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Note 024: Keep Paying it Forward

I was playing with fire.

Saturday morning, sunny, coffee in hand, book on the table.

The iPhone was there… but i very rarely break the cardinal rule of Architect mental health:

Never, ever, ever, check email out of office hours.

Ever!

But for some reason, I clicked…

I recognised her name, a student from some time ago now (Hi S! - I’ll respect your privacy!) … and opened.

I remembered, ghost like, what email was like before starting a practice and the bombardment of internet marketing… enjoyable!

I am so excited to share part of what she shared…

“Hey Andrew,

How are you going?

Thanks for giving so much back in your notes …, I hope you know how valuable they are.

Your advice always seems to be relevant, and they would drop at the perfect moments.

It helped me through my … project on more than one occasion and I often thought when I finished how much I wanted to show you what I've done. So that day has come…

It's been a learning curve and I am really proud of not so much the result but more the journey I went through.

It was such a strange process, I think that's one of the most exciting parts of architecture, you never really know how you're going to get there and what you're going to have to go through to get to the other side.

This time it was like walking on a tight rope the whole way through and if I fell off, I would land too far into one era and that would have been easier but that wasn't my goal. 

What I am proud of most is that I didn't stray away from my idea and eventually everyone was thrilled to be a part of the project, and anything I said gained a respect on-site I've not had the chance to feel before.

I am so utterly in love with this job, and I just feel like expressing that…

And I am so excited to share part of what I replied…

Dear S,

This is such an incredible thing to receive, I am so proud of you, and so grateful that you both sent me your progress - and let me know the notes are helpful - I have been slack with all my own archi-challenges in office but receiving this is 100% why I do it - and your Email gives me 100% fire to continue :)

Honest Feedback

She requested honest feedback and criticism.

So I gave it to her. … but it is different to University tutorial feedback.

And it actually applies to all of you, for all your Studio work especially those very difficult first ever completed buildings!

• I would not change a thing

• The journey that she described, what it has meant to her, the confidence I could hear in her voice is perfect:

It is perfect because it is you.

Guys, this is not University.

This is a self-supporting community.

You are all incredible designers, in your own way.

Your job is to create a market of 1 - yourself - and find clients, staff, collaborators than support your life philosophy.

Hopefully these Notes can form a part of that. I tell you what, I am psyched to get writing with this feedback - Thankyou S!