Translating Stories to Spaces

01 Author Introduction

I wrote this book for the client, to put them at the center of the process, at the center of their own story. Our goal is to create thoughtful spaces that help people live more purposeful, peaceful, and productive lives. This book is intended to be the guide for this journey.

Architects write monographs, or rather design them. Full of photographs and drawings of beautiful projects telling a story. A story that is left to interpretation without translation.

We are storytellers, strategists, and solution-seekers. We are educated, trained, and practiced at using drawings and graphic representations to communicate our work for clients, jurisdictions, contractors, and consultants. Many clients are not well versed at reading these drawings – Speaking Architecture defines the process, circumstances, parties, and jargon to put the client at the head of the table.

The interesting fact that many don’t think about is that the ideas within these monographs are many years old by the time the architects and designers document and then publish them. These projects take time to design, and years in many cases to realize. The ideas that designers and architects are currently working on in their practices are ever evolving, and we are always looking forward, however, it’s nearly impossible to communicate the evolving nature of this world when the images of the past are the focus.

What I’ve endeavored here is to write a work that will empower clients, students, educators, and all those with a curiosity in design and construction as well as to open a larger dialogue centered around the nuanced process that we work through for every project as it relates to the evolution and future of this craft.

Our practice is small, we want to be leaders, to stand out. Architects don’t write books; Speaking Architecture changes this paradigm.