[Photo by BUILD LLC]
It’s a big week for us. On Wednesday, August 29th, the BUILDblog turns five years old. It’s hard to believe we’ve been at it that long, but 542 posts later and it’s still as fun, rewarding, and productive as ever. So, we plan to keep pumping out two posts per week for the foreseeable future. The blog has become a great cultural extension of what we do and how we do it — thanks for being here.
Looking ahead, we find ourselves evaluating our agenda with the BUILDblog. Given that the blog has a healthy reach in the world, we thought it’d be a worthwhile exercise to define the blog’s purpose moving forward. It’s a mission statement of sorts (but don’t worry, we’ve left out all of the made-up archi-vocab). Here goes:
1. Making architecture accessible to the public.
Most architecture is made for people and we think that everyone should be able to understand and participate in design. We’ve elected to lift the esoteric veil that architecture too often operates beneath.
2. Creating a culture of communication and sharing in architecture.
Architecture shouldn’t be an arcane and privileged aesthetic code kept secret by an elite few. We think that architecture should be open source. We think that an extraordinary built environment is the product of everyone working together and cooperating. A rising tide lifts all boats.
3. Advancing possibility.
In the big picture, we like to do our part in helping to guide the values of design and the experience of the built environment. At its most granular scale, we hope to arm people with ideas, methods, and details to make for better surroundings that allow for more possibility in their lifestyles.
4. Fostering sensibility.
Nothing beats good old sensibility — the kind of sensibility that your dad gives you when he teaches you how to chop wood. The design world is constantly under siege against disposable trends, fads, and fashion, and it’s that down-to-earth sensibility that keeps us on course. Being sensible is more important to us than being famous or affluent. Being sensible is more important than the perception of being “green.”
5. Having fun.
The blog is something we do after the work of the day is done. Putting our thoughts into words and writing posts is a great way for us to unwind and develop other creative outlets. No matter the nature of the post, we like to have a laugh, blow off some steam and most importantly, poke some fun at the profession of architecture.
These 5 items are the guiding principles of the BUILDblog. They’ve kept us inspired and engaged, they’ve also created a community of like-minded thinkers, designers, and makers. We’re incredibly grateful to spend a few minutes each week at the microphone and we’re honored that smart, savvy individuals continue to listen. We want to extend a HUGE thanks to everyone that follows the blog, participates in the discussion, and checks in with us.
[Image source: http://www.allmodern.com]
Virtual martinis all around and happy five years to the BUILDblog!