If you've been to Herzog and de Meuron buildings, it's very easy to be an admirer. Not because if the big name since a lot of the times even buildings by famous architects weren't as good in real life as what you knew and saw from pictures. Like how I studies and admired Zaha Hadid during my years of architecture school (at least her earlier decontructive works) but I really hated being in her buildings. Same thing with Bjarke Ingles (although I never really was a fan anyway).
In HdM's buildings it was completely the opposite. I was actually surprised at how good the understanding of space and flow is inside a weird looking building. It's easy to move and to be oriented. It's comfortable. Made me want want to see and study the floor plans.
Their materials, of course, goes without saying.
And then there's the craftmanship. The workmanship. That is impeccable. Every corners, every details, terminations, finishings. The consistencies. I couldn't know if they were done with authoritativeiron fists, but when I saw the end results I knew they were done by people who care enough to have such meticulous works.
All these is to say that if I had the opportunity to visit their buildings, naturally I would take it. I miss being surrounded by people who understand this. Who could appreciate it as much as I do. Instead of being singled out and mocked because I wanted to spend my time to see this. To see something good. To appreciate people who care. To see that it could be done.
I say this because it's fucking tiring to deal with people, on daily basis, who half-arsed everything. To work on shitty projects one after another. With people who couldn't care less. Who are there just to clock in and clock out. I'm not ambitious by any means I think everyone should be able to chill and live a slow life. I also understand being cogs in the machines working hard to increase the wealth of the capitalists we work for.
But I also think if we put a little more effort, it'll be a lot more easier for everyone. It's surprising really in this industry, at least in the shit city of Jakarta, how little people actually care about having a robust finished project. It's tiring to have to be a madman just because I wanna see for once a good result of what I work for. But honestly what could we expect really from people who believe they could have a good finished construction project just by working with whatsapp groups and occassional zoom meetings. If they even want to see one.
