Thane
Thane Houston-Stevens is an architectural Graduate based in Wellington, New Zealand.
I loved to be at Lake Waikaremoana. My family and 2 other families would make the yearly pilgrimage to the lake for the classic kiwi summer camping experience. We did this for 20+ years and each year would spend our days with each other making the best memories with my friends - it is these memories that we share today every time we catch up with one another.
As a child...
Change. The change that I made in the last year that has had the most positive impact on my life is to focus on my happiness and wellbeing. To take a stronger look at my own mental health and to give it the same attention I give to my physical health. That simple act of treating my wellbeing as a holistic thing has given me extremely important resilience in my job, friendships, relationships and life.
On making changes...
Travel for me is all about experiencing the awe of a place I have not visited before. I was lucky to visit New York in 2013 when I was completing my Masters Thesis in Architecture and that city gave me such energy and influence for my studies and the way that I look at cities. Because I was looking at NYC in the lens of my thesis topic I was aware that I was looking at everyday things that make up a city fabric that often go unnoticed.
On return to Wellington I promised myself that I would seek out those things in the city I experience everyday, and that has given me a great appreciation for my surroundings. I love to be able to explore the spaces that run off of a main route and really enjoy taking a detour in a place to see what might lie at the end of a lane or around that corner. You often meet the most astounding people. I love to strike up a conversation with locals and hear what it is about the place that makes them love to live there all the time.
TRAVEL INFLUENCES...
A memory that I hold in my minds eye is of me playing with timber offcuts as my dad would stack timber in our garage. He would do all the hard work and I would sit there building skyscrapers of an unknown city with blocks of timber. He would ask me questions and I would ask him some too. That casual conversation taught me a lot about communication and the value of listening to those around you.
AN IMAGE YOU HOLD WITH YOU...
There are many failures that I could draw from. The key thing for me has always been to understand what the reason was for failure and how I can learn to push myself in a different direction. It will usually come back to me looking at the big picture perspective in the macro context of my own life.
LEARNING FROM 'FAILURE'...
One of the most worthwhile investments I have made is the time I spent at Victoria University as a student and then as a tutor - learning from those around me and feeding of their collective energy.
I also feel privileged to have spent a lot of time with my family and having them around to bounce ideas off and to push me forward.
WORTHWHILE INVESTMENTS...
I don't think it is unusual but I have to make my bed before leaving my house every day. It is something that was instilled in me as a child - something that I was taught. As a child I would not be allowed to leave the house without having made my bed - that simple habit is something I now appreciate as it gives me something I can tick off my list of things to do each day before I have even stepped out the door (Thanks Mum...).
an unusual habit...
For me, it's important to be challenged in design, whether that be through the constraints of a project, understanding complex objectives of a client, or colleagues and consultants who challenge my perspective on things.
I believe it is incredibly important to have generosity in design. Generosity is so important in the way that we engage with one another so it should be equally important in the way we engage with the spaces that surround us. I am constantly reminding myself to check what a design I am working on is giving to create a space, experience and atmosphere.
ALIGNING CAREER & VALUES...
Advice that I have always given to architecture students is that if they are seeking a place of employment, they should look for one that is the best fit for them. I encourage them to find a place that wants to help them succeed in their goals, and to help them become better designers. They should ask themselves "what can this company do for me?"
Advice I think they should ignore is from people who say they should work for free "to get a foot in the door". That is rubbish. Value what you do and you will be valued.
I also do not subscribe to the mantra of "follow your passion and you won't work a day in your life" - if you are following your passion you should be working on that every day! Seeking to better what you do everyday!
ADVICE FOR A smart, driven student about to enter the “real world”...
...AND ADVICE TO IGNORE
I have been working in the industry for nearly 4 and a half years, so in that time I have grown immensely, both personally and professionally. I have become much better at expressing my design opinion through drawings and speaking, but also by listening to those around me. The people that I work with have helped to shape who I am (colleagues, friends, clients). The support of my family is unwavering and unconditional. They have lifted me up when I am not 100%, always there to listen and to guide but never forcing me to do anything. I am incredibly lucky!
The tip I have is that when I sit in a room of people and I feel anxious about sharing my opinion, the natural reaction for me is to jump in and start speaking without thinking. I have found that it serves me better to sit and listen and then respond once others have spoken. This will usually mean that I have formulated a more articulate response that others can understand and then debate /discuss.
ON BECOMING BETTER...
If I am overwhelmed I find it best to just step outside for a few minutes, walk the block once or twice (or three times) and just breathe.
When the body gets stressed our breathing becomes shallow and as a result we get less oxygen in our blood causing us to get cloudy. I practice yoga and that has been one of the best things to help me formulate resilience. Just the other day I went to yoga - not to do anything intense but just to breath. I spent 60 minutes just breathing calmly and it was incredible.
I like the saying that my mum has about yoga: "when you are in the yoga room you focus only on your own mat, don't look at what others are doing." I think that translates into life perfectly. Focus on your mat.
MANAGING OVERWHELM...
Creativity to me is the way in which I perceive things. I am left-handed and to me that has always been something I have celebrated - it makes me different and I like that.
I draw all the time and as a child I would draw these hotels - I used to think I wanted to be a hotelier when I grew up but over time I realised that I was more interested in how the hotels functioned and what the appearance of the spaces was.
That was when I thought I would be an architect and have pursued that dream all my life - I can't imagine pursuing anything else.
