I read this book in 1974 as a drippy hippy. I became a carpenter , an engineer a jazz-musician and an amateur dancer. None of these important parts of my life would have been possible without the classical appreciation of all of them alongside my natural romantic bent. I am so glad that this book is still spreading its message.
This is really interesting and reminds me a lot of architecture education. It seems that a lot of consents are framed in dichotomies such as the romantic and classical understandings of quality, but it is more of a melding of these two schools of thought that provide a better overall product.
I read ZAMM while working on the final thesis of my Master of Architecture. And devoured it! As interest in and influence of the book ramped upward, so did, hand in hand, the quality of my thesis. Both the classical and the romantic fused into the visceral. The classical was required to be practical. It had to work; it had to buildable. To that end , the proposed architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical components had to be approved in principle. By a practicing architect. And practicing engineers. Likewise the romantic, by the lead examiner/professor and the assistant examiners/professors. And again, likewise, the visceral, the ethereal, the good - by me. The irreducible universe. And among others, then and now, I thank Robert M. Pirsig (RIP).
Quality exists before subjectivity and objectivity because our universe is founded on quality. It is that basic. The relationship between the frequencies of an electron orbital is exactly the same as in musical scales, for instance. Quality is just a word, harmony is a better word when talking about the universe. Everything is art. Unfortunately the human mind is only 100,000 years old, or so, born from a vicious, painful, traumatized history. It evolved to make tools and speech to communicate these skills, so hunter gatherers could have an edge. Not to see things as they are. We weren't born seeing things as they are, that's why death scares most of us, unless you meditate that is.
An excellent video and a tribute to Pirsig's magnum opus. I would add that every engineer should read this book as well. I am an engineer, and this book was and still is seminal for me in directing my career as well as my life. "We do well what we do, and we are not arbitrary and capricious, when through caring, and peace of mind, we allow Quality to stimulate and guide the fusion of subjectivity and objectivity into creative discoveries and illuminating creations." -ZAMM
I highly recommend the sequel, "Lila". Pirsig himself writes: "ZAMM was like a first child. Maybe that will always be the best loved one. But this second child is the bright one."
What he's writing about to architecture is that he's asking architects to search a study on investigate into why old architecture seems so much more harmonias than new architecture new build things why old building seems so much more Harmon harmonic the new bird links buildings new build things new buildings
An extraordinary book. """ Zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance """ by Robert Pirsing. A philosophical journey about Quality & Beauty.....how A motorcycle is indeed a master piece. Any well oiled machine is indeed Art 💕 for men
I was fortunate to read the book when it was published. I graduated the following year with a Master Degree in Architecture. The book was always within reaching distance during my final Master Thesis Year. And it remains within reaching distance to this day - through multiple readings. Thank you for your video!
Would you think it'd be useful if I took the audio from my videos and stitched them into 30 - 60 min 'podcasts?' I have thought about doing this and haven't gotten around to it yet. Or are you talking about a totally separate thing, that is structured specifically as a podcast?
Hey Drew. What's your comment on taking a master's degree? Also, as a fresh graduate of bachelor's degree, what's your suggestion on how to cope with working in a not very exciting firm with lame projects? I and many of my friends suffer from this. Oh and btw, I'll keep that book on my list. I'm a big fan of Karen Armstrong's books. You should try that too.
I would only go back to get a masters if I needed it to get my license. The way I see it, I want to be an architect not a student. If I have the required bachelors degree, then I have two choices, 1. Get paid to do what I love, or 2. Pay money to do something that will keep me to busy to do what I love. I think 1 hour of practice is worth 4 hours of studying. Practicing architecture is going to do a better job at training you than school will. But of course, if you need the masters to get your license then the value proposition changes. Thanks for the recommendation! I haven’t heard of Karen Armstrong. I’ll check her out.
Hey I just did a video on your question: Should You Get a Master's Degree in Architecture ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-242RTLIXx-Q.html Thanks for asking!
I was hoping you would start by referencing German philosophy professor Eugen Herrigel's classic book "Zen in the Art of Archery." That would set up your talk in a good philosophical context.
Years after college, I wish I would have studied architecture. I went the graphic design direction instead. If I was an architecture student, this seems like it would be a very helpful channel! I read ZAMM and it profoundly affected my life. I can’t explain why yet, but that may be the point.
Hey drew do you think that a 4 year architecture program is enough to be qualified for architecture work ?? Given the fact that most people that I've heard about have done 5 or 6 years. Cool video by the way.
In the US you need a 5 or 6 year degree to get your license. That’s why most people have gone to school for that long. But after a 4 year degree you can find an entry-level position just like someone with a 5 or 6 year degree. You don’t need the professional degree to get started in the profession, you need it to become licensed. When you’re applying to entry level jobs, whether you have 4, 5, or 6 years of schooling doesn’t matter.
In essence, architecture is an applied art that is concerned with the sensorial experience of space. It is not a static thing because one moves through buildings. Those sequences are designed by an architect for both efficiency and the aesthetic qualities of space making. (The way light comes into a space, the way a building is set into its context, etc) Usually these spaces are assigned functions. If they did not have functions, then one could argue that the total created entity was sculpture. Some architecture (particularly in the hands of artistic masters) has sculptural qualities. So there is a range of definition for the word "architect." Kind of like writing -- some can be poetry and then you have technical manuals and such. // Architectural technology is the scientific or engineering aspect of the practice that is essentially concerned with materials, how they are actually connected (details) and also the various means to produce a building. That could be using computers, calculators, slide rules, levels, various tools, etc.
I did a video here breaking down all the different types of computer programs: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3PUZ_w6XGB4.html I don't know of any programs that will teach you how to design buildings, if that's what you're asking. But the ones I mention in the video are the programs architects use to design buildings and create the CAD drawings for them.
