In this installment of COFFEE WITH AN ARCHITECT, Jody Brown takes us back to that moment when we young architects, through donning of black-rimmed glasses and an air of ambivalence, found cultural investiture in our profession.
Jody Brown is just an Architect, standing in front of an ideology, asking it to love him.
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I worked on a famous building you have also never heard of. I won an award for that too. I have a plaque with my name in fancy lettering in my office. I have a turtle neck. Not a “mock-turtle-neck”. Those are for writers or journalists. Your tie is crooked. I noticed that when you first came over. I could fix that, but what’s the point really. Also, there were seventeen canapes on that tray and only sixteen had tooth picks in them. The mirror on that wall is slightly tilted. And, this part of the flooring is not original to the building. And, that sprinkler head is slightly off center. And, seriously, go get me another cosmo … I’m an Architect. I’m the most interesting man in the room. Stay thirsty my friends J Photo courtesy of John McNab’s photostream on Flickr and used under the Creative Commons license.
Jody Brown AIA Brown is an Architect and principal of Jody Brown Architecture pllc., in Durham, NC. His interests and the firm's portfolio is focused largely on urban infill, mixed-use, urban design, and urban renewal projects. In his 18-years of practice, he has built on his passion for planning and urban design; working on enhancing, adding-to, re-using, renovating, and sometimes creating-from-scratch the places where people meet, learn, play, and become inspired. His work is grounded in the belief that Architecture can save cities. When he’s not doing that, he can be found making fun of himself and his profession, and blogging about his ideals at – Coffee with an Architect. Or, you can find him sipping coffee with someone at a cafe near you, blathering on-and-on about Le Corbusier, while looking aloof and interesting at the same time.
WWW.AIA.ORG/YAF
NOVEMBER 2014
61