It is all because of WHAT IF

It is Saturday morning and it’s snowing. I’m running up and down the 18th Avenue taking pictures of buildings. It’s freezing. I could be sitting at Starbucks sipping hot Earl Gray tea but here I am instead. Why?

It’s all because of WHAT IF.

The design of the new addition was all done. The original option was just fine. It met all the program requirements and it made sense. It was the first and the obvious solution. We thought we were done.

I set at my drafting table on Friday knowing that I will get myself in trouble. My head spinning and full of questions: What if we look at the context? What if we address the street better? What if we hide the parking behind the building? What if we create more exciting building form? The new option emerged in a matter of minutes. The new form addresses the neighborhood context so much better. The circulation on site is very clear. And there is so much more potential in terms of creating an interesting façade.

But now we have to figure it out. Study the adjacent buildings; take pictures of the streetscape, back to sketches and studies. More work for us. Darn it!

So here I am, in the snow. On Saturday morning. Freezing! All giddy with excitement about the better “way to skin the cat”.