Racing Old Cars is Not Too Different from Designing a Structure.
I often find myself with plenty of free time while at a vintage race weekend. During this free time, I have come to the conclusion that both vintage racing and architectural design are very similar in time and effort. For example, planning to race the 1972 Merlyn Formula Ford at Indy for the first time, requires as much planning as one needs before one breaks ground on a new home. There is fuel to buy, spare parts to locate, crew to contact, and the car itself that needs attention. When one decides to undertake a new home-the planning is intense, but worth it if done correctly. I always tell my clients that the goal is to create a home where you feel like you awake and are on vacation. To get to that place-the amount of input decisions for wants-likes-must haves-and would love to have-leads to design decisions that fall under a budget for a new home.
My racing of my old cars is stressful. Once you are out on the track, the amount of awareness one needs to compete, and not wreck, is pretty high. For instance-while racing, I am always checking my gauges, at least on the straights of the track, and I am watching my mirrors for other racers, and trying to focus on my race markers for that “perfect lap”, and watching for the corner workers who may be flagging me to communicate track conditions. It is often information overload. Designing a home can also be “information overload”. How does one sort through the information, all the while, playing psychiatrist, to truly become one with your client and create a design solution that meets their every desire? It is not easy. Like a racer, you need to filter through the available information and decide what is important, and what may be less important. However, like a racer-do not disregard a waving red flag.
An Architect’s intuition or experience will go a long way towards making the best decisions, just as experience behind the wheel in a race car will certainly lead to a better finish in a race. Racing has taught me to sometimes pause-look around-and evaluate our goals, often, I find that I also need to listen to my crew chief and what he sees from outside the cockpit. Home design, a very personal experience for my clients, should always be as personal for me-now, I make sure I take the time to be a better listener, including listening to my staff.
So, come to a race sometime-watch the level of concentration required, and then imagine how similar a successful race is not too different from a successful design project-hopefully, the results lead to a podium finish or a vacation-like feeling.