Jack

If I had been told as a little boy that I would be in the place in life that I find myself now in, I would have been both afraid and doubtful.  I would not have thought that I would be brave enough to pursue such a profession as architecture nor have the skills to work at such a prestigious firm as SHM, much less be taken into the family so spontaneously.  

It was at this firm that I learned the art of storytelling.  Architecture is about exploring the fabric of dreams, how to build them, and how to capture them and build them using Earth's raw essence.  I learned about listening to the client as they tell you what their dream impressed upon them, and the role of the architect to be a kind of dream interpreter.  Collecting as many details as possible in order to reimagine that dream, sharpen it, and bring light upon it to shine in the real.

My project consisted of heavy rammed earth walls inspired by a rusty-looking rock that I found on the project site.  These walls acted as the root system of the home.  Another concept of mine consisted of the kitchen being the core of the house carrying warmth to the rest of the adjacent rooms.  The closest room, being the living room, acts as a conductor of this heat as it is the home of the fireplace.  The living room is also sunken into the floor forcing the occupant into a humbled and communal spirit.  The downward force spreads the energy of the room horizontally to others sitting nearby.  All of the furniture was designed myself as I wanted the entirety of the home to sing the same sort of song.  The materials are all intertwined with one another and call out to one another like instruments in a small quartet.  They are meant to be touched, felt, interacted with.  In the end, the home was designed to come out of the earth, as its child almost; enveloped in light and water and dirt it sits at the top of a hill.  I was very pleased with the final results and was so excited to present it and my dream to the rest of the firm.

Working at SHM taught me how to dream.  In architecture, but also during every waking hour.  It taught me the excellence to strive toward and the kinds of people to surround myself with.  I was truly excited to come to work every day and learn secrets from the masters themselves.  It was an honor to work beside my fellow interns and workmates, explore the unknown, and take the adventure from Florida to Texas.  I never knew how healthy life at an architecture firm could feel.

I hope to see them all again someday.

"Don't only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge raise men to the Divine."

Ludvig Van Beethoven