I'm reading the January/February 2009 ID which highlights 40 young designers/firms. It has a little box for each one asking a few questions like "Inspiration" and "Title of you hypothetical monograph" etc. The one that really annoyed me though was "Would rather die than design..." Now some people would answer something funny like "Plastic Happy Meal toys" or "Elvis suit." Or some people would say something along the lines that anything can be designed well if you put enough work and effort into it. Those answers I liked. But probably 20% of these douchers said weapon/bomb/war. Right. Lockheed Martin is going to be banging on the door of your 2 man office to design the next cruise missile. "Hmm, this guy's resume states he went to school for graphic design, has no electronics or engineering background. But he does have tight jeans, and ironic T-shirt, and a faux hawk. Let's see if he's on board for our new fighter jet design." Dude! You design vases and bowls. I don't think you have anything to worry about.
Didn't Williams/Tsien (who I adore - and respect - beyond all reason) design a cock fighting ring for a project in South America? Or was that a vicious rumor?
Yep, vicious rumor: this was the project that someone told me about, relative to the palenque, my friend said Williams Tsien had been picked to do it. Sounds like the whole thing never came to pass.
I was once commissioned to design a frog-licking gallery -- LEED certified, green, you know, all very well thought out -- until some local do-gooders raised a big stink that the whole thing had no place in a grade school.
Hassel, the "weapon/bomb/war" answer is really a response to a similar question, the ever popular "Would you have designed a concentration camp for the Nazis?" question posed in every "Architecture and Morality" class or symposium. That question is not so silly or pretentious, and should be considered carefully, since saying no to the Fuhrer and his buddies might have caused you to die for real.
Emilio, if the question is really life and death, doesn't posing it in a class scernario, kind of cheapen the whole thing? It is easy to say you'll be a hero or whatever if it is just for pretend, but there is no way a person can actually know how they would react in a situation like that without going through it. In fact, I don't think they even have to be as extreme as life and death for questions of this type to be unanswerable.
Synergy, true about that question (and others) really being unanswerable until you are faced with it, but people still want to mull those things over anyway.
The designers mentioned by Hasselhoff are more just clearly stating what side they would want to come down on, and I don't know whether that is necessarily pretentious (there's plenty of others things that architects/designers say or do that deserve that label), maybe more like simple-minded...yea, like I want to go on record as saying war/bombs/weapons/concentration camps are good things.....
Hmmm, that could be fun, LB, but I would make sure to use easy to clean materials.
I don't know if there is anything I wouldn't design. I may have to grit my teeth, but I'd do it. Guess that makes me a sell out.
I don't think any of this has to do with Hasselhoffs post, though. Bomb/weapon does seem a silly answer to the question. That'd be like me saying I'd never design internet networks. Its just not the same feild.
Thank you Sarah. That is exactly my point. I think bomb/weapon is the sell out answer. It's so generic and devoid of fun or thought. It should be on their T-shirt. Die or design the chip that will best the Core2Duo. Guess I'd have to die, cause I couldn't design that.
A lot of people had your answer.
Steven, I think you have a good point too. It's kind of a dumb question unless someone gives it a fun answer, like the fashion designer that said "Elvis suit." That rules as an answer.
My boss rented a stretch SUV limo to take us to a cubs game...to be honest, I was really underwhelmed, even with just a few of us, it was kind of cramped because the axle of the vehicle takes up all the middle aisle where you are supposed to put your legs. The excessive gaudy design aside, it really isn't very enjoyable to sit with your knees up to your chin. Maybe the Hummer Limos solve this problem by being taller?
I'd rather die than design a weapon? That might be the funniest, least self-aware thing I've read all day - and it's been a bad day. And these were the hippest 40 people ID could come up with?
Designers don't kill people - people who hire designers kill people
I love that you can hit the return twice without consequences in this forum . . .
anyway - speaking from a personal standpoint, I have lost touch (lately) with most of the influences that would cause me to make such an audacious 'un-self-aware' statement. I admit that I used to be slightly covetous (probably justified it to myself as curiosity or vigilance or something . . . ) of other's fortune and fame in the making of design and the exhibition of talent for better or worse.
I'm starting to find that it all comes down to where you came from in the beginning - a circle. The little things that got you into doing architecture in the first place will be the last little things that make it all worth while.
If designing things that are the farthest things from weapons is what makes you happy - more power to you. I mean to each his own! - - -
For me, I don't think designing PRISONS would be that interesting.
Jan 7, 09 12:09 am ·
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Pretentious Designers...come on
I'm reading the January/February 2009 ID which highlights 40 young designers/firms. It has a little box for each one asking a few questions like "Inspiration" and "Title of you hypothetical monograph" etc. The one that really annoyed me though was "Would rather die than design..." Now some people would answer something funny like "Plastic Happy Meal toys" or "Elvis suit." Or some people would say something along the lines that anything can be designed well if you put enough work and effort into it. Those answers I liked. But probably 20% of these douchers said weapon/bomb/war. Right. Lockheed Martin is going to be banging on the door of your 2 man office to design the next cruise missile. "Hmm, this guy's resume states he went to school for graphic design, has no electronics or engineering background. But he does have tight jeans, and ironic T-shirt, and a faux hawk. Let's see if he's on board for our new fighter jet design." Dude! You design vases and bowls. I don't think you have anything to worry about.
Hasselhoff, exactly who DO YOU THINK paints the little sharks mouths and female silhouettes on the sides of the fighter jets?
Hasselhoff, so nice to see you back!
Didn't Williams/Tsien (who I adore - and respect - beyond all reason) design a cock fighting ring for a project in South America? Or was that a vicious rumor?
That sounds like a vicious (but kind of amusing) rumor.
Yep, vicious rumor: this was the project that someone told me about, relative to the palenque, my friend said Williams Tsien had been picked to do it. Sounds like the whole thing never came to pass.
I was once commissioned to design a frog-licking gallery -- LEED certified, green, you know, all very well thought out -- until some local do-gooders raised a big stink that the whole thing had no place in a grade school.
Hassel, the "weapon/bomb/war" answer is really a response to a similar question, the ever popular "Would you have designed a concentration camp for the Nazis?" question posed in every "Architecture and Morality" class or symposium. That question is not so silly or pretentious, and should be considered carefully, since saying no to the Fuhrer and his buddies might have caused you to die for real.
Emilio, if the question is really life and death, doesn't posing it in a class scernario, kind of cheapen the whole thing? It is easy to say you'll be a hero or whatever if it is just for pretend, but there is no way a person can actually know how they would react in a situation like that without going through it. In fact, I don't think they even have to be as extreme as life and death for questions of this type to be unanswerable.
Let's make this more fun. Start throwing out some ideas for projects that you would - or would not - refuse to take.
I'd love to design a sex dungeon, for example - one used only by fully consenting adults, of course.
I'd like to think I wouldn't design an outlot McDonald's but of course I would if the opportunity arose - and I'm sure I'd try to make the best of it.
Overblown. How about designing a prison housing people on death row. Or a guantanamo bay-like centre. Archisadists
A death and dance maze? Well daedalus did it with astereos.
Well a happy sunny day to you too, nocti... :-)
Synergy, true about that question (and others) really being unanswerable until you are faced with it, but people still want to mull those things over anyway.
The designers mentioned by Hasselhoff are more just clearly stating what side they would want to come down on, and I don't know whether that is necessarily pretentious (there's plenty of others things that architects/designers say or do that deserve that label), maybe more like simple-minded...yea, like I want to go on record as saying war/bombs/weapons/concentration camps are good things.....
these designers shouldn't be held responsible for a stupid question. maybe they could say 'that's a stupid question', i guess.
Hmmm, that could be fun, LB, but I would make sure to use easy to clean materials.
I don't know if there is anything I wouldn't design. I may have to grit my teeth, but I'd do it. Guess that makes me a sell out.
I don't think any of this has to do with Hasselhoffs post, though. Bomb/weapon does seem a silly answer to the question. That'd be like me saying I'd never design internet networks. Its just not the same feild.
Thank you Sarah. That is exactly my point. I think bomb/weapon is the sell out answer. It's so generic and devoid of fun or thought. It should be on their T-shirt. Die or design the chip that will best the Core2Duo. Guess I'd have to die, cause I couldn't design that.
A lot of people had your answer.
Steven, I think you have a good point too. It's kind of a dumb question unless someone gives it a fun answer, like the fashion designer that said "Elvis suit." That rules as an answer.
i would totally design an elvis suit.
these days, i'm all about designing the insides of limos...
...and with prom season coming up, you know there's lots of work out there
maybe, i'll start do private jets too...if i can find the time
My boss rented a stretch SUV limo to take us to a cubs game...to be honest, I was really underwhelmed, even with just a few of us, it was kind of cramped because the axle of the vehicle takes up all the middle aisle where you are supposed to put your legs. The excessive gaudy design aside, it really isn't very enjoyable to sit with your knees up to your chin. Maybe the Hummer Limos solve this problem by being taller?
I'd rather die than design a weapon? That might be the funniest, least self-aware thing I've read all day - and it's been a bad day. And these were the hippest 40 people ID could come up with?
Hoff, nice to have you back.
Designers don't kill people - people who hire designers kill people
I love that you can hit the return twice without consequences in this forum . . .
anyway - speaking from a personal standpoint, I have lost touch (lately) with most of the influences that would cause me to make such an audacious 'un-self-aware' statement. I admit that I used to be slightly covetous (probably justified it to myself as curiosity or vigilance or something . . . ) of other's fortune and fame in the making of design and the exhibition of talent for better or worse.
I'm starting to find that it all comes down to where you came from in the beginning - a circle. The little things that got you into doing architecture in the first place will be the last little things that make it all worth while.
If designing things that are the farthest things from weapons is what makes you happy - more power to you. I mean to each his own! - - -
For me, I don't think designing PRISONS would be that interesting.
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