KATIE TURNER - PROMPT 2

How do you build a practice that is focused on people?

How do you build a practice that engages community?

My mentor, Luke, spoke to me and Vishnu about building a practice that is focused on people and also one that engages the community. Luke said that at Synchronicity “We train architects.” The framework of the firm is based on building up a creative team of young, energized professionals. He described the firm as a forest of trees that is growing together. Each architect trains the next architect underneath them. This way everyone is constantly learning and improving. In order to focus on the people, it is important to remember that everyone has their own individual goals. A successful firm will help people achieve those goals if they can. There must be honest, open communication. If everyone’s expectations are on the table, it is much easier to make people happy.

Additionally, in order to build a practice that engages the community, Luke believes that first you must be passionate about the place where you work and live. You have to understand the needs of the place. Then, you can use architecture to provide a voice for those whose needs are not being heard. Luke encouraged us to find goals that we believe in and to get involved. We also talked about how we will be more successful if we can design for the 99%. Architecture should not just be for an exclusive, wealthy group. Architecture is for everyone.

When thinking about how I would personally build a firm that engages community, I came up with a process that I think would help do that well. I agree with Luke that the first step towards engaging the community through architecture is to know your community. Know the streets, know the buildings, and most importantly, know the people. The next step would be to identify a problem in the community that you believe architecture could help solve. Then, partner with other people and organizations in the city who may already be fostering ideas about transforming the city. Together, create opportunities for people to share their opinions and ideas. And lastly, make something happen. Use architecture to build a better community.