bricworks3 the watercube post-olympics ai weiwei - ARCHILEPSY ...

PLAN C
The events that unraveled starting in September 2008 had a
bigger affect on my architecture career than I could have ever
imagined. A bleak outlook on the economy had left the architecture
profession in a ruinous state, and with graduation seven months
away...things were not looking so hot. While most were fumbling
through the final spring semester amped up on caffeine and strung
out with stress--all while trying to secure whatever interviews they
could muster--I had quite a different plan in mind. The “move
home and live with the parents option” didn’t settle too well with
me. However migrating to another city like San Francisco, LA, New
York, or Chicago to scramble for a job designing Starbucks did not
sit well either.
I did what many before me had done; I packed up and went to
the one place where jobs were a'plenty and where beautiful women
instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano: Shanghai. With
two friends already living there and a few connections to local
architecture firms from previous employers, I bought a ticket and
just showed up. After thinking I was getting familiarized with the
town, I quickly found myself lost in a sea of endless people, constant
construction, and a city that appears to stretch endlessly in every
direction.
My hunt for a job was in full swing, and I already had many
interviews and plenty of leads that I thought were going to turn
into an exciting new position. However, the constant flux of this
massive city, with its pulse of culture, partying, and travel was too
alluring for me. Shanghai has a spectacular standard of living and
caters immensely towards foreigners. The city embraces foreigners
like no place I have ever seen, fostering an incredibly rich and unique
culture for expats of all kinds. It is easy to find to find yourself
amidst a group of expats from Germany, France, Serbia, Australia,
Iraq, or perhaps even Bismarck, North Dakota.
What is so enthralling about this colossal metropolis is the constant
influx of new ideas and more importantly, the ability to execute them.
guest editorial
Ben Dennis
GUEST EDITOR > Shanghai
bendenarc@gmail.com
While some back home have ideas of starting a business, creating
custom furniture, or starting their own fashion line, in China these
ideas can easily become reality if you have the right knowledge and
tools in place. The possibilities of creating anything are so tangible
and endless it made me want to use my design skills for something
outside the architecture field.
Being based in the manufacturing capital of the world, I found
myself wanting to take advantage of this during my brief hiatus from
the architecture. I started making my own custom sport jackets and
button down collared shirts with the intention of starting my own
fashion line. Suddenly I was neck deep in the world of fashion,
meeting with textile manufacturers, creating a website, and defining
a brand.
Reality set in when my savings were drastically curtailed from a
lifestyle of partying, travel, and ill-conceived dreams of getting into
the fashion world. I dropped the clothing gig and started working
for a Chinese-American firm that was a mix of retail and furniture,
landscape, interior, product, and architecture design. The best part
about working for a firm in China is the incredible diversity of projects
with their great range of scale from the smallest interior to the biggest
master plan. During my time here I’ve worked on nightclubs that
were built in 3 months, a Wedding Hall, four master plans of all