Problem Solving

By Micah Jacobson

The problems we face come to us in many different ways. My undergraduate is in Engineering. Engineers and Architects face many similar problems, and many face different problems. I find that the thought process differs greatly. It is important when working with complex problems to have a clear line of thought and understand the way we best solve problems.

When faced with a problem I first try to identify the problem and what is causing it. Sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly what the problem is. As Dr. Phillips of the Professors in the Architectural Studies Department, at MU, once said, “The problem is not the problem, the problem is finding the problem.” Sometimes I think we dive too quickly into a solution before really understanding what the problem actually is. It can be hard to find the real problem.

When the problem is found we can see where the organism breaks own, where the weak link is. It is now that a solution can be thought about. How are we to fix what is failing? I like to brainstorm to try to find several solutions, and then compare them to find the best one. After one solution is selected I like to try to implement it in a small scale application to test it. Then make tweaks if need be. Then implement it on a large scale.

In architecture we solve a wide variety of problems, some small, others huge. These solutions affect people’s lives. That is one of my great ambitions, to solve problems that will bring a positive effect to the lives of others.