Practicing architecture is practicing gratitude

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1669064269\/jezwahacgctawj7clv9h.jpg","id":"6569317"}],"caption":"llya Azaroff, FAIA; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); AIA EVP\/CEO Lakisha Woods, CAE; Councilmember Kelly Takya King, Maui County; Mayor Errick Simmons, Greenville, MS; 2022 AIA President Dan Hart, FAIA; and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) meet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt."}]],"markups":[["i"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/pages\/6435906-an-investigation-into-bias-in-the-architec","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"blockquote",[[0,[0],1,"\u201cGratitude takes nothing for granted.\u201d - Thomas Merton"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I was recently in Athens speaking, on behalf of AIA, to a\nglobal conference on decarbonization. As\nI finished my remarks, the conference organizer put his arm around me, faced\nthe audience, and said, \u201cDan, I am reminded of an old Greek proverb: \u2018Now that the priest is here, we can bury the\nvillage.\u2019\u201d He proceeded to explore my\nwillingness (in front of all these new friends!) to commit AIA to the\norganization\u2019s global efforts. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"It might have been that something was lost in\ntranslation. Regardless, I was grateful\nwhen Dmitri later explained the proverb to me. \nIn the old days, apparently, not every village had a resident\npriest. When someone died, they could\nnot be buried until a priest\u2019s next visit. \n My presence at the conference offered\nan opportunity for that organization to receive AIA\u2019s imprimatur on their\nimportant work. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I have been active in AIA for 30 years. It\u2019s in my blood. It is all so familiar, though, I often take\nit for granted. One of the biggest\nlessons I will take away from my presidential year, is the considerable promise\nAIA represents to the world. In moments\nlike this one in Athens, I was jarringly reminded not to take what we do, or\nwho we are for granted."]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"I have been active in AIA for 30 years. It\u2019s in my blood. It is all so familiar, though, I often take\nit for granted. One of the biggest\nlessons I will take away from my presidential year, is the considerable promise\nAIA represents to the world. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"What if we were prompted, this Thanksgiving week, taking\nMerton\u2019s words to heart, to pause and reflect in gratitude? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Dan J. Tomasulo Ph.D., says we will \u201cexperience the world\nas expected.\u201d He goes on, \u201cimagining a positive future self creates an\nexpectation that results in greater optimism, higher life satisfaction, less\ndepression, greater happiness, and well-being.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I\u2019ve been encouraging us all to\nremember this year, the considerable potency in our agency as architects, that\nour ability to act through design thinking, is indeed our superpower. To borrow from Dr. Tomasulo, \u201cimagining a\npositive future\u201d world through the built environment is a pretty good\ndescription of what we do. Practicing\narchitecture, is a form of practicing gratitude."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., says gratitude practices should be\n\u201cpro-social,\u0022 based in behaviors that allow for\neffective interaction with ourselves and others.2022 has been a year rich in opportunities for us to allow \u201ceffective\ninteraction with ourselves and others.\u201d"]]],[3,"ul",[[[0,[],0,"I am grateful\nfor President Barack Obama and his willingness to share his insights on\narchitecture, politics and leadership with me onstage at A\u201922 in Chicago."]],[[0,[],0,"I am grateful to our seven HBCU accredited architecture programs, who produce about one third of all black\n architecture graduates, for so graciously receiving visits from NOMA President Jason Pugh and me. "]],[[0,[],0,"I am grateful to have served on the building committee for the\n redesign of our Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., transforming it into\n a thoroughly future-facing and sustainable workplace."]],[[0,[],0,"I am grateful for the inspiring opportunity to lead a delegation engaging with world leaders at the United Nations\u2019 COP27 in Sharm\n el-Sheikh, Egypt this month."]],[[0,[],0,"I\u2019m grateful for this year\u2019s Board of Directors beginning with our\n collaborative invention of what we called our Discernment Device through\n which we evaluated the alignment, impact and timeliness of any initiative\n that came before us. We also highlighted\n each meeting with generative discussions on topics like Member Prosperity,\n implications of the "],[0,[1],1,"Hastings Report"],[0,[],0,", and exploring the relevance of design\n thinking Beyond Buildings."]],[[0,[],0,"I am grateful to have served alongside our EVP\/CEO Lakisha Ann Woods\n in this the first year of her tenure at AIA, and for our extraordinary AIA\n staff who serve us tirelessly and with deep insight, passion and effect."]]]],[1,"p",[]],[10,0],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I believe practicing architecture "],[0,[0],1,"is"],[0,[],0," practicing\ngratitude. I am convinced, further, we are designing spaces that will inspire a\nrippling effect of gratitude. And we are doing it through AIA\u2019s hopeful vision\nof a built world where stewardship of the planet and justice for all those who\ninhabit it remains primary. I am\ngrateful to you for allowing me to serve as your President in 2022. I do not take the work we do together, and I\ncertainly do not take you for granted. "]]]]}