Building an Archive


WHEN CLEARING OUT THE CLUTTER, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO REMEMBER TO SAVE WHAT'S IMPORTANT. 
I started thinking about this even more the other night at a Publicolor event when I had the honor of sitting next to, and talking with, Robert Siegel of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates. We started talking about the Lescaze Townhouse and my going up to The Architecture School at Syracuse to research Lescaze. He told me he doesn’t habitually archive things, but that was really (the late) Charles Gwathmey's forte. For Siegel, it is the building itself that is the archive. He stated that if Charlie hadn't archived all along, and they to recreate the drawings and thinking now, that it probably would never get done. This made me appreciate even more the gifts Lescaze left, and not just the house!

There are things that tell the story of our lives; things that we love and hold onto. Olivia's artwork, the painting of the buddha holding a balloon that goes from house to house, photos, etc. Sometimes your life plan becomes apparent by the things we save. This is my biggest lesson from Lescaze... he left me a plan, a way into his intention, and an archive for everyone to learn from. Reconfirming for me, once again, the importance of his legacy.