This piece was written by Mariana Alvarez Parga, AIA, Director of Architecture + Sustainability at MADI Architecture + Planning. It was inspired by a few books and videos listed at the bottom, as well as a conversation with her best friend and colleague, Jorgelina Roset, General Manager at Blaisten SA in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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As soon as I started reading Tribe, a new book from Sebastian Junger where he explains our evolutionary heritage from tribal behavior, I couldn't help but think about his message applied to a firm’s leadership. As I read along and realized that his message was about our society’s flaws, it made perfect sense to interpret it for the small scale society that is work.

In his book, Junger explains that a big struggle for returning war veterans is their reentry into society (or lack-of). This is because they are coming from a “tribal” environment where they had a defined role and responsibility towards the group, but that vanishes when they can't clearly see how they're needed in the society they are returning to. Their sense of belonging and self-worth is almost non-existent when they return, and Junger explains that it's not the veterans but society that's the problem.   

Written by Patricia Galvan. This piece is dedicated to Kevin Davies, AIA and David Whitney, AIA, two architects whom I admire for their professionalism, hard work, patience, and dedication to mentoring design professionals.

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At the top of my annual review questionnaire this year was a quote by the notable late architect, Zaha Hadid,

“You have to be very focused and work very hard, but it is not about working hard without knowing what your aim is! You really have to have a goal. The goal posts might shift, but you should have a goal. Know what it is that you are trying to find out.”

While the quote was meant to inspire me to think about how my professional goals dovetail with the firm’s goals, I’ve had some extra time while on maternity leave to slow down and reflect on all of my accomplishments, both professional and personal. My life is about to change dramatically as I prepare to welcome my first child into the world. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know how I grew to be who I am today. Zaha Hadid’s quote reminds me of a time, early in my career, that was loaded with objectives, focus, hard work, and the development of critical professional relationships.