How much is your time weigh Mr. …

These few days, I had been stayed late, slept for such little hours. I was determined to push the design to find its perfection, one to another projects. Big to small, those are still same. My eyes were hurt, I felt bitter, if there was mirror I would looked pale. I was very tired.

Instead of having an idea about writing the building, I remember one movie titled how much is your building weigh Mr. Foster. The movie is about showcase of norman foster’s building. I put this movie in appreciation, even though there was critics in New York Times from A. O. Scott about this movie that it should explained more analysis and argument, is more than a little disappointing. I just want to appreciate, efforts of Norman and his friends, creating such humble, amazing, honest pieces by pieces architecture, which demonstrate mastery in Architecture. The effort to create piece of architecture is huge, from the beginning, until completion. I want to appreciate his time.

The movie showed 3 ideas of how I really appreciate Norman Foster and His firm, first that his firm, started by dot, beginning of his smaller, more simple work and drove the opportunity of getting more complex projects which needed bigger team. Second, this movie is just to appreciate for Norman’s and Associate’s time, which considerably high, consuming their life. Third, we can see his time, dedicated to his family and respect his health, Norman, at that time he was 76 years old, participating in a cross-country race through some very beautiful snow and also spending time at home with his young son. Like me, like other architects, what we are willing to get is just appreciation for all of our time, beginning with dot, spending time with all of the team who will collaborate, and spending time with our family.

I can conclude all of this experience in also three points, Yesterday, I was at drop off in Sampoerna Strategic Square, I  finished 2 presentations for RAW projects at east Indonesia, well it is still confidential, I will share it when the time is ready, including all of the people involve inside it, with one of long lasting relationship friend. All of these started by dot,relationship like the first point.

For the second point, It will be the Heart of the East with all of the team onboard. We really pushed the design into more than 110 slides, each slide shows deep thinking about the project, accentuation about its soul on 4 design exercises : form finding, detail design, value engineering, and appreciating, getting feedback from all of the owner side : Leader, shares, the team of clients. All of the people need to be appreciated. Me and the team have been spending 2 weeks working non stop on this projects, consuming in total (10 hours x 2 weeks x 5 days x 2 designers (200 hours) + 10 hours x 3 days x 2 associates (60 hours) + 10 hours x 3 days x 4 designers (120 hours)) * 20 percent of plus for other supports from projects which usually we spend more than this. That was 456 hours, I haven’t calculated my time in this project, so I think it will be like 40 hours, so lets sum it all from principal to designer level to 500 hours . We also need to sum up, the time that was consumed in formulating brief, consulting with clients, and the time was spend in client’s side, usually it will take 30 percent from the total project, but I will just leave it empty. If Gladwell stated, 10000 hours is one of the factor to be succeed. I could just smile in second to appreciate all of these process.

I just smile looking on our effort, I think that the movie title should sounded better, at least I would say, how much your time weigh Mr.Foster.

In architecture, for all of the learning, we have to dedicate our time to learn so much knowledge in all of the level consists of art, history, culture and science from theory, and the practical, about building mastery. I remember one poem gave by my friend, Liza Susanto, she came with her husband Adi Indra during opening at OMAH titled The Strange Library.

Strange Library

Knowledge, could it just be a spice to make our brains tastier?
We’re curious. We learn.
We become hungry for knowledge as if we’ve been starving for centuries.
Thus, we cram, we swallow and try to devour everything we could into our heads.

However, time chases us like a hunter after prey.
After all, knowledge doesn’t come to us effortlessly.
We risk the danger of being demolished with time and carefully learn all that there is to learn and remember.

At last, are we able to feast, risk it all and retreat without being fed on by time instead?

I added at the end,

Risk the weigh of time that is what we commonly do.
We risk the weigh of time for that appreciation
Risking the weigh of time for our passion.
Our passion, the weigh of time burning from our heart
Our love, the weigh of time serve people.

Soon I realise at the end, before, Pak Misnu, picking me at the drop off. I realise it’s about time to go back to my family, it’s the third point from what Foster did. I can smile now, and not feeling tired.

Have a great weekend guys. let’s run ! away ! :)

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/movies/how-much-does-your-building-weigh-on-norman-foster.html?_r=0
[2]http://allpoetry.com/poem/11825194-The-Strange-Library-by-Ann-C.
[3]http://gladwell.com/outliers/ [look as his book, outliers]