What inspired you to apply for the AIA Young Architects Award?
T.S. Eliot once said, “everyone gets the experience, some get the lesson.” I remember reading that quote and asking myself—what if I missed the lessons in the experience? Eliot’s quote ignited a passion to collect lessons from design practice. The power of lesson-gathering is that, good or bad, experiences are always educational. You learn what to do and what not to do, creating an inventory of professional wisdom.
Last year, I decided to put that collected wisdom to the test and apply for the Young Architects Award. The award submission requires more than an enumerated project resume—applicants are asked to investigate the lessons they have learned, and the leaders they are becoming. They garner support from past colleagues and current clients to support their case. Throughout the process, I have been inspired by the overwhelming support I have received and the resolute aspirations of my applicant group. Recently, we participated in a Leadership Webinar in which I learned so much from their experiences—it’s energizing to gain exposure to new ideas and passionate individuals across the profession.
What value did you find in the process?
Applying for the Young Architects Award gave me an opportunity to take an intentional mid-career reflection. The value of this exercise for me was two-fold. First, it emphasized the importance of giving proper gratitude to the people who had invested in my career thus far. It is important to remember that we are all shaped by the people who believed in us and taught us well—this includes family, friends, professors, classmates, and colleagues.
The exercise of acknowledging our supporters is often overlooked, and gratitude is a humbling exercise because it reminds us that we did not get here alone. Talent, grit, and determination will only take us so far. We also need encouragement, advice, and wisdom from people who care. I appreciated the opportunity to contact the people who have supported me, letting them know their impact on my personal and professional life.
The second value of this process was learning the impact of my own “ripple effect.” This is defined by the AIA as “…your impact beyond the day-to-day work of your practice or outside your community. Ripple effect could be demonstrated by speaking, publications, mentoring, service to the profession, geographic impact, or legacy through others.”
Simply put, a “ripple effect” is how impactful we are beyond the daily work—how we improve lives inside and outside of the office. They say that wisdom is knowledge applied. In this case, design wisdom must be applied in practice to create a “ripple” beyond our own ambitions. Evaluating my own “ripple effect” was a valuable reminder that we are always well-positioned to serve others, either with the buildings we design or with the teams we lead.
