It Started with a Baked Potato

Fun Friday lived up to its name this week. My son was invited to attend the unveiling of the winners of a design competition at the Library of Virginia.

To accompany the exhibit "Never Built Virginia" featuring models and plans of buildings that were never completed, the Library hosted a youth competition to design a building to fill a narrow, vacant city lot.

Here's my son with his design of a "Sky Lab":



And here's why we came - he placed second and his design will be a part of the Library of Virginia's archives!



One of the highlights of the event was to spend time with Mr. Haigh Jamgochian. He was the architect that had several models in the exhibit. His design for "Tree House" inspired the youth competition.

Here my son posed for a picture of Mr. Jamgochian with a Cub Scout denmate who also happened to be a contest winner:



Mr. Jamgochian discussed how he got started with architecture. He talked of how quickly time goes by, making it important to engage the opportunities that come by each of us. He also talked about how inspiration can come from all around you. One example he gave was seeing a baked potato wrapped in foil. He thought it would make a good siding material for a building. His resulting design is the Markel Building and is now a historical landmark in Richmond, Virginia:



Even the entrance speaks of Mr. Jamgochian's design: groovy circles, curves upon curves, an almost lunar quality.



And since things are lighter on the moon, my son could easily support the Markel building:



And to think it all started with a baked potato.