#018 - Gabriel Richard - Cajun Buddhist Design Philosophy

Design is inherently collaborative. Designers need clients who need our expertise. We also need others to help us realize designs, builders and other designers. We don't have complete control over the projects we work on and the people we work with. This means in order to produce the best designs possible designers have to be able to bend themselves to the situation and find the limits and possibilities inherent in the projects we have and not try and turn them into the projects we want.

Gabriel Richard is an architect who sees architecture not in terms of projects and buildings, but instead in terms of expert services. He sees himself as a keeper of a process that delivers quality design. His goal on each project is not to deliver a world renown design, but to do honor to the clients goals by providing the services that translates the client's goals and needs into a form which can be permitted and built and which represents the client well. The surprise of this approach is that it leads to the best design possible while not raising the architect's agenda above that of the client's.

Gabe is also a busy father of two. This interview was recorded at his house and his son Mason makes several surprise interjections. We like to think of it as texture that emphasizes that architects are real people who live in the real world.

Gabe was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana in 1973.  Moved to the big city of Marietta, GA as a teenager.  Then went to Southern Poly to get a degree as a requirement for Officers Candidate School while in the Marine Reserves.  Turns out I liked Architecture School better than the Marines.  Went to Columbia University, and got a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design.  Since then I have mostly focused on Architecture, with very little Urban Planning. Revit has been a major factor in my success, but I still sketch when it's convenient. Revit helped me find work when times got tough.  So now I use Archicad, working in the healthcare market for the