8 Designers and Architects Share the Crucial Lessons They Learned From Dad

In celebration of Father’s Day, we asked eight designers and architects to share some of the advice and life lessons they’ve learned from their fathers, and how it resonates with their work today. From cultivating optimism and curiosity, to absorbing new ideas from different cultures, here’s how fatherly guidance has been translated into a lifelong love of design.

Anne-Marie Armstrong, c0-founder of AAmp Studio

Keep exploring:  "My dad loved astronomy!" says Anne-Marie. "Growing up, you could often find him tinkering on a homemade telescope in the basement. In the summer months, we’d take out the telescope and explore the starry skies together. His sense of exploration has translated to the way I approach a new design." With this in mind, her team keeps a spirit of discovery with each new project: "We do this with our clients—discuss their aspirations and project goals. This helps us tailor our approach and leads us to a design that feels uniquely created for them." 

Look for an elegant solution: "My dad was a mathematician, and he valued an ‘elegant solution’ to a complex problem. A solution to a problem is seen as mathematically elegant if it is surprisingly simple and insightful. At AAmp, we’re constantly exploring design options to find solutions to fit with project goals while engaging and inspiring others." 

Be open to change: Anne-Marie’s dad reinvented himself several times over his life. "He studied math at university but joined his family’s printing business when I was born," she says. "When I was in high school, he returned to university in his 40s to pursue a degree in computer science and worked for several years as a software developer." Later on, he became an accomplished writer, publishing a novel and a book of short stories. "His wonderful sense of flexibility and adaptability is something I find very inspiring," says Anne-Marie. "It has led me to appreciate designs that are flexible and adaptable to the needs of our clients and site constraints."

Katherine Chia, co-founder of Desai Chia Architecture