Architect and teacher Samuel Mockbee’s career path and
overall attitude showed how he became a great leader in architecture through
his compassion goodness. Growing up with
an impression that architects are “house pets for the rich” and all they want
to do is build the biggest and most extravagant designs, he did wanted to do
something different and more helpful with his work. Mockbee bestowed many characteristics that
showed through his leadership in architecture.
He was aware of situations around him mainly regarding the poverty in
the south and primarily in Alabama where he grew up. He grew up knowing the experience and it
gained his attention when he became an architect and teacher. He would take his students out to the
neighborhoods just so that way they could get a realistic experience of
it. Mockbee showed and taught the trait
to heal others and oneself through the architecture and that the goodness and
compassion should be a part of the job.
By tackling the housing buildings and other community structures such as
churches for the poor areas, and by incorporating his students into it, he was
building a community among those who work together1. His life’s work was a commitment to the
growth of people not in population and size, but in compassion and especially
the willingness for architects to not just become a “house pet for the rich.”
The main building block that Mockbee
used for building the architecture of trust was that he stepped up to the
plate. Talk of building affordable homes
and religious buildings to smaller income communities was hardly backed up in
reality. It was only theorized mainly in
schools until Mockbee decided to take action when he became an architect. This created a new value for other architect
and especially his students. His
decision to not pursue a career to design for the rich allowed him to show and
help spread an appreciation for what more important focuses should be such as
the poor communities. That decision has
been recognized by many and in so has earned him awards for doing so. Although he hasn’t earned a large amount of
awards, the ones he did receive were very important and well known1. Both taking the initiative and setting a
different value of focus have made Samuel Mockbee a trustworthy architect which
has made him continue to get work and praise from his peers.
Samuel Mockbee’s efforts were very
effective and noteworthy. I feel that
his compassion and all around good attitude made him a trustworthy architect
and that really helped him accomplish his goals of tackling projects that many
other architects didn’t want to pursue.
He had good intentions and was knowledgeable of how things were and how
he planned to work around or improve those conditions.
Notes:
1. Richard Swett. Leadership By Design: Creating and Architecture of Trust. (Greenway
Communications. 2005) pgs 267-270.
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