idnomad : christianunverzagt: International Architecture...

christianunverzagt:

International Architecture Workshop closing celebration at the Russell Industrial Center, Detroit in December 2007.

This workshop at the University of Michigan was comprised of several dozen students from participating Universities in Spain, France, Australia, and Japan (made up from three separate Universities in Sendai.) The workshop concluded with a symposium and an after party in Detroit, which I designed and set-up with the help of several students (big shout out to Patrick Carmody.)

The evening began with everyone huddled near the second floor bar off the bridge. Eventually a few Japanese students began dancing in front of the DJ on the ground floor, and before long the entire place was down there with them. Despite the chilly temperatures in the bowels of this old factory, the atmosphere was warm and spirited. The crowd worked itself into an energetic frenzy until most of the young men from Sendai danced in celebration with their shirts off.

I’ve told this story often, but it has new meaning following the events of the past week and I now hope that they are doing okay back home. On second thought, I know that they are, as that evening they showed us that you don’t need much: just some community and some love, knowing that there’s a pay off for hard work. They’re clearly capable of them all—and we’re all with them again in spirit.

idnomad

2011-03-16