Daniel Bonilla

An architect, an inspiration.

Less is More. More is More. More is Less. Less is Less.

Less: Opulence
More: Affordability

The American dream has always demanded more! The desire for more is embedded in the fibers of our being.  Maybe it’s not that we need more, maybe we just need to be better stewards of what we do have. Perhaps we can do more with less. Perhaps as a result we create more affordability.  Who could dislike that? Not this broke college student.

Less: Output
More: Input

Back to doing more with less... What happens when we stop mass producing new products? What if we took the mass amounts of junk that we already have and make something new with that?  We have enough. We don’t need more. We need to plan more, think more, process more.

More loaded questions with open ended answers. Maybe I’ll stay in college forever. Produce thesis projects for the rest of my life…

Loaded Questions

What is an architect in today’s society?
Dictionary definition:
ar-chi-tect [ahr-ki-tekt](n.)
1. a person who engages in the profession of architecture.
2. a person professionally engaged in the design of certain large constructions other than buildings and the like: landscape architect, naval architect.
3. the deviser, maker, or creator of anything: the architects of the constitution of the United States.
4. (v.) to plan, organize, or structure as an architect.

While definitions 1, 2, and 4 apply, I identify myself most with description 3.  “the deviser, maker, or creator of anything” I think these years in “architecture school” have prepared me not just for the built environment, but have set up a great foundation for my life as a designer in general.  Looking and analyzing how people interact with everything around them helps me to design specifically for them.  As architects, we are trained to be the devisers, makers, and creators of anything. It’s an honor to be given the opportunity to engage in every aspect of someone’s life.

What are the architect’s responsibilities?
Each architect has a different responsibility. This depends on the architect’s own mentality and the standards they set for themselves.  I see it as a civic duty and a personal responsibility to create a positive environment for the people of today and the people of the future.

What is the definition of an innovative architect?
An innovative architect is always looking for inspiration, but at the same time, always inspiring others.  They look for new ways of looking at and creating things, spaces, and ideas. An innovative architect finds problems, proposes potential problems, and offers creative solutions that others may not think of.

 Where is the architect’s laboratory?
An architect’s laboratory can be anywhere.  Every day we can be inspired by anything, and from that anything, great things can be created.

How should one practice architecture?
Carefully and carelessly. With passion, collaboration, and excitement.

How can architecture be taught today?
There are no limits to how it can be taught.  Architecture should be taught with great passion and excitement from both the teacher and the student.

Why do you do what you do?
Because it is my calling ...
 sounds to absurd.
It is my passion …
sounds too serious.
Love requires commitment…

I passionately love my calling.

Cornered

The potential in my upcoming studio project!

Not growing up. Can't make me.

                Barbie and Ken were fun, but what are they without their dream house? The dream house was fun, but how creative can you be with a rigid six square rooms with the back torn off? Start with square one.  Err… block one that is. I ditched the rigid dream house for a few more flexible pieces. Legos.

                Legos allowed flexibility, creativity, and most importantly, intrigue.  They were an infinite number of shapes and assemblages with such a simple building block, all waiting for my imagination. At this stage of my life, my imagination was endless and so was my box of legos. 

Nathan Sawaya- LEGO artist

Somewhere along the line society stepped in and started shutting things down. Giving us a set of guidelines and a checklist of what was and was not acceptable. Our childlike state of being is the essence of what we start out as, and the building blocks of who we are. What is so wrong with the crazy extravagant ideas that we develop as a child? It hasn’t been done before? Great! No one has figured out how to construct that? Even better. Challenge accepted.

Nathan Sawaya - LEGO artist

Creating the whimsical and interesting intrigues me. The childlike state of being brings out a different side of people that isn’t always seen.  Bringing this side out through the development of  a building and how it interacts with it’s users is absolutely fascinating.