the architect can cook

photo credit: Food For Kids

Joseph Ciminera is pictured here in his Taste This TV: There Are No Rules in Cooking Show on PBS. Great guy, great show by the way. But, what does this have to do with architecture? Right after architecture, my next interest is probably that of cooking and an appreciation for fine cuisine. On second thought, isn't that a common theme amongst architects? In social circles, I have noticed that architects cannot help but talk about food. I have noticed this pattern across the country from New York to Palm Springs to even Vancouver, Canada. 

So, why do architects love to cook and what does that tell us about ourselves and our profession? Well, the first observation is that chefs use their hands. Chefs like to use their hands for their work. So do architects even though we are, most of us, restricted to the electronic mouse and the likes thereof. But, at our heart of creativity, we like to use our hands.

Next, cuisine is created with a variety of ingredients manipulated by tools. Isn't architecture created in a similar manner? Cuisine is created for the purpose of humankind's use. So is architecture. We need food for sustenance, likewise for shelter. But, most importantly what makes a chef popular? What creates a chef who is honored more highly above others? I believe it is their ability to recognize good tastes and flavors. Exposure to the great tastes and flavors of the world are likely the main ingredients found in the making of a great chef. 

The same should be that for an architect. How can we be great architects without exposure to the great architecture of the world? How can we be excellent designers ourselves if we haven't cultivated the fine taste of superb design? I hope that we can be intentional when developing and fine-tuning our design sensibilities.