Introduction: Generating Great Ideas – What We Can Learn from Architecture

Architecture: A World History

What does generating great ideas have to do with architecture? Apparently a lot! When I was working on my BComm and MBA, I didn’t have a lot of flexibility, even though I had electives that I could take, there were many core subjects. When I was working on my non-degree classic education, I could do pretty much what I wanted, choosing subjects that interest me.

I completed my courses a lot faster because I “attended” classes Mondays through Fridays instead of two days a week. And I did so first thing in the morning so that it got done – I enjoyed the adventure. When I chose the courses that I wanted to take, I selected the courses based on topics that I was genuinely interested in.

When I thought of taking an architecture course, I was thinking that architecture is about constructing a building, and I wanted to transport that information and apply it to building a product or a service. But I forgot the design piece in architecture, which is even more important than the constructing piece.

When you are looking to differentiate yourself, it is not a bad Idea to look at what has been done in other industries. Take architecture which is about designing and construction, in what other ways can you use the concepts? One way is when you are designing and building a product or service.

When I wrote this post, I had just started the History of Architecture course and had only listened to six lectures so far. I was became overwhelmed because of all the information. So I stepped back, and thought about why I was taking the course in the first place. I decided not to focus too much on the minutia. But on the bigger things, and the course was a lot more manageable. When I re-framed the situation, I immediately saw the relationship between generating great ideas and architecture.

It’s often been said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. In my History of Architecture course, the professor, Jacqueline Gargus, from the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University, emphasized the distinction between copying and imitating. My interpretation is that copying is stealing. And imitating is taking something, understanding its driving principle then making it your own by adding and/or subtracting from it.

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The greatest architects understand the history of their profession. And have diligently studied the works of other greats that have gone before them. They blend the styles of other architects and evolve them into something new. In addition, art and architecture are like two peas in a pod. As the techniques used to create art, for instance, ceramics and sculpture evolve and change, so does the techniques used in architecture. And oftentimes the changes are similar – they mirror each other.

Professor Jacqueline Gargus also compared an architect to an engineer. And the example she used was building a car. The first car that was assembled, is very different from the cars that are assembled today. Years ago, engineers were not as concerned as much as they are today about the placement of the elements that make up a car. Yes, some elements have to be in certain positions for the car to function. But overall, today, a lot of time is spent on what elements are included when assembling a car. And where those elements are placed. That has been the same progression when constructing a building.

What does all of this have to do with generating great ideas?

When you understand the history of your profession, and have studied the masters, you have built a body of ideas and knowledge. You know what ideas were tried and which ones worked and did not work. And you also know which ideas were ahead of their time, and may work now. When you have this kind of information, you have a competitive edge when you manipulate those ideas. And when great architects are studying the works of other great architects, they are not looking only in their country, but they are also looking across the globe.

Architectural Techniques for Generating Great Ideas

• Study the works of other great architects all over the world. They look to many sources for ideas.
• Take an idea, look at the opposite of that idea then synthesize them to form something new.
• Take an idea, unpack it, that is break it apart then reformat it in a different way, maybe leaving out some elements or even adding in other elements to create something new and amazing.
• Do the opposite of what is popular.
• Take two or more ideas, remaking history based on new terms. This could mean taking two or more old ideas and remaking them based on access to new technology.
• Gather several great ideas then systematize them the ideas into an overarching idea.

The History of Architecture course had me thinking in new and interesting ways, pushing me beyond my comfort zone. Information or knowledge is not power. But how you use them can be powerful. That means that you have to understand what the information and knowledge really mean.

To get ahead of your peers, take one or two of the architectural technique for generating ideas and work with them. To write this post, I had to dissect what I am learning so that it works for me. And in so doing, I hope that I have added value for you. I have written several posts on generating great ideas, but this time I have approached the topic from a new angle.

Final Thoughts: Generating Great Ideas – What We Can Learn from Architecture

At the time when I wrote this post, several classic literature books had been mentioned in the course so far. but I am not sure how to work them into this post. Perhaps it is enough to simply read them.

1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2. The Iliad of Homer
3. The Odyssey
4. The Birth of Tragedy: Out of the Spirit of Music

 Architecture: A World History The History of Architecture A Global History of Architecture World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning A History of Architecture A World History of Architecture Modern Architecture: A Critical History (Fourth Edition) (World of Art)

UPDATE: First published September 2013. This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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