Letter from the Editor

“ If you are losing your leisure, look out! — It may be you are losing your soul.”

— VIRGINIA WOOLF

SECRETARY@AIABROOKLYN.ORG

Dolce Far Niente

If you know anything about me, you know just how much I LOVE the beach. I love the sand, the sun and the sensations, but what I especially love is the ocean. Just the thought of lazing on a warm, soft sandy beach in front of a beautiful blue ocean as it effortlessly caresses the shore sends such high D.O.S.E. (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins) levels to my brain, it might be considered contraband. In fact, I find so much pleasure from being at one with nature at the seashore that I often wonder if the Ancient Greeks were inspired by a beautiful sunset or a perfect moonlit night at the coastline of a Greek isle when they described the Elysian Fields. While some might find a day at the beach boring, for me, it is possibly one of the best expressions of happiness that this earth has to offer.

In thinking about it a little deeper, maybe it’s the concept of dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing — that really warms my soul. For most of us, we tend to live out our lives by going through the motions, powering through our days and checking things off our to-do lists. But how often do any one of us take the time to relax, take in the beauty that surrounds us and enjoy what the dictionary describes as: pleasant relaxation in carefree idleness? Ahhh — even the definition makes my heart skip a beat! As children, we spent most of our time in search of fun and somewhere along the lines we’re taught that we have to lose that in order to be proper adults. In other words, we evidently have to push our dreams to the side, pack up our sense of adventure and close our eyes to wonderment to be good at adulting. So, maybe you can blame it on the childlike disposition in me, but I call BS on that train of thought. I love the summertime and I love to have fun. On any given summer day, just point me to the nearest hammock, whip me up a refreshing mojito (muddle in a little mango, please!), promise me that the breeze and the ocean are cool and that the sun is hot and for me, that would be my description of paradise on earth.

In this issue, I thought it would fun for it to be about fun! Starting with the cover, a happy photo I took of Brooklyn’s famous Coney Island. We also have an article written by Giuseppe Anzalone about a topic that brings him joy: AIA New York State Advocacy initiatives. In the WIMBY column this issue, contributing writer Jane McGroarty challenges Architects and related industry partners to think differently about designing and building in the time of COVID. Instead of a regular article for the AIA Brooklyn feature, I thought a pictorial timeline of enjoyable moments from the AIA Brooklyn archives would be kinda fun. Next, be sure to kick up your feet and get ready to be delighted by my interview with Susana Simonpietri, Creative Director and Owner of Chango & Co., A Brooklyn-based design firm that I have long admired for their distinctive style and playful elements. Lastly, I hope you take pleasure in the Special Feature by contributing writer Michelle Duncan — Work at Play! With stories from several AIA Brooklyn members who seek fun in the work they do as they tell us about the work that brings them joy. I hope this issue makes you take a moment to relax and enjoy the little break that PYLON is.