my architect mentor died friday of a heart attack.

he was more than just that. he was the most gifted designer of architectural space that i have every worked with. he was a wine connoisseur. he always brought a bottle of wonderful wine when we met for dinner but never drank. he was generous. he always remembered my kids and gifted them with wonderful design objects. he was a critic; a hard critic; a very hard critic. but, his critique was really about ensuring your consequential and totally rigorous thought process. he was an amazing man who has left the world a better place for having been a part of it. he made me a better person for having known him and have had the privilege, honour [and sometimes total pain] of having him be a part of my life.

he gave me time. the greatest gift that one person can give to another. he also gave me a statement that he deeply believed in that really represented him….it can apply to so much.

ARCHITECTURE….IS….

THE REALIZATION OF AN ORDER

APPROPRIATELY APPLIED [CONCEIVED?]

LOGICALLY DEVELOPED

CONDITIONED IN DISCIPLINE

COGENT THROUGH CONSISTENCY

RIGOROUSLY REFINED

ANIMATED WITH WIT

ENLIVENED FROM SPIRIT.

it represents for me not just his amazing architecture, but his attitude towards design and life.

i will miss him.

amazing. i had no idea that we have had 2053 nuclear explosions on our planet.

last week i had the honour and privilege to be the keynote speaker for the Seoul Design festival. it was held in a pavilion designed by Daniel Liebskind that sat on the infield grass of the 1988 Olympic Stadium. i was impressed by the entire event; and most especially by the sophistication and delight of Korean design. local designers had small booths that you could visit by walking around the space under raked stadium seats. i was deeply impressed by the hospitality of my hosts and the dedication of the city of Seoul to Design.

i was even more fascinated by the fact that you can receive cable TV on your cell phone or in your car. the wireless streaming capability, capacity and penetration was stunning. it is normal for me to have my calls drop at least three times when only on the ferry ride between san francisco and larkspur, yet it is normal for anyone to be able to watch their favourite soap opera in the subway or in a tunnel…live. it is normal for a taxi driver to have four ways that the fare could be paid: cash, phone, credit card or transit card. it is normal for the same taxi driver to have his soap opera on while driving and talking on the phone. it is normal that one finds emergency flashlights in open boxes on walls in pedestrian underpasses. it is also normal to sit in traffic for hours. it is normal that a home connection is a T1 line which has a standard capacity that is about 3 times what i can get on a good day [or middle of the night when no one else is on the cable line].

it was a good trip.