2x_way of Berkeley

Lancelot Coar (left) Eric Reeder (right)

In 1999 I had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the most intellectually gifted people that I will ever know. It was my first semester at the University of California at Berkeley in the Masters program for Architecture. As part of the Architectural education course requirements the studio options that first semester were diverse and selecting my first core studio class seemed a daunting task. In the end I chose a studio taught by visiting instructors. They were a group of well known practitioners from Los Angeles who proposed to take turns rotationally visiting our studio in Berkeley. The other non-conforming aspect to the studio was the requirement to be paired in a team. At first this seemed to challenge the very solo spirit that architecture schools always promote but I took to it quickly and soon realized the fortunate situation I had chosen to take part in.

My partner, Lancelot Coar, and I immediately made a connection in thought and dialogue. Our work evolved complimentary through disparate yet common languages of art, perception and an eagerness to explore the world around us. I was immediately inspired by his commitment to place making through use of found things- reconstructed - to challenge the way we look at the world around us. I was always one to be tied to the drawing board, or at least feeling like I needed to be. It was Lancelot who was eager to explore around us and seek out the unexpected. It brought a uniqueness to our project that semester and frankly what I saw as reverence from our peers and instructors alike.That first semester at Berkeley will always be a pivotal moment in history for me. As we move forward, foundation can mean everything and can always be a place to return to.