to journeyman, to master. These three levels have a delicate circular interplay with one another. The apprentice does not have the building blocks in place to even understand how limited his/ her knowledge actually is. The journeyman may begin to understand what perfection is, but may not yet know how to achieve it. The master executes with superior ability and yet still strives to improve. After a lifetime of growth and refinement, does he/she remember with any great detail what it is to be a novice?
only be internalized through plodding, time, mistakes and reflection. Each person’s path is different, and as such, the experiences that hone a skill into craft become as unique as each individual’s story. I look back on my own path and remember clearly what it is to be a novice, but I also have a vision of the advanced levels I hope to achieve in the future, having come to learn about discipline, determination, precision, and focus, just a few of the qualities that help to develop craft.
Through each of my experiences, I have seen how difficult it is to achieve mastery. A good mentor may be able to teach many aspects of a discipline and even prepare a person conceptually for greater topics to come, but there is a certain amount of familiarity that can
Image Credits
Title image_Photo by author Image01_Photo by Viola Kosseda. Cornell University Solar Decathlon 2009 Silo House Image02_Photo by author. BUILDlab, LLC’s Midline House
Chris Werner Chris Werner graduated from Cornell University with a Master of Architecture degree in 2010. He served as project manager for the Cornell University Solar Decathlon team’s Silo House from 2007 - 2009. Prior to studying architecture, Chris studied English literature at Miami University, worked as a kayak guide in Washington state and Costa Rica, and a carpenter in and around Washington, DC. After architecture school he worked as a designer and builder at BUILDlab, LLC in Ithaca, NY. He now works at Landry Design Group in Los Angeles, CA.
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