I recently met with some really great kids from Home Away From Homelessness (http://www.homeaway.org/) to share with them what it means to be an architect. Home Away From Homelessness runs after school programs for middle and high school students who have been or are currently without a stable home. These kids have a unique perspective on the value of meaning of shelter, but in our brief time together they asked questions and behaved only as typical curious, energetic, and bright teenagers (without the attitude!).
At the end of our meeting I presented these images of architecture from around the world to show them how buildings incorporate local materials and craftsmanship, showcase artistic and technological innovations of the period, reflect values and customs of the people, respond to local climates, and can take on various forms. Mostly I just wanted to spark their imagination, inspire them to travel, and show them that architecture can be fun. As a group, they liked best the buildings that incorporate organic forms, especially Calatrava's work and Saarinen's TWA terminal at JFK. Which would you go out of your way to see?
