What turns me on [architecturally?]

 Mid Century Houses

Why?

 For me, they are always rooted in California. Maybe LA. And I like California. 

Can you build them somewhere else? 

I suppose there is nothing about their shape that would make them unsuitable in harsher climates. Maybe no more partially enclosed carports. 

Would they be "authentic"? 

Well, it's clearly not midcentury anymore. But we build in styles from bygone eras all the time. Or you could argue that modernistic architecture has done away with the idea of "eras" altogether, and we are in a post-style era. Which of course could be itself an era. 

What about them? 

I like their roofs. They are not extrusions or manipulations of the mass of the body of the house. Rather, they are thin, often starting to tilt away/beyond the house proper. They peel away and create clerestory windows. They extend and become carports, canopies, etc. They have a life of their own and they are not afraid to assert themselves.

Do I want to build one for myself? 

I think it'd be fun. 

COVID and self reflection

When I was in my first year of architecture at Michigan, one of our studio design projects was to design a firehouse. The class took a field trip to tour a local fire department to talk to the firefighters and familiarize ourselves with the way a fire department works.

I still remember the chief of the department telling us that when we "grow up" and perhaps design a fire department in the future, we should always make sure the fire department is two stories and includes a fireman's pole. He said that when boys are young, they all dream of being a firefighter, but most eventually grow out of that dream and move onto something more "sensible". HE said the boys who actually do become firefighters are boys who never gave up their childhood dreams, and as such, the romance (my word, not his) of the fireman's pole is an important part of the job.

I have had the occasion to tour fire departments subsequently, and I believe for liability and safety reasons, fireman's poles are not commonly used any more. And a firefighter twisting his ankle from an awkward landing while responding to an emergency may create additional problems.

I still remember this story because I think being an architect is somewhat analogous to being a firefighter. True, only one of these jobs saves lives and is often referred to as "heroes". But many children dream of being an architect when they're young, only to move on to more sensible professions as they grow up. Architects too like firefighters, are boys (and girls) who held onto their childhood dreams as they they grew up. And likewise, I believe that the romance of the profession is also important to architects.