A few quotes I picked up from "5 Lessons From Norman Foster’s Lecture at the Barbican", an article I read at ArchDaily:
1.
Architecture is more than a building
As
obvious as this may sound, it is easy to fixate on a facade or roof, the most
ego-driven aspect of any project. But what we can lose in the quest for
Instagram perfection is the true purpose of architecture: designing a space to
be used by a community.
2. Research is king
If
a decision is well researched then it can rarely be wrong, avoiding the awkward
silence after a client (or college reviewer) asks “but... why?”
3. “We all gravitate to what
we do best”
He claimed that he was far more useful as a designer, leading by example,
than he would ever be as a politician arguing day after day. Taken at face
value, this sentiment is key to the effective communication of ideas.
Improving holistically is still important, but our skills are naturally
weighted in certain areas; be it model-making, drawing, pitching or detailing;
and in focusing on your strengths you can help maximize a project’s success. In
Foster's case, it's also probably the reason why the former RAF
man has designed no less than 7 airports—he's good at it.
4. Bold solutions
To be bold in architecture is difficult, as the
hundreds of constraints and regulations try their best to maintain a palatable
level of status quo. However, it is often in seemingly crazy ideas that change
is facilitated. Creating something new—even if it means swimming against the
tide—is critical for positive change within architecture, and as George Bernard Shaw once said: "The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the
world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
5. “Doing more with less”
Foster frequently referred back to conversations he had with
"Bucky," using him as a touchstone in what he was trying to achieve
and how he wanted to achieve it. The famous Fuller quote “doing more with less”
is usually attributed to the performance of a project: using technological
advancements in order to create a more efficient input (less) with a larger
output (more). This is seen first hand in his geodesic dome, and later the Dymaxion House, and the relatively simple mantra mimics the sustainable
agenda we face, reducing global reliance on finite supplies, something Foster
addressed in the new Bloomburg European HQ. You can also apply this to the time you spend at
work, maximizing output and leaving space to live—something
essential for general well-being.