By Melanie Urrejola/reporter
South Campus architecture students learned the balance between the artistic and technical sides of their chosen fields April 30.
Local architect Mark Gunderson gave insight about his personal experiences in his profession as well as helpful tools students might need to be successful once they graduate and start their careers.
Born in West Germany but having lived in Texas mostly his life, he started his private practice in Fort Worth. He has also had influence in Dallas, both from his work as a juror on award committees to his presidency of the Dallas Architectural Foundation.
“I think of architecture as poet-technical work,” he said. “The point is to try to reconcile both the poetic and technical aspects and their existence at the same time.”
Gunderson started his presentation with the idea of the universe. The latest estimate by scientists is around 250 billion stars in each galaxy, and perhaps 250 galaxies on top of that.
“We continue to think that this is all about us,” he said. “Human beings believe we are the center of life, through presumption and arrogance.”
He addressed the fact that for years, humans believed the sun revolved about the Earth, when in reality, this was a mistake.
Gunderson said arrogance and ignorance is a fatal mix, and if people are architects, they should not assume to know everything.
“I think that the expression that something goes without saying is the very reason why you should say it,” he said. “If it goes without saying, it means it is built with a presumption, and it is a very difficult thing if you are an artist if you are trying to work in some discipline. It means that you take it for granted and come blind to those things.”
Gunderson said he almost never shows his work nor enters competitions. However, he brought photographs of past projects to show the South audience.
Throughout his presentation, he showed multiple photographs of ideas that are represented when it comes to his work.
“You are not going to be a good architect if you don’t look at the technical side of things,” he said. “And you are not going to be a good architect if you do not look at the poetic side of things.”
Currently, he is working on multiple projects and designing several homes in the area. He is also working as a co-author to Buildings of Texas.
“Mean what you build, and build what you mean,” he said.
