GREEN WITH ENVY

WHATS THE MATTER?

AND WHY DOES IT?
WRIT 340 Advanced Writing for Business Marshall School of Business University of Southern California

MICHAEL B. LEHRER, FAIA

LEHRERARCHITECTS LA

ARCHITECTURE IS THE SHAPING OF SPACE WITH OBJECTS IN LIGHT TO CREATE PRACTICAL AND EMOTIVE PLACES

COMMUNITY MATTERS STORIES MATTER GOODIES MATTER MATTERS OF FACT

BEAUTY MATTERS LOVE MATTERS

COMMUNITY MATTERS
ALWAYS

We are part of the community of THE CULTURE, THE COUNTRY; FOR US, THE UNITED STATES Which consists of the community of STATES; FOR US, CALIFORNIA Which consists of the community of REGIONS AND CITIES; FOR US, LOS ANGELES Which consists of the community of NEIGHBORHOODS AND INSTITUTIONS; FOR US, USC Which consists of the community of SCHOOLS; FOR US, THE MARSHALL SCHOOL Which consists of the community of DEPARTMENTS, PROGRAMS, AND COURSES; FOR US, WRIT 340 Which consists of the community of US: STUDENTS,TEACHERS,VISITORS. We are part of MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AT ONCE. We are part of the community of ONE, OURSELVES

COMMUNITY MATTERS
BECAUSE IT MAKES SHARED HISTORIES
Communities share time and/or place, and/or values. This sharing is where our histories begin. Making places that matter, that aggressively make people happy to be alive work, live, recreate, sharehistories is noble, sacred work. It is a rudiment, not a luxury item.

COMMUNITY MATTERS

MAKE COMMUNITIES OF DESIRE.

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO BEFORE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

STORIES MATTER
Community is a self-fulfilling prophecy
If someone tells you a place is fancy, it becomes fancier...If someone tells you a place is bad, it becomes badder The extremely psychological nature of urban design and the way we value communities.

STORIES MATTER
Community is a Psychological Endeavor
. CITIZENS ARE LAY PEOPLE Citizen is like every business student before his/her 1st day of B School . They dont have the language, verbal or visual to describe what they want. They know what they want (maybe), and probably no more In urban design, how one describes a place can often be the transformative work, preceding by years, actual transformation on the ground.

STORIES MATTER
GOOD NEWS MATTERS
actually more than bad news. Find meaning where others havent: Love your community and mine it for every ounce of beauty

GOODIES MATTER
All stakeholders/constituents/communities need long term and immediate gratification

NO MEMORY NO PROPHECY
People have no memory longer than 3 weeks backwards or able to project 3 weeks forward: JUST LOOK AT THE PRIMARIES. Making a Difference: Palpable, visceral change. Potholes, infrastructure.

DEGREES OF PERMANANCE

QUICK, POTENT, IMPACT, MESSY, CHEAP

FELT IN YOUR GUT even more than your brain

GOODIES MATTER

FELT IN YOUR GUT even more than your brain

GOODIES MATTER

FELT IN YOUR GUT even more than your brain

GOODIES MATTER

FELT IN YOUR GUT even more than your brain

GOODIES MATTER

MATTERS OF FACT
PROBLEMS INFRASTRUCTURE DELIGHT

MATTERS OF FACT PROBLEMS

Projects are PROBLEM solving endeavors. PROBLEMS.
For normal people that means somebody has failed, has been derelict, incompetent, malfeasance.

Solving PROBLEMS is the nature of real work

MATTERS OF FACT

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE
BEAUTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, invariably de-linked, MUST BE AN INSEPARABLE UNITY to change the culture

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE

The more effective it is, the more invisible it is.

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Often one-liners: the LEAST it must be

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE

versus the MOST it can be

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE BEAUTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, invariably de-linked, MUST BE AN INSEPARABLE UNITY to change the culture

BEAUTY & LOVE MATTER

TRANSCENDANT QUALITIES THAT CAPTURE THE MINDS EYE AND SOUL, TRANSFORMING LIVES AND CULTURE

BEAUTY : PRETTY LOVE : LIKE

Mona Simpson on her brother, Steve Jobs: Novelty was not Steves HIGHEST VALUE, BEAUTY was. LOVE WAS HIS HIGHEST VIRTUE, HIS GODS OF GODS

LOVE OF COMMUNITY

OF PEOPLE OF THE LAND OF NATURE

OF PLACE OF SPACE OF MAKING
PLACES THAT AGGRESSIVELY MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY
OF LIGHT/OF DELIGHT

Firmitas, Utilitas, et Venustas Firmness, Commodity and

DELIGHT
VITRUVIUS

THE BEAUTY OF PERFORMANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF BEAUTY BEAUTY AND SUSTAINABILITY, AN INSEPARABLE COUPLET THE LUXURY OF SUSTAINABILITY THE VALUE OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAUTY OF VALUE(S) BEAUTY IS A RUDIMENT OF HUMAN DIGNITY

THE LUXURY OF SUSTAINABILITY

BECAUSE WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE LAND OF WONDERFUL STORIES AND WONDERFUL CLIMATE, WHERE EVERYTHING GROWS AND EVERYONE THRIVES.. AS LONG AS YOU BRING WATER FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY!!!!

 WE SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET WATER OUT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WE SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BRING IT TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIATHATS THE CRAZY STORY OF WATER.

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS

THE FIRST LEED PLATINUM MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD

DESIGN TEAM
Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA Lehrer Architects Mark S. Gangi, AIA Gangi Architects Landscape - Mia Lehrer & Associates Frank Gangi Gangi Builders Specifications Gerard Sanchis Civil KPFF M&P IBE Consulting Engineers LEED Commissioning IBE LEED Consultant Zinner Assoc. Electrical / Solar Dr. Peter Gevorkian Vector Delta Design Structural Nabih Youssef & Associates Exhibition Design Craftsman International Patron Phil Pace, Chairman of the Board of the MWD Patron Howard Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Western Center

THIS IS OUR GREEN STORY . IT BEGINS WITH HOPE

AND THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS:

A TYPICAL 3 HOUR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TELLS IT ALL

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 1

PRESENT SUSTAINABLE IDEAS

THE BOARD IS EXCITED AND THERE IS COMPLETE BUY -IN

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 2

DISCUSSION OF THE LOGISTICS & OTHER ISSUES

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 3
COST IS PRESENTED

THERE IS NO MEMORY OF HOUR 1

THE BOARD GOES NUTS AND ASKS, WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE DO THIS?! ITS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THIS PROJECT!

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

ACCEPTANCE
PARTNERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

HONESTY
RISK TAKING TENACITY

CAJOLING
GOOD NATURE

NOT OVER PROMISING

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

ACCEPTANCE
- EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE - THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL
-THE ANSWER IS NOT WE CANT DO IT RATHER HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN - TO DO THIS, IS NOT A NO-BRAINER, THIS IS A BRAINER

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WHERE EVERYTHING GROWS AND EVERYONE THRIVES.. AS LONG AS YOU BRING WATER FROM HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS AWAY!!!!!!!!

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

LANDFILL AND SPOILS

PUMP HOUSE DAM ROCK MINE

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

VISUAL PRE-OCCUPATIONS; SERIALITY, PRIMAL FORM & GEOMETRY,THE RUDIMENTARY

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HONORING THE ARCHITECTURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

THE PURSUIT OF A HIGH-TONED SUSTAINABLE PROJECT -- LET ALONE A LEED CERTIFIED, LET ALONE A LEED PLATINUM BUILDING -- WAS SO NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

LOGGIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

FINALLY, THIS IS WHY BEAUTY AND SUSTAINABILITY TOGETHER, MATTER. INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, AND MAKE THEIR INCREMENTAL DIFFERENCE. .. BUT TO CHANGE CULTURE, PROJECTS MUST CAPTURE THE IMAGINATION OF THE CULTURE TO MAKE IT DEMAND AND DESIRE CHANGE.