Working class hero

 ​“I love music too much to live from it.” This is a quote from Carlos Paredes, a recognized genius of the Portuguese Guitar who kept his normal day job. This resonates deeply with me. And reminds me of Paulo Mendes da Rocha who didn't have an architecture practice, but created sublime architecture and won all the big prizes like the Pritzker. He would collaborate with ex students who had set up offices. His art was architecture - not running a business.

There was an article in The Guardian a couple of days ago about AI 'Wiping out architects'. I speak to AI every day. It's like having an assistant. Currently it makes a lot of mistakes and flat out lies, but it takes me down roads I might not have gone down - Roads I don't have the time or the inclination to research, analyse and write about, as it does in seconds.
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Carlos chose to make feeding himself and his family a separate endeavour to making art. For some artists creating can only ever be a pure process, so delicately balanced on the edge of a knife. A world to be entered voluntarily with full commitment from a place of love. Necessity and time have no place in this world.
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AI can beat the greatest human chess masters easily. People still love to play chess. It might not go this way, but my hope is that AI can wipe the business side of architecture away for people like me. It will probably also create incredibly beautiful architecture. But that won't stop me, like it doesn't stop people from loving to play chess.