New-York-based architect Robert Young challenged his audience to think simply in order to create complex works of art.
Young spoke to a packed auditorium Wednesday night in the Design Building as part of the School of Architecture’s lecture series.
Young is an associate partner at Polshek Partnership, a firm known for its commitment to civic and scientific institutions. His projects include renovations of the basement theater of Carnegie Hall, the Newsroom in Washington, D.C., the Brooklyn Museum of Art and President Clinton’s library in Little Rock, Ark.
“[Young] simplified complex ideas,” architecture graduate student Roland Bodden said. “He stayed consistent with the theme of simplicity throughout.”
Young presented six past building projects, showed the drawings and designs of each project and gave insights into their construction.
Young said many young architects become too involved with computer drawings that have nothing to do with the building itself. He stressed keeping ideas and drawings simple.
“If you can’t describe your project in a couple of sentences on the phone, then you don’t have a clear concept,” Young said.
Each lecture in the series is fully funded through donations. This particular lecture was sponsored by Baton-Rouge-based firm Grace and Hebert.
“This source of funding testifies to the understanding among architects that these lectures are valuable to our students,” said Jim Sullivan, Director of the Office of Novice Design Education.
Young said architects need to be more supportive of each other.
“Architecture is a profession that traditionally eats its young,” he said. “Architects have a bad habit of seeing buildings go up and being angry because they aren’t their projects.”
—-Contact Jack Leblanc at [email protected]