We have a series of blog posts where each person here at Convergence shares an image that influenced and/or inspired them to join the architecture and design field. The image(s) can be whatever strikes the person’s fancy- a building, a park, a scenic image, a design motif or detailing… any visual representation that can help to share a bit of insight into how and why the person got into this field and the work that we do.

Today Natalie shares what inspires her.

I began my journey in architecture after a long struggle with my inner polymath. With interests that span technology, psychology, science, music, art, and theory, I found architecture to be a place where I could find all my passions. 

I committed to my architectural journey in 2005 as a student at Washington State University. This path wasn’t something I had initially planned, although I had explored spatial design through play and drawing during my childhood. I found myself lifeless in a neuroscience program and sought passionate energy and excitement for the human condition. One restless night, I found that energy while observing a group of students working late into the night, filled with a comical spirit, in an intriguing building I had decided to explore.

I felt a passion building within me as I explored images similar to Tadao Ando’s 21_21 Design Sight. Although 21_21 Design Sight was completed midway through my architectural education, it perfectly exemplifies the design attributes that inspired my pursuit of architecture.   The unique folds of the planes, unexpected lines and alignments, and the interplay of light to express beautiful geometric compositions all reminded me of the joy I found in remarkable spatial experiences. I wanted to create that joy and share it with the world.

Ando hopes that 21_21 Design Sight will serve as a cultural hub where a variety of people, especially the young, will experience the potential of design so that they can leverage it in shaping their cultural identity in the future. 
Photo: Masaya Yoshimura

Beautiful details in harmony with the sunlight coming through the windows.
Photo: Masaya Yoshimura

*Images by Masaya Yoshimura, www.interactiongreen.com/21-21-design-sight-designed-by-tadao-ando/