< Thom Mayne
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- Solid0
How many of you in WSDIA, if you don't mind my asking ..
- jondj240
yeah ivan a friend of mine made design for that competition and had me critique it but he never sent it in...he also was dissapointed with the level of entries.
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Solid:
15.
jk. only 2. but we collab all the time so i never like to put a number on it.
- Solid0
bah - 15 is too many anyway - then you become a manager instead of a designer ;)
You wanna be quick and light, stick and move :D
- ivan_cook0
time for me to get a drink, but it's been a blast chatting.
expect emails...
:-)
- unfittoprint0
I beg to differ regarding OMA's work experience. Two people I know very well including my best friend have been working there for the last 5 years and the type of 'hell' is much, much less you would encounter in other high profile bureaus. Remember, it's Rem's shack and a lot of people are willing to show why they deserve to be there, even if not asked.
A gf of mine worked in UNStudio, and the level of 'backstabbing' / 'sweatshop' was much, much higher.http://www.meyer-vanschooten.nl/…
Meyer en van Schooten, where I worked, had an incredible atmospshere, dynamics, projects and especially respect for each worker and its rights.
ONCE I was kindly asked if it was OK to work until 10pm by one of the associates. I was mesmerized.If you're looking for hell, check Mediterranean officesin Portugal, Spain or Italy like the ones Fuksas, Siza or Miralles run. Believe me, hell is a good place compareed to that.
- jondj240
yes yes...short small and sweet
- Solid0
unfittoprint: It's interesting to hear the other side of the story - most of what I hear is second/third hand at best.
I think all of you should relocate to Toronto - I have desks and chairs for all of you :D
ok that wasn't really funny ..
- vburo0
woah unfit! if your story/version is true then i guess the architecture students here are a bit spoiled..
but still, over the past few years i have spoken to several people about OMA's atmosphere and none of them where very positive about it.. but only one had some real work experience there..
btw. a year ago i met this lovely asian girl who was also working at meyer and vanschooten and she actually said the same about Koolhaas...
i wonder if you know her tho.. i'd have to look up her bizcard..
- vburo0
ah found the card..
Minako Tanaka.
I actually met her in a bar after the NT meeting in Amsterdam last year, she's the gf of a member of the band Kenshiro, where tomkat is part of.. ;)
- unfittoprint0
Stewart told me about her.. must have been immediatelly after I worked.
I was one of the first non Dutch workers there, and in my last months, there was this japanese interns arriving to a lot of high profile bureaus. Probably she was one of those that came later.
Ours had this guy, that was sponsored by, get this, Canon [!??].
He used to work in a totally different CAD environment, so I decided to give the man some lights in AutoCAD and MAX modelling. After 4 days he modelled an entire section of the ING headquarters in Amsterdam - centimeter level!!
note to self: get japanese interns when opening your first offcie.
- Solid0
LOL :D
- unfittoprint0
well the project was already "over"* when I arrived. The kid was still a student so he worked on the presentation/promotion of it.
"over"* - a special status when the client thinks the project is finished when in reality the architect is freaking out with major problems in foundation's stability and huge cuts on the electricity/sewage department that may jeopardize the whole project and banrupt the bureau itself. The architect may or may not believe in God at the end of the process.
- vburo0
omg unfit.. but that makes it so bloody fascinating alltogether imho.
i hope we will meet soon and have some beers so i can enjoy more of these great anecdotes!
- unfittoprint0
I may be heading to A'Dam sooner than I think. I'll let you know.
and yes, it is fascinating.
also nerve wrecking, tragic, violent, corruptive and homicidal.
- vburo0
cheers.
;)