How To Read Like A [Young Howard Roark, a.k.a. An Architect]

5 min readJan 21, 2016

Source: Book Cover from “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand; Howard Roark is the protagonist of the novel and the most literary Architect

Russell’s Note: Jason Freedman is today’s guest blogger. He is one of my oldest friends, a frequent canoe trip compatriot and an intellectual sparring partner. Jason is a rare beast, deeply proficient and educated in Architecture but, also knowledgeable across English literature, lamp building, student politics and photo-gadgetry. Jason is the author of Three Cubes of Perception and has practiced Architecture at leading firms including NAO in New York and Hariri Pontarini Architects in Toronto. Jason is currently practicing at the office of Thomas Payne Architect, co-founder of KPMB Architects, in Toronto. He did his undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University and Carleton University, before attaining a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

The job of a practicing architect is a paradox. On the one hand, it is fantastic to be afforded the opportunity to be creative professionally — this is my dream! On the other hand, within highly technical parameters and often under crushing deadlines, being creative can feel impossible.

Fortunately, after toiling in the dark and mysterious recesses of Architecture Schools for almost seven years, I stumbled upon a secret solution:

Be constantly learning while you are creating

To delve a bit deeper, the analogy I like to use is the actor who is schooled in Stanislavski’s Method System. I value broadly absorbing as much as I can about the nature of my craft, in hopes that some of what I see and read will filter into my subconscious reference library, giving me a well of influences to draw from when deadlines draw near and the crunch is on.

With that said, here are the five websites that I read every day, ordered from most to least architecture-specific.

Source: Jason Freedman original “Three Cubes of Perception” (Copyright 2015)

(1) ArchDaily

ArchDaily is your run-of-the-mill architecture news site, akin to sites like Techcrunch for the startup/VC world. It is neither glamorous nor exciting, but I still read it faithfully every single day. Serving as a news outlet, a promotional platform, a history textbook and a place for community discourse, ArchDaily faithfully publishes and celebrates the latest built achievements of our increasingly global village.

(2) BLDGBLOG

OK, now to the good stuff. BLDGBLOG is the blog of popular architectural & cultural critic Geoff Manaugh (former Editor-in-Chief at Gizmodo). Written through his critical lens, this blog is a real treat, serving as a constant reminder that making architecture is an inherently political act with significant and often unforeseen ramifications. Combining a number of different points of view ranging from the historical, to the sacred and the scientific, this blog keeps my finger on the pulse of the academic world — and reminds me to be a thinking architect. BLDGBLOG does not publish every day, but when it does it is always worth reading.

(3) COLOSSAL (aka This Is Colossal)

COLOSSAL is just cool. Emphasizing the latest in the art and design world, it broadcasts and popularizes the avant-garde, thus ironically ruining their avant-garde status and destroying their street cred. The trade-off is that if you are featured on COLOSSAL you get vaulted into semi-superstardom and have a much better chance of surviving as an artist. It is always fun to check in on this site and be a part of the action.

Source: Jason Freedman “Three Cubes of Perception” (Copyright 2015)

(4) but does it float (BDIF)

Shhhhh. I feel like an ass ruining this secret, but it is just too damn beautiful not to share. BDIF is a wonderful art blog that simply pairs the work of an artist with an interesting quote, thus re-contextualizing both the language and the art in unforeseen and delightful ways. The scope of the images know no bounds; everything is featured from vintage Japanese Typography to microscopic images of insect eyes. Likewise, the featured authors range from poets and journalists to philosophers and sci-fi novelists. Be careful, you can get lost on this site for hours. Don’t say I didn't warn you.

PS. If you dig it, the authors of this site also have a couple of other interesting projects. Check out 50 Watts and superfamous.

(5) APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

Last, but in no way least, is NASA’s Astronomy Picture Of the Day. I see it as my daily opportunity to be humbled by the beauty of nature and the vastness of the time-scale that constitutes the universe. Also, if it wasn’t obvious by now, I think it’s important to be informed and influenced by a broad array of things. APOD has wonderfully spurned my passion for astronomy, and in turn has enriched how I look at the existential problems I strive to solve here on planet earth.

As you can see, the sites I follow are much like the profession itself; technical and artful, precise and loose, rooted in a specific language but always changing and influenced by the many forces acting on it, such as technology, economy, environment, and culture. One thing that unites them is a creative spirit — and spectacular visuals. So, on that note I leave you a final image, enjoy!