Behind the Committee: Tour of Homes, Take 1
The simple answer for the committee's objective is to showcase the residential talent of AIA Dallas architects; there is a twist when we realize the committee is made up of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Each have individual ideas on what constitutes talent that deserves to be showcased and why they volunteer. In this series of posts, various members of the Tour of Homes Committee will provide their experiences in planning & organizing a tour of this scale, perspectives on design, and what it all means to them.
To be honest, as an architectural intern my experience on the committee thus far is pretty cool and I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit and evaluate such a variety of unique residential projects in Dallas. By coincidence, the candidate homes we have toured uncovered a parallel to my life outside the office. The past several weeks have been filled with home visits on both a professional level (the Tour of Homes committee) and a personal level as I searched Dallas for my first home. Granted, there are differences between the homes submitted for the Tour of Homes and the home for me. For starters, the commitment level of design decisions in creating a home versus finding the right combination of decisions made by a previous owner/architect.
It seems to me that residential architecture is a series of opportunities, a series of puzzles waiting to be solved. I like to think that those responsible for the projects submitted for the tour (both architect and client) approached their projects that same way. I think it’s the scale of a residential project and the fact that they are lived in that makes these projects a showcase of the solved puzzles, the opportunities taken. It is refreshing to see that puzzle/circumstances were not hidden away but rather brought forth to demonstrate the capability of design. In going from one project to the next, I was intrigued to see the same opportunity arise and to see that the solution differs. I consider these lessons both for myself as an architectural intern and a lesson for even the most seasoned architect.
With a little luck, I will always find something that questions my training and initial response. Having submitted an offer on (hpossibly) my first home, I hope that I have found a place where I can take advantage of the opportunities as they arise...and I’m sure I will have days that I prefer to have the absence of puzzles and opportunities to solve them.
Potential First Home, Ryan Thomason
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