Lonely Architects

It was Architecture Week here in Charlottetown last week, and, alas, it was a week of merriment that passed me by entirely. Unlike last year, when I not only visited every architecture office of note in the city, but I gave them awards to boot.

My absence, I am happy to say, was noted by no less than three “where are you?” email messages from the architects of the city on Friday afternoon. Apparently I was a sizeable enough proportion of the open-house-visiting-public that urgent action was required. Or maybe there was simply fear that I was off giving awards to some other firm.

My disappearance from the wine-and-cheese-fuelled afternoon was, I hope, understandable: Friday also happened to be the 40th annivesary of no less than two of my brothers, and, as is the tradition in my family, this event was marked with an epic “fly everyone in from across the country” surprise party, for which my complicity services were required. (Friday was also my 21st anniversary with Catherine, something that got lost and overshadowed in the process).

It seems perhaps that the architects’ concerns were warranted, at least as regards shining a light on their profession: the Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence in Architecture was given out on Thursday night at Government House and this event appears to have completely escaped the attention of media. Granted, it appears to have also escaped the attention of the Architects Association itself. So they have only themselves to blame. (Does anyone know who this year’s winner was?)

As almost all my heroes are either librarians or architects (if you’re a librarian at an architecture firm we should probably discuss marriage), I will endeavour to not schedule conflicting events for the 2013 celebration of the profession. Keep the wine chilling.