I wanted to use architecture as allegory. I wanted to show structures being built and already built. I wanted a dramatic perspective. I wanted to show beautiful lines.

I was impressed by Christopher Nolan's use of the Chicago skyline throughout his Batman movies. It just so happened that in 2003 I visited Chicago, taking the elevators to the observation decks of the Hancock Center building and the (then) Sears Tower, and shooting dozens of photographs with my little point-and-shoot camera. Those photos became the backdrop to this web site.

I wanted to use the overhead view to emphasize "seeing the forest for the trees"-to be able to see the project from a broad vantage point, to see the interconnectedness of elements, to see the flow from one area to another, to understand the relationships of every element in the field.

I wanted the puzzle-piece look to promote the idea of analysis, of looking at problems from different points of view to find unique solutions. The puzzle pieces also serve as windowpanes, as if one were looking through unconventional slats to reveal unconventional thoughts.

 

On to Part 2