How To Think Like An Architect: Exercising the Imagination

Summary

Architect 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.