By Berenice Alcala/reporter
Passion for architecture is what it takes to succeed, speakers told SE students April 13.
Richard Hunt, Chris Hill and Bart Shaw, three young, emerging architects and designers, presented some of their work and emphasized the importance aof having passion for architecture.
“If you are not fired up, then do something else,” Hill said. “Don’t waste your time or the instructor’s if you are not inspired by the work.”
Hill, from Studio Mud, presented visual art as well as pictures from the design and construction of his home he built from the ground up with help from his friends and co-workers.
The architect said it is important to evolve and pick up new trends and tools.
Hunt shared pictures from a project that involved the renovation of the Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center and the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center at Fort Worth Country Day School.
He said he focused on an elegant design as well as four concepts that included the idea of community, natural light, material and essence. For the campus center, he tried to create an addition to the building’s own identity. For the arts center, he wanted a connection to the exterior for inspiration and creative purposes, he said.
Students should concentrate on what they are passionate about, Hunt said.
“Architecture is passion. Focus on what your passion is for architecture and feed on that passion,” he said. “If you are passionate, you will enjoy working the long hours it takes.”
Shaw presented two of his projects. His Lift Home Project was designed for FEMA trailers with the people displaced from Hurricane Katrina in mind.
He said he wanted to create something that would lift people’s spirits as well as provide a place suitable to rebuild their lives.
He also showed pictures of his work on a Holocaust memorial project for a competition. The multitude of writings about the Holocaust inspired him, he said, as well as his reading about a Jewish poet who had exclaimed, “Write, Jews, Write.”
Shaw told students to take advantage while they are in school, look at their future and think of what it is they want to do and find passion.
“Find passion, love it and stick with it, and you’ll become good at it,” he said, “just like with everything else.”
Shaw is currently working on residential and small commercial projects as well as consulting designs of an old house project and conceptual designs.
His Holocaust project will be displayed through May 1 at the Center for Architecture in Fort Worth.
Tom Manganiello, SE architecture history instructor and event coordinator, said he brought these three under-50 young architects to get a better connection with the students.
“Mostly, it’s about well-established and experienced architects instead of young designers,” he said. “But tonight, we had three young designers under 30 or late 20s that are putting up great buildings and are closer in age with the students.”
SE student Sergio Cruz said he feels more relieved to know that becoming an architect will not be an easy task but that as long as he has the passion and determination, he will succeed.
“I think the idea of getting younger people out to speak to us is perfect,” he said. “It feels good to know that the way they did it is exactly what I’m experiencing right now.”
The event was part of the TCC Architecture Month lectures and sponsored by TCC’s architectural technology program.
