird?

Don't have one.

Who is your favorite poet?

Rainer Maria Rilke

Who is your favorite artist?

Caspar David Friedrich GOAT. Trying to get to that level of atmosphere in my paintings. Richter, Fearnley also on the list.

When do you lie?

Honestly, dates mainly. I'm disconnected from popular culture and the stuff I'm interested in only goes so far here in Chicago.

What power would you most like to have?

The power to always get my way. 

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

Post-rationalization, sculptural window openings (not in day to day practice)

How would you like to die?

Surrounded by nature. 

May 23, 18 11:52 am  · 
 · 

Jinx re: Holl as well! :D

May 23, 18 9:48 pm  · 
 · 

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