The architect and outspoken former city councilmember on the next generation, building local and the real meaning of sustainability.
What do you do for a living?
I’m an architect; no specialty, just a general practitioner.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing that?
I’d be an artist, a writer, a builder, a mushroom hunter and a scavenger.
What do you do in your free time?
All of the above. And family.
What’s your favorite street?
Ocean Street Extension in Santa Cruz. Benefit Street in Providence.
Name something you’re excited about.
The next generation. They seem to be free of the self-righteousness and sense of entitlement that derailed my generation.
What’s your favorite building material?
Raw, salvaged or made-to-order anything. Build local.
Name a pet peeve.
The idea that sustainability is something you can buy. Sustainability is ultimately about NOT buying something.
What are you reading?
Chris Alexander’s The Nature of Order, Book 2, and Karsten Harries’ The Ethical Function of Architecture.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in the last three years?
Love isn’t all you need. It’s all you are.
Secret star crush?
No crushes, but Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Juliette Binoche, Liv Ullman and Dominique Sanda have all held my attention on occasion.
