Ever since I can remember I had a soccer ball at my feet. Coming from a family of soccer fanatics I was grandfathered into a sport that I continue to play and learn from to this day. I have been playing since I could walk, from recreational games when I was a kid to collegiate ball. Throughout the years there were championships and there were games I only remember for how cold it was outside.

Drew as a high school senior in 2004

No matter the importance of the game I always brought the same energy and competitive spirit every single time. As a competitor in general there is nothing more exciting than playing in front of a huge crowd of people and feeding off their energy. As a player on the field you have the opportunity to dictate the pace of the game. You grab the spirit of the spectators and take them on this ride. It’s a roller coaster of emotions dictated by your instinctive decision on the field. There is something so raw and true about sports. You trust your knowledge of the game from practice after practice and have the confidence that it will carry you to victory. My coach once told me that sports reveal your true character, and this revealing is what fans connect with.

There is this link that is created between the player and the fan strictly based on energy. Players hold a certain power over the spectators, as if we are puppet masters. Fans watch your every move, throw their drinks when you miss a wide-open shot, and stomp the bleachers in unison when the ball goes in the back of the net. But, fans underestimate their impact on the game; players thrive off the fire and excitement that they show. We seek approval from our fans and their involvement or burst of emotion can spark the intensity to make that tackle or shot to win the game. This relationship between player and spectator is one of the longest and well-known relationships in my life next to the one with my family. It wasn’t until recently that I have learned its importance to me in my profession.

While studying abroad in Spain in Fall 2007, Drew attended every home game FC Barcelona played in Camp Nou stadium. The stadium sold out all 98,800 seats every game.

You see, as an architect the collaborative process of design truly thrives on creativity, instinctive decisions, and the emotions of design. When the stake of the game is an $800 million skyscraper, I would say you are truly going to “feel the energy” between you and the client. You both are in this process, where feeding off of one another’s excitement can be the gel to hold the project together. The client must trust you as the architect to take such a feat on, but at the same time it’s the client’s raw emotions and reactions to the design that dictate how the game is played.

I hope I never forget how important it is to trust my design intuition as I do on the soccer field. I know the game of soccer so well I don’t even have to think about my next move, there is a level of confidence, poise, and passion that I have while playing soccer. I am quickly realizing the importance of these qualities in my professional life. Never underestimate how your excitement and expertise can inspire a fan or a client, it is this energy that allows them to buy into the design or game and jump on board for the ride. At the same time, for me as a professional one of the most inspiring things can be a client’s approval or smile. The raw emotion of approval will be more of a driver than ever to push the design.

Drew, in the MA&D office

2 Comments

Ditto!

Great blog post!