Sometimes, “you can’t see the forest through the trees.”
We have a tendency, during the design process, to increasingly become more and more focused on the specifics of our design projects. We dig deep into the decisions about all sorts of detailed, yet important, design problems. It is easy to lose sight of the big picture.
So at this point, force yourself to….
ZOOM OUT
And ask….
What is the big idea? (what am I really trying to do with this project?)
How does my project engage the landscape?
How does the architecture reveal aspects of the natural world?
How does the building help to teach about ecology?
How does the building raise awareness?
Did I lose sight my initial concept?
Are there new ideas that this study reveals?
(Let the work speak back to you)
What other possibilities exist?
What interesting questions does my project raise?
What is my project telling me now? (and does it give me direction for moving forward?)
Are there other ways (alternatives) to accomplish this idea?
Don’t start over – but be open to shifting directions.
And… keep the main idea the main idea.
