Architecture
Architecture is based on the design of buildings while interior design is a participant science in the development of interiors of those buildings. While in high school, I used to dream, eat and sleep thinking of architecture. I took a class when I was about to graduate and I absolutely nailed it, making models with shapes, colors and materials; everything I could imagine into my work.
When it was time to go to college, I faced the reality of my life, my parents could not send me to a school where I could study this beloved science and art. I was okay with that but I met someone who said something that resonated, something like: you can and should pursue your dreams. I became an accountant instead but I wonder if architecture would have made me happier. Accounting pays the bills and makes me want to work harder the better I do - sometimes I love it and sometimes I don't. It's the relationship we have with people and things we care about.
Of the many places I have visited, I am enchanted by the architecture from Washington D.C. and Chicago. Both of these cities display works of art which are visible to people living and visiting such places. When I initially visited Washington, D.C., I felt scared to stand next to such structures and columns, some of them with cracks that appeared to fall on me. And the majestic stones that appeared to judge me from just looking at them. The beauty of the buildings became obvious as I explored the National Mall and I was able to learn inside the buildings there was no judgment day but rather education in the form of museums.
In Chicago, the architecture river tour shows and describes an array of buildings which are modern, and contemporary while at the same time old and timeless. These structures allow us to look into the past from the eye of the beholder, the beholder of education, knowledge and admiration for art which carries within sweat equity. And sweat equity is not always a good thing.
When first arriving in New York City more than ten years ago, I decided I would learn the ins and out of the Brooklyn Bridge. A landmark in the city which is easy to spot but which was easy for me to miss on a foggy morning arriving newly into a strange environment. I recall the history of the Brooklyn Bridge now, where many workers perished for the sake of building something intricate and pretty amazing for the time and for the future. Every time I walk the bridge I feel whole, but I forget those who died building it, it's so easy to forget history isn't it?
Architecture which is sustainable would probably be the best way for the future, where rain water is recycled to allocate to various uses as well as electricity timed in a manner in which it's use is rationed. Trash is a problem in many cities and I recall the process of recycling many years ago while living in Germany, where recycling is mandatory. Managing large scale cities is not easy and thus, trash could potentially be an environmental priority we need to address with the use of design of interiors and exteriors.
Architecture for the sake of beauty is amazing, but for the sake of sustainability is also practical. A few buildings which were considered obsolete have been demolished in cities around the world but newer ones with higher capacities and elements of sustainability are hopefully popping up to keep up with climate change, demographics maps and standards of living. Architecture is an art but also a science that teaches us about our past, present and future.