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Apr 23

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8 Jobs that are harder

Now all this talk about Anne Romney and how being a mom is the hardest job in the world has me thinking “What is the second hardest job?” I encourage all readers to chime in here!

1. Being Newt Gingrich’s wife

2. Actually, maybe being Calista Gingrich’s hairdresser. Imagine if every one comes into your shop and wants that do. The environmental impact alone is terrifying – think of all those hair-dye fumes!

3. Being Anne’s Romney sons. Imagine the daily reminders of the sacrifices made by your mother.

4. Being Clarence Thomas. I think it should take incredible self control and willpower to be that quiet and un-participatory when serving on the most eloquent judicial body in the world. Way to go Clarence! You totally learned your lesson after that last hair comment…

6. Being Newt’s Super PAC endorser, Sheldon Adelson. I could have done a lot better with that $ 16 million. Thank goodness Adelson doesn’t pay more than 15% in taxes.

7. Being a scientist and biologist and believing in creationism.

8. And finally, being the architect for the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky – as though being an architect was not hard enough. I think 7 and 8 may be a tie, actually.

Apr 12

Image provided by David Baker + Partners Architects
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In memory of Peter Mackenzie

About two weeks ago, the architect Peter MacKenzie died. There’s not much more that I can say that has not already been more eloquently been said about Peter, across many media but I just felt the need to express my loss.

I met Peter years back although I won’t say how many, it feels like betraying a secret! He was a fellow architect in town who was also balancing designing housing for profit and designing affordable housing. In his memory, there are over 2,000 affordable homes in San Francisco bearing his mark.

Peter was a rare human being whose amazing characteristics shone in the competitive field of architecture. He was sharp, fun to be around and humble despite his many accomplishments. He was also always willing to help, I knew I could call him (and I did, on many occasions), to ask a question, to bemoan the latest “board of whatever” trying to block our work or commiserate about the latest crazy regulation that was making it harder to do good and affordable work.

I wish the best to his family and to David and his office.

He will be truly missed.

Apr 2

Procrastination in the City (part 1)

(Upon completing this entry, my daughter informed me that 900 words was far too long for one blog post. She then informed me she was “unaware that my mother was a woman of so many words.”)

If there’s one thing I love best about the Internet – it’s that there is no off switch. During bouts of insomnia, caused by stress or jetlag or that second Martini during dinner, I can access the whole world. There’s a different aesthetic to the kind of learning I do at 3am. More recently, I’ve become entrenched in the world of digressionary architecture research. I find myself reading blogs on Victorian architecture or tracking new projects in Australia.

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