Good, Clean Blogging

My daughter has often wondered, aloud, at a dinner table when friends are over, why a modern architect like myself is so wary of the modernity provided by the digital age. In my defense, I can “use” my smartphone. I also have a personal email address and have had a website for my architectural firm for almost a decade. Beyond that, I tend to push off technology or social networking sites I find superfluous. Even if my friends tell me they are “life changing.”

When I set out, over two years ago, to publish a portfolio of my architectural work through the Princeton Architectural Press, I had friends read and reread drafts of my foreword. They crossed out the humorous anecdotes and flowery language – often pointing out to me that it would do better on a blog than in a book like this. Blog! They would tell me, while not lifting their eyes from their cellphone screens. Or tweet! Some would add.

Blogging? Tweeting? Other than following some choice food and architecture blogs – the idea seemed unnecessary to me. At dinner parties, work conference calls or lunch dates, following a debate on design, clients and friends alike would tell me that I should share my thoughts on good, clean design with a larger audience.

Twitter, as fellow architect Mark English notably pointed out to me, was my opportunity to reach out into the world and express my ideas. He called it my very own soap box. Although, I would prefer something made of stainless steel – I was sold. I must admit that tweeting was strange at first. I felt I was jumping into an advanced class with no beginning knowledge. It soon became exhilarating – rediscovering old clients or students, sharing my love of the Millau Bridge or the words of the wry Frank Lloyd Wright. I liked seeing the 140-character-or-less dialogue emerge.

My book is now going to be published in the fall and I felt it was a good opportunity to continue the dialogue, perhaps a little bit more long-winded on my end.