Whatever you think-think the opposite

"Until the Mexico Olympics of 1968 the customary way for a high jumper to cross the bar was with his body parallel to it, in a technique known as the Western Roll. But that was about to change. A little-known athelete approached the bar, which was set at a world record height of 7 ft 4.5inches. He took off, but instead of turning his body towards the bar, he turned his back on it.

He brought his legs up and flipped over the bar backwards.

(Pre 1968 record, 5 feet 8 inches)

His name was Dick Fosbury, and his method of jumping became known as the Fosbury flop. It is still used today.

He jumped higher than any man before, by thinking the opposite from everyone else.

This example is just a technique for thinking, but here the technique for thinking became a technique for jumping, turning a 'flop' into a success."

Paul Arden, Whatever you think think the opposite.

This was a simple inspiring-thought-provoking passage from a new book i just bought from kino. Ever since i went on year out, I have not just been working but enjoying my bus+train rides with books; completely enriching my previously dull life.

More on a similar thread, I am also teaching sec. sch kids creativity. (Before anyone start rolling their eyeballs) hear me out. I am helping out in a Singapore Poly led initiative that my boss, Peng Beng volunteered for. Darren, Zhaoyi and Sara are involved too. MWOS, Many Ways of Seeing, the prog. is called. Anyway, it started out hot and boring where we did the usual walk- about in Chinatown and leading sch children (from Fairfield and Kent Ridge) taking photos. Then it became interesting amazing race-esque kind of activity in Little India and now we are having weekly workshops in SP. Yes it can be quite a turn off when your precious 2 day weekend is 25% burnt. But along the way, i figured and learnt many things. Things that are probably never related to the immediate field of architecture.

Like the books i read recently, not books from Rem/ Herzog/ Zumthor or some a+u. But invariably led me to thinking laterally, led me to thinking openly, receptively and perhaps intentionally off tangent. I am now inclined to believe that my year out is becoming worth the "wasting of time".

Inspired by The World is flat (Friedman), and IDEO method cards (http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/MethodDeck/MethodDeck/index.html), I am now inclined to think that there is hope for architecture. Without the limits of geography and limits of known methodology, there is no reason for the limits in the thinking of architecture.