Mentors

Note 012: Happy Birthday to us

Today is ADAD’s 9th Birthday.

Happy Birthday to us! 99% of success is persistence, and we aren’t going anywhere.

By starting - you are in the top 5%. of other employed creatives.

Congratulations!

By persisting 2 years in from that point, you are in the top 5% of that top 5%.

Thats right.

Lots will talk.

Many will complain.

But only 50 of the 1,000 currently, successfully-employed creatives you know will start.

Small pool already, right?

2 years on, 2.5 of those 50 will still be going. (Watch out for that half a person - they have nothing to lose!)

I was going to leave it here this morning for our Monday Fire-Up, but thought as we have this tribe and platform now on our 9th birthday, it would be more in the spirit of paying it forward to give a public-shout out here to my key 9 mentors this year.

I have a much bigger vision than the top 1% for ADAD, and that includes a much bigger vision than the top 1% for you.

Welcome to my 9 for 9 in 2021.

My Original Top 9 Mentors

Below are my 9 ‘Original’ Top 9 mentors. Original? That means key to Starting - the hardest part.

For long time readers who are aware of my plus, minus, equals principal, you know these relationships are liquid - and we shift mentor/mentee position over time.

These key legends, are here, on my birthday, so you can visualise who you will be shouting out on your practice future birthday.

Blow out the candles, here we go:

1.     Mum

It all begins with love, and having a loving supportive parent who has pushed me to paint, draw, be creative and pursue what I love, for loves sake, from my earliest memories as a toddler, to today (and that finding a way to earn a living can come later) is the foundational mentor.

Go Mum - and current parents everywhere - your support of your children is literally the future of our planet.

2.     JR

All students from Newcastle University from my era, rightfully cite Richard Leplastrier and Peter Stutchbury as major influences – and they are – but it is through the tireless, entertaining and unbelievable knowledge of John Roberts – the perfect mad bushman to take young students from high school into the world of the architecture studio, that we were all introduced to this ethos.

JR’s own winery property hosted surveying, site analysis, animal tracking, introductions to Paul Pholeros and microclimates… the list is endless.

3.     James Stockwell

James and I first met when I was a second year student and he was my tutor. Stutch’s project architect on a few seminal early houses, we shared a love of Ddeconstructivist drawings, he pushed me to extremes, and I both excelled and came out of my shell – combining wanton complexity through drawing with a formal embrace of the site.

My 1st key site experiences (ie physically entering a just-completed work of contemporary architecture) we’re walking into a Peter S house with James on a hydronically heated slab barefoot, and an almost complete site – where he introduced his bibles – bound A4 hand drawn details worked up on site with builders.

James Stockwell is now one of Australia’s best architects in his own right – and a mentor to this day.

4.     Michael Chapman

Where to begin with Michael. A final year student himself when I was in first year, everyone was in awe of his seminal Luna Park Prison project in the UoN Bush Studios 24-hour-7-day-a-week-all-5-years-supporting-one-another heyday.

He introduced me as a 1st year ‘archi-baby’ to Morphosis and experimental drawing, which is hard now to convey how world changing to an essentially pre-internet-pre-travel-coastal-NSW-teenager this was.

Michael went on to tutor design, theory, run courses, programs, and now Professor Michael Chapman – probably the most kind, selfless, person I have met – is also internationally recognised as one of the most intelligent, prolific, and experimental architectural thinker and practitioner there is.

He has been there for me at every key life crisis to date, and I for him. Chappo will feature in many future notes.

5.     Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall, my 1st boss, in a changing relationship that moved through apprentice, mates, to almost-business partners… I have many debts to what I learnt though Sam’s great architecture and great personality.

Detailing knowledge, material knowledge, obsession with interiors, and why taking a genuine interest in everybody on site from plumbers, apprentices, to the big-shots are super valuable lessons. 

His knack for finding talented young architects was also second to none – all of my close Architectural confidents and friends passed through those doors from 2002-2012…

6.     Ross Langdon

From my very 1st day at work with Sam, Ross (with typical Tasmanian friendliness) and I almost immediately became best mates. Super-invested in the digital, he patiently taught me Photoshop, ArchiCAD, and went on to win every gong and scholarship Sydney University had going as I did Newcastle. We pushed each other positively :)

After working with Drew Heath, Zaha Hadid and David Adjaye, Ross’ real legacy was the unconventionally sustainable Regional Associates and the work he designed and built across Africa. We collaborated on many competitions over the years, and he pushed me to take the plunge and launch ADAD.

Ross was tragically killed along with his partner and baby to be in the Nairobi massacre 2013 – exactly 1 year after I launched my practice and fuels me to keep following my dream no matter what. Life is short.

7.     Amelia Holliday

I have mentioned Amelia on probably 50% of the notes so far! So won’t repeat anything in this one. Another best friend from Sam’s office originally, extraordinarily talented, friendly, giving, Aileen Sage is an exceptional emerging practice, and she will continue to feature here I am sure.

My tip to pursue a ‘Gradient not a Cliff on Note 000’ comes directly form her wisdom, and 2 key early project of ADAD are attributed directly to her. Stay tuned!

8.     Euan Upston

As readers know, The MCA Australia was a huge part of my pre ADAD life.

Euan was our client representative CFO of the MCA during that time. Super impressed with my work ethic the entire way along, especially bringing UoN undergrad students down for mid construction workshops and passing knowledge along, he was very happy for my partnership offer, then the 1st person to say meet me immediately when I broke the news of going it alone.

He values leadership and has helped cultivate that within me also. There is a difference between star-architect you emulate and actual-leadership. This has taken me a while to realise.

Head hunted to be client side to Herzog and De Meuron’s Hong Kong Police Redevelopment, post MCA - it was fascinating to have reports on how H&DeM handled the issues we had collaborated on in Sydney over the 7 years prior - what could be improved :) - and we stay in touch regularly.

9.     Lawrence Nield

Curve ball!

Aware of BVN, I did not know Lawrence Nield personally from a bar of soap when Chappo (see mentor no. 4) immediately brokered a deal for me to teach all his courses when I announced that the partnership was off and I was going solo at ADAD. My 1st Masters studio was to be run with Lawrence.

I met with Lawrence and Andrea at their country home outside Newcastle to talk studio, but when I mentioned I had just started a practice -we hit it off immediately.

The final draft of Public Sydney was printed (for his markup in true ex-director style!) we shared my gift of an incredible bottle of Kilakanoon shiraz (Thanks Alanna, another Architect Marshall office lifelong best friend!), and an education began.

The history of Sydney. Urbanism. Modernism of the age I had only read about. What it takes to build a huge commercial practice from nothing. The perils of merging. The perils of taking on small projects.

We met next morning at the Uni to talk studio, but more importantly, met the same week in Sydney for a lunch that cost me a weeks rent for what turned out to be a 3 hour philosophical-architectural playbook. Lawrence was 70 at the time and went on to win the AIA Gold Medal in the months to follow.

My 9 for 9 hints for how you know you have a mentor to keep

• They are genuinely interested in you pursuing what makes you happy and fulfilled above all else (Thanks Mum!)

• They are excited, love teaching, and love you grasping, taking concepts and running with them, more than giving them credit (Thanks JR!)

• They push you to work super-hard and let you know it is not just fine, but essential to combine your own weirdness with the canon you are schooled in (Thanks James!)

• They are kind and humble in addition to being incredibly talented (Thanks Chappo!)

• (As a boss) They are not just happy to pass on trade secrets for your role, but encourage you to progress within their company towards leadership yourself (Thanks Sam!)

• They will keep you in check to follow your dreams as you state them from your heart, even as by all external measures you may already have ‘all you can ever want’ as you progress (Thanks Ross RIP)

• They are a 1 in a million super talented, super selfless person and you realise you were very lucky to even ever cross paths (Thanks Amelia!)

• You may be in a subservient relationship (CEO to junior architect) for years, but the moment they see that spark for your true potential, they give you cutting, but kind and actionable advice (Thanks Euan!)

• At the absolute pinnacle of their career, with no need at all to do anything beyond receive praises… they recognise their younger selves in you… and give you a window to receive wisdom, if you’re open to it… (Thanks Lawrence)

So Happy Birthday to me, Happy Future Birthday to you, and I hope Andrews Notes features in your thank-you speech as you take over the world!

Dedicated to Ross for following his dream and ensuring I followed mine in 2012. Dedicated to you for following your dream in 2021.

Go get it.

Andrew Donaldson

Note 012 done and dusted! Please give me any feedback whatsoever, I would love to hear from you - after all, this is for you :)

PS - if you have a friend, colleague, or archi-buddy that you think would benefit from Andrew’s Notes, please feel free to send this to them or share with the button below: - lets grow this tribe :)