Once again
it is January, and once again I have a little break in the action to renew and
reflect. This past semester was as
intense as I had expected, and not just for me – all of us limped across the
finish line on December 18th.
This was the last semester in which our courses were prescribed; spring
term brings choices, but making decisions is not my strong suit!
I know why
I am struggling: I am thinking about
what I want to do when this agony/ecstasy of school ends and I find myself
without its rudder to guide me. Most
graduates will take a job in a traditional architectural firm, learning the
ropes as their career develops. But I’m
not “most graduates” – at my age I feel that I need to carve out some niche quickly
so that I can hit the ground running. Now,
I am taking a moment to contemplate and catalog ideas for the future.
One option
would be to abandon the city and move to Point Reyes Station full-time, perhaps
joining the practice of the architect who designed my home there. This has so many pluses! It would involve small projects and residential
architecture, learning from a friend and master, being fully integrated in the
community, living at my little piece of heaven, with the horses clomping about,
and working out of my studio. Perhaps I
could even carve out a pre-fabrication residential business, creating clever,
net-zero residences, and prototyping them right on my land. Wouldn’t this be a lovely way to spend the
next two decades of my life?
But there
remain tugs to San Francisco and the bevy of wild opportunities this city
provides. I know that I would enjoy set
design as it couples my love of opera and ballet with my love of design. But how does one move into this area, maybe
by apprenticing with the technical director at SFO? Building scientific exhibits at the
Exploratorium or Cal Academy of Sciences is another idea: again, integrating my
knowledge of science with my interest in design. What about trying to work at SFMOMA in their
architecture and design department, a more “scholarly” endeavor that sounds
absorbing and exciting? Or perhaps
apprenticing with one of my amazing teachers, designing installations or public
art, entering design competitions. This
has a ton of appeal, as I would continue to be a student, be fully engaged, and
maybe even have the opportunity to turn an idea into physical reality.
So, there
is a lot to consider, and the opportunity to explore will come with this
summer’s internship and with thesis preparation next fall. What a journey this is!
In the mean
time, I am excited about my course work for the term, and looking forward to
another healthy dose of architecture abroad, either in Berlin or in
Mexico. What a lucky woman I am.
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