Back to basics

在這個時代，我們作為建築師的使命是什麼？

What is our job as architect in this era? 

基於當下的隔離要求，很直接的可以想像到：設計宜人的居家環境以讓人們更可以忍受長期的居家隔離。

With the current isolation requirements, it is straight forward that our job is to make isolating at home more tolerable by creating pleasant home environments. 

從這裡分岔出去思考，現在其實是一個絕好的自我反思時機。過去的10年充斥著 明星建築師，時尚趨勢，上鏡的設計 等等間的辯論⋯建築師們被 標誌性設計，個人風格設定，可銷售性 的需求撕裂⋯ 建築師的角色甚至經常性的被人們與 室內設計師，空間造型師，裝修師傅，繪圖員及3D模型製作者 混淆。

現在正是可以退去這些雜音，專注於老實說真正重要的事 - 空間 與 人類 的相互作用。

Branching off this, now is a good time for self reflection. Past decade has been debates circling between starchitects, fashionable trends, photogenic design etc... architects are torn between requirements of statement-making, signature-establishment, marketability... an architect’s role is often confused with that of interior designer, space stylist, builder, drafter and 3D modeler. 

Now is the time to shed the noise, and concentrate on what honestly really matters - space and human interaction. 

無論如何，我們已經裝修了好一段時間了，而因為COVID19的關係工程進度延遲下來完成日未知。但是，我們（慢慢的）在後院裡做了一些進展,還把客廳變成了一個室內叢林。

Anyway, so we have been renovating for a while now, and with the slowing down due to COVID19 the construction work is dragging on. However, we managed to make some progress (slowly) in the garden, and have turned the living room into a indoor jungle. 

我很高興我所在的空間是一個 有能力在這個瘋狂的時候仍然帶給我愉悅 的空間，就算它仍然在施工中。

I am glad that the space I am in is one that is capable of giving me joy amongst the chaos，even in construction. 

until you can't

你是怎麼樣和別人成為朋友的？你們之間必然存在著一些共同點 － 同一個學校，同樣興趣，一起工作，住在附近… 我覺得甚至可以說“朋友”是我們的某一部分的延伸。

How do you become friends with somebody? There must be some similarity - same school, same interest, same profession, same neighbourhood….. I feel it is fair to say that “friends” are an extension of a part of ourselves.

跟許久不見的朋友聚會一向都是令人深思的。在我們的歷史中有一段時間我們曾經共享了將我們聯繫成為朋友的共同點；在人生的路途上我們曾經同在一個地方。然後我們作出了不同的選擇－轉學，開始新的興趣，換工作，搬家到不同的城市/ 國家… －於是我們的共同點消失了。

It is always fascinating to catch up with a friend after a period of time. For a certain period of time in our history, we shared the similarity that has brought us together as friends; we were at the same place in life. Then we made different choices in life - changed school, started new hobby, changed job, relocated to new city/ country… - and our similarity disappeared.

由於我覺得朋友是我的某一部分的延伸，透過我的朋友們作出的選擇，我幾乎可以看到如果當初我作出不同的選擇的話，我的人生可以會是甚麼模樣；像是看著一個人生分支 。而每一次這樣的聚會後我總是會感覺到一種異樣的鼓舞：

As I see friends as an extension of a part of myself, it is almost as though I am seeing what my life could have been if I have made a different choice, through the choices my friends made; like seeing a split life . And every time after these catch-ups I felt a strange encouragement:

那是一個我本來可以擁有卻選擇不要的人生。在我選擇現在這個人生的同時我也放棄了其它的可能性－或許我本來能有的孩子，又或者我本來可以得到的穩定收入… 反之我現在能夠奢侈的專注於經由工作對這個世界作出我所能的微小貢獻，以及享有通過設計表達自己的自由。我需要不停前進直到我不再能夠，才能讓這個選擇值得我的人生。

That is the life I could have had but chose not to have. I chose the life I have now by giving up the other possibilities - child I could have had, steady salary I could have secured... Instead I have the luxury of being able to concentrate on what I can give to the world through my work, and the freedom of self expression through design. I need to keep going until I can’t, to make this choice worthy of investing my life.

這讓我想起了這首歌：

This song pops into mind:

———————

“On the Radio” - Regina Spektor

(選段 extract)

這就是這麼一回事
你一直年輕直到你不再年輕
你一直愛著直到你不再愛了
你一直嘗試直到你不再能夠
你一直笑著直到你流下眼淚
你一直哭著直到你終於笑了
而每個人都必須一直呼吸
直到他們嚥下最後一口氣

This is how it works 
You're young until you're not 
You love until you don't 
You try until you can't 
You laugh until you cry 
You cry until you laugh 
And everyone must breathe 
Until their dying breath 

不，這就是這麼一回事
你窺視你自己的內心
你拿走了你喜歡的東西
然後試著愛上你拿走的東西
之後你把你創造的愛
塞入某個人的心裡
吸取那個人的血液
當你們攜手散步時
你希望你的愛不會受傷
但就算它受傷了
你仍然會再來一次

No , this is how it works
You peer inside yourself 
You take the things you like 
And try to love the things you took 
And then you take that love you made 
And stick it into some someone else's heart 
Pumping someone else's blood 
And walking arm in arm 
You hope it don't get harmed 
But even if it does 
You'll just do it all again

slice of time

剛剛從最近完工的餐廳裝修現場的燈光編程會議回來。

會議從晚上10點開始，清晨1點結束。

我們共4個人 － 2x 建築師（我與Y)，電工J，程序員T。

我們圍著細小的LED筒燈，討論為什麼它們不能與Dali控制系統同步調整明暗。

當我們終於達到共識，在寬慰與疲累的一瞬我突兀的發現，我們4個人都來自不同的地方 － T 來自東加，J來自中國，Y來自日本，我來自臺灣。我們跨過了汪洋大陸同來到這個地方為了燈光明暗調節討論到凌晨。

這個一瞬間有一種異常珍貴的美好… 喔，而且我們也解決了燈光調節的問題。

Just finished a light commissioning session on site at a restaurant we recently completed.

The session started at 10pm, concluded at 1am.

There were 4 of us - 2 architects (me and Y), electrician J and programmer T.

We stood around these tiny LED downlights, discussing about why they are not dimming with the Dali lighting control system.

When we finally arrived at a point of agreement, in a moment of relief and exhaustion I strangely noticed that the 4 of us were all from different places - T from Tonga, J from China, Y from Japan, me from Taiwan. We crossed continents to be here at the same place talking about dimming downlights until the wee hours.

There is something very precious about this slice of time…. oh and we figured out the dimming too.

(left to right) Y, T, J