Building the "best idea"

Before they actually build a structure, architects build the best idea for it. To do that, they cultivate a creative culture at their firms.

As I read this inspiring article about it in the 02/08 issue of Architectural Record, I kept substituting the word "school" or "committee" or "classroom" for the word "firm." It made a pretty good fit.

As a student-projects advocate, I loved many of the sound bites:

Architecture schools are required to demonstrate a healthy design studio culture in order to be accredited, and criteria include encouraging “respect, engagement, and innovation among faculty and student body,” which should serve as a model of professional conduct in the future.

Here are a few strategies suggested by experts to encourage innovation that might surprise you: Hire naive misfits who argue with you; encourage failure; avoid letting client input limit your vision; and fully commit to risky ventures.

“Fail often to succeed sooner.”

“Don’t do what the customer wants; do something better.”

And it was really interesting that they used the U.S. Navy as a template; noting that the Navy encourages, by design, that the Executive Officer, second in command, has the "responsibility of providing alternative, even self- consciously innovative, solutions to problems that may arise in battle or in other emergency situations."

Bumper sticker are available in the lobby: “Fail often to succeed sooner.”