How To Think Like An Architect: Exercising the Imagination

Barry Berkus

18 Jul 201102:12

Summary

TLDRArchitect Barry Burkas shares his passion for drawing and how it influences his work. He reflects on memorable villages from his travels, contemplating their enduring design and the cultural significance of their shapes. Burkas emphasizes the importance of hand drawing as an exercise for memory and identity, often creating imaginative villages that inspire his architectural designs. He encourages artists and architects to keep drawing for enjoyment, highlighting architecture as a fulfilling profession.

Takeaways

🎨 **Artistic Expression**: Barry Burkas uses architecture as a form of artistic expression, influenced by his travels and experiences.
🌍 **Global Influences**: His architectural designs are influenced by the villages he's visited across Europe, Asia, and other places.
🏡 **Historical Relevance**: He ponders on why certain architectural shapes have persisted over centuries while others have not.
🏗️ **Adaptation and Endurance**: Burkas is interested in the adaptability and endurance of architectural forms over time.
💡 **Influence of Living Patterns**: He believes that the way people have lived over centuries shapes the architecture that endures.
🖋️ **Importance of Drawing**: Drawing is a way for him to exercise his mind, hand, and memory, and is integral to his profession.
✈️ **Creative Moments**: He often indulges in drawing during travels, such as on airplanes, which helps him to reflect on his experiences.
🍽️ **Trade for Food**: Burkas humorously mentions that he sometimes trades his drawings for food during restaurant visits.
🏰 **Imaginative Creations**: He enjoys creating imaginative villages that don't exist but are born from his dreams and experiences.
👨‍🎨 **Professional Enjoyment**: Burkas finds architecture to be an enjoyable profession, encouraging others in the field to have fun and continue creating.

Q & A

What is Barry Burkas' profession?
-Barry Burkas is an architect.
Where is Barry Burkas currently located?
-Barry Burkas is sitting in Santa Barbara.
What does Barry Burkas dream about?
-Barry Burkas dreams about places he has been to, such as Europe and Asia.
Why does Barry Burkas believe architects should exercise?
-Barry Burkas believes architects should exercise to keep their minds fresh and to exercise the hand and the mind as well as the body.
What does Barry Burkas think about memorable villages?
-Barry Burkas thinks that memorable villages have existed longer because they have been shaped by how people have lived over centuries.
What does Barry Burkas consider when looking at buildings that have been torn down or become dated?
-Barry Burkas considers that buildings that have been torn down or become dated may lack the strength and trendiness they once had when they were built.
How does Barry Burkas describe the growth of villages?
-Barry Burkas describes the growth of villages as having spent many years in growth and many years between times when people have lived and left.
What influence do the villages Barry Burkas travels to have on his work?
-The villages Barry Burkas travels to become an influence in the architecture and the drawings that he does.
What does Barry Burkas enjoy doing on airplanes?
-Barry Burkas enjoys doing drawings of villages on airplanes.
What does Barry Burkas often trade for food during restaurant tours?
-Barry Burkas often trades his drawings for food during restaurant tours.
What does Barry Burkas believe about the profession of an architect?
-Barry Burkas believes that being an architect is probably the most enjoyable profession anybody could ever be involved in.

Outlines

00:00

🏠 Architectural Influences and Creative Drawings

Barry Burkas, an architect based in Santa Barbara, discusses the importance of travel and exercise for mental freshness. He reminisces about memorable European and Asian villages that have shaped his architectural designs. He believes that understanding how people have lived over centuries in certain structures can influence modern architecture. The longevity of these structures, compared to more temporary or trendy buildings, is a testament to their strength and adaptability. Burkas also shares his love for drawing these villages, which he sees as an exercise in memory and a way to express his identity and experiences. He enjoys sketching these places in various settings, such as airplanes and restaurants, sometimes even trading his drawings for food. His drawings are imaginative, representing villages that exist only in his dreams but influence his architectural work. He encourages architects and artists to continue drawing and exercising their creativity, as it is a fulfilling profession.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Architect

An architect is a professional who designs buildings, spaces, and structures. In the video, Barry Burkas identifies himself as an architect, emphasizing the role of architectural design in shaping memorable places. The profession involves creative thinking and problem-solving skills to create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

💡Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a city in California, USA, where Barry Burkas is currently sitting. It serves as a starting point for his reflections on his travels and architectural influences. The mention of Santa Barbara situates the speaker geographically and provides a personal context for his architectural musings.

💡Exercise

In the context of the video, 'exercise' refers to the act of keeping one's mind and body active and engaged. Burkas suggests that architects use exercise as a way to refresh their minds, which is essential for creative thinking in their profession. It also implies the physical act of drawing as a form of mental and physical exercise.

💡Villages

Villages are small human settlements that often have a rich history and cultural significance. Throughout the transcript, Burkas reflects on memorable villages he has visited, which have influenced his architectural work. Villages represent the essence of how people have lived over centuries and the architectural styles that have endured.

💡Memorable Elements

Memorable elements refer to the aspects of a place or design that leave a lasting impression on the observer. Burkas discusses how certain villages have become memorable elements in his mind, influencing his architectural designs. These elements are what make a place distinctive and significant.

💡Influence

Influence here means the effect that one thing has on another, causing change or development. Burkas talks about how the villages he has visited have influenced his architecture, suggesting that travel and observation can inspire and shape an architect's work.

💡Drawings

Drawings are visual representations used by architects to communicate their designs. Burkas mentions that he enjoys creating drawings as a form of exercise for his memory and hand. These drawings, whether of real or imagined villages, are a way for him to explore and express his architectural ideas.

💡Imaginative Villages

Imaginative villages are the fictional places that Burkas creates in his mind, which are influenced by his experiences and observations. These villages, though they do not exist in reality, serve as a source of inspiration for his architectural designs, blending reality with imagination.

💡Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical structures. The video's main theme revolves around architecture, with Burkas discussing how his experiences and drawings influence his approach to architectural design.

💡Memory

Memory, in this context, refers to the mental capacity to recall past experiences and information. Burkas uses memory as a tool for his architectural practice, drawing from his experiences to create designs that are influenced by the places he has visited.

💡Enjoyable Profession

Enjoyable profession refers to a career that brings satisfaction and pleasure. Burkas suggests that being an architect, artist, or drawer is an enjoyable profession because it allows for creativity, personal expression, and the opportunity to leave a lasting impact through one's work.

Highlights

Barry Burkas is an architect based in Santa Barbara.

He dreams about places he's visited like Europe and Asia.

Architects exercise their minds and bodies to stay fresh.

Burkas reflects on memorable villages that influence his architecture.

He ponders why certain architectural forms have lasted centuries.

Burkas believes that architecture should be timeless and memorable.

He enjoys creating drawings of places he's been.

Burkas often sketches while traveling or dining out.

He has traded drawings for food during restaurant tours.

Sketching is an exercise in memory for Burkas.

His drawings reflect his experiences and influence his work.

Burkas creates drawings of imaginary villages that influence his architecture.

He encourages architects and artists to continue drawing for enjoyment.

Burkas views architecture as one of the most enjoyable professions.

He emphasizes the importance of the hand in expressing identity and experiences.

Burkas believes that the growth and change of villages over time are crucial to their architectural significance.

He suggests that the longevity of architecture is tied to its ability to withstand the test of time and remain relevant.

Burkas thinks that the trendiness of architecture can lead to its obsolescence.