Architect In Training

This man right here is one of the muses that I look to for guidance when it comes to my whole architecture endeavor.  Let me introduce Paul Williams to you all.

Paul Williams was the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects, architect to the stars of his time, and an influencial man to me doing what I want to do.  At the age of 25, he won a competition for architecture and three years later, opened and ran his own office [that's 28]. 

Now Paul was born in 1894 and back when he started his career as an Architect [1922], there was a lot of segregation and racial bigotry still.  But that didn't stop this man in his quest to perform at the best of his abilities.  He was quoted once saying "If I allow the fact that I am a Negro to checkmate my will to do now, I will inevitably form the habit of being defeated." 













[Theme Building @ LAX]

Everytime I get tired and frustrated [for example, yesterday in the Captain's Log], I look to this man and what he did for some sort of inspiration in what I can do.  Sure, the job market is sucks, and the economy is in a recession, but so what.  Anything can happen.  If this man can perfect the craft of hand drafting residential houses upside down because his clients did not want to / feared sitting next to him, then damn it, I will be okay. 

What stories like that also have shown me is that the only color that really seems to matter in this world is green. No matter what the ills of this world may be, as long as you are the best at what you do, the green will come your way.  So what am I doing to become the best at what I do?  A lot.  First off, I got like 6 months to win a competition like my man Paul did.  I'm following Paul.  Thanks for leading. 

















[Beverly Hills Hotel - California]
All the above pictures are projects that Mr. Williams either designed or helped design [and these are just a few].

Thomas Bowman Out.