Hey, it’s David.

Milan, October 2012, my second year of uni. We’ve just started learning CAD (computer-aided design) programs. Or, at least, we were expected to learn them by ourselves whilst trying to comprehend the basics of architecture and break our minds to develop spatial intelligence.

It didn’t seem like the right time, to be honest. I always thought everything else was more important. Freehand drawing, representation studio (descriptive geometry), history of architecture, urbanism, mathematics, building technology, and so on, and so on.

I was wrong.

Well, at the time.

You know how tools don’t really mean anything without the intelligence?

But university works differently at the bachelors level. You are better off killing at CAD and Photoshop than by presenting a valuable, thorough design solution. As if you’re presenting to an friend who cannot visualize your ideas…

The whole context of what’s important in architecture doesn’t fit the idea of a system that values only a final render.

I’ve had this colleague, Bar. Great sketching and thinking skills. We did some projects together and could immediately understand each others’ ideas through a simple (or more detailed at times) sketch.

I loved that. You don’t click with that many people in terms of design thinking.

There were better sketchers (is that a word?), but worse thinkers. They’d go into detail to make a perfect drawing, so much that the core idea was left underdeveloped.

I hated that.

The pattern continued when they swapped their tool (a pencil) for CAD. AutoCAD, Archicad, Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Grasshopper…the list is endless. For renderings, Lumion, Enscape, Artlantis, 3DMax, VRay, Cinema 4D.

Perfect drawings. Perfect renderings. Bullshit ideas.

Because they chose tools over intelligence.

They’ve soon become commodified by rushing to learn just the tools. And if you’re not convinced in this point of view, just take a look at people’s portfolios or job postings for architects. You’ll see a ton of tools needed to join the team. The thinking (i.e. intelligence) is nowhere to be found because they’re not looking for a partner, but a worker.

But for a smaller percentage of architects, that’s not the case.

They use their tools, upgrade when necessary, but the highest effort goes to personal and professional development so they can emerge from the noise of sameness. So they can land better jobs, get recognized for their thinking, build something that matters.

That’s what partners are for.

They know that tools don’t mean much if intelligence isn’t developed.

That tools are second to the intelligence.

If you’re like me, you’re probably leaning towards this smaller group. You don’t want to be commodified and you’re constantly developing your professional mind.

The best way of developing yourself is through, what I call, contextual intelligence. I’ve yet to discover something more meaningful in our dear profession.

I’ve spent years of education across Europe, worked different jobs - from design and conservation studio, to chief state architect advisor, to research and teaching assistant at master’s design studios - to learn this. I’ve developed frameworks for addressing any context and I continue to perfect them every day in my practice and in my research.

As I love doing that, and love working with this smaller group that I’ve mentioned - of ambitious, curious, research driven architects, I decided to build a product that helps prospects elevate their design confidence by mastering contextual intelligence.

My goal is that my clients build standout careers and professional presence.

Because, then, one by one, we can create the future heritage.

If you read my previous letters and deep dives you’ll see there’s a lot of intersections between design and conservation.

It’s one of the core thinking processes behind this product so you can start looking for clues already.

When I officially launch it, you’ll be the first to know.

Talk soon.

David

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P.S. What are your key design challenges? I’d love to know.

P.P.S. If you’re facing design issues on your current project, I’d be glad to hop on a call and help you.