As an architect, walking down a city street is likely a very engaging activity. You are surrounded by buildings, by someone else’s designs, by materials and techniques, angles and choices. Would you have created a similar streetscape? What do you think of a given skyline? The built world is all around us, and you are uniquely aware of it. But what does your spouse see walking down the street, or your child? How would your neighbors or friends view that house or skyscraper or building complex? What do they see when they look up?
The AIA has launched a national public awareness campaign asking just that. The “Look Up” campaign has been developed to reach out to communities everywhere, helping people better understand what architects do and why they do it, to enlighten and inspire, and to reignite interest in the contributions architects are making to society every day. It is also there to remind both the public and the profession that architects look up, too. Yes, they look up in the literal sense, but also, they look up to designers who came before them, they look up “to nature, to art, and to history,” they look up to a world full of possibility.
The video is the first phase of the #ilookup campaign. Take a moment to watch, and consider when was the last time you looked up. To what or whom do you look up? Do you think this will help engage others to look up as well? We want to hear from you! Comment here or use the #ilookup hashtag to join the conversation on Instagram or Twitter. Show us what you see.