Two Architects and a Furturtist Walk into a Ballroom...

Brad Lancaster had just finished his lecture on synergistic regeneration of our ecosystem and community through permaculture design and now it was the answer and question portion. A young man, in his black AIAS chapter tee shirt stood at the microphone in front of about 600 of his peers. His face was bright red.

"I'll probably talk really fast, and I know my face is really red because I don't like public speaking, but I just wanted to say you lit a fire under my heart."

A standing ovation followed. As students, our naivety and idealism gets chipped away, but instead of being replaced with cynicism and isolation it can be replaced with knowledge and tools. Here are some of the ideas that resonated with me.

Jeffery Inaba, Founder of C-Lab, Former Project Manager with Rem Koolhaas and OMA.

• He has a publication called Volume, I need to make this part of my reading repertory.
• Design is about giving form to content.
• "Innovation is so twentieth century. Innovation is about incremental changes, what we need is a complete change of thinking, to turn it on its head."
• Aid capital is regenerative, because when a person gives his resources (time, money, talent) to an organization and that organization uses it appropriately then others want to give more, and those who are helped are elevated to the position to give. (Look at the leadership at AIAS, they give to the organization, that makes the organization strong, which makes me appreciate it and want to give my resources and they help me develop so that I can give and do more)

Teddy Cruz, Architect and Professor at University of California

• Inequality injures the city which undermines architecture.
• Neighborhood Bill of rights:

1. The right to enable the co-existence of different economies
2. To develop incrementally
3. To share the profits of urbanism
4. To retrofit itself
5. To have an operative dimension of participation

• Consider redefining "density" from people per acre to social exchanges per hour.

David Zach, Futurist

• One can be a "Futurist"
• Attention is a resource, and your attitude and personality are resources which are more important than words-Elegance and eloquence will get you attention.
• Form vs. Function is a paradox, because form and function work together.
• Don't design buildings as if you have a mother that doesn't love you. Design with warmth and joy.
• What is the consequence of eternal youth? Eternal Youth.
• A computer allows you to make more mistakes faster than another other invention in history with the exception of handguns and tequila.
• If you must retreat, as architecture has in the last few years, retreat to Querencia, which is a place in which one draws his/her strength of character.
• We are human and we are not perfect-able.
• Anything by us, that isn't about us, isn't for us
• When we break bread we break barriers

I recognize this post is getting long, please accept my apologizes. Check back for a post of Brad Lancaster.