A couple of weeks ago our office experienced a summer cleaning; heaps of bond paper, tracing paper, newsprint, all made their way to our “green bins” to be recycled into bigger and better things. This made me realize that paper is ubiquitous, and for a good reason. Every piece of paper we recycled served an essential purpose for a certain duration of time and it helped us express an idea, otherwise trapped in our minds or our computers, to achieve a goal. Paper is the first tactile destination for every idea that becomes reality, especially in design-oriented endeavorers. We write, doodle, sketch, and draft on paper; it is a perfect substrate for two-dimensional expression. In the field of architecture,  I have had the experience of employing paper in a third dimension… and I love it.

London Showroom Poster | Love Paper

Architects have always created maquettes, parti models, and massings at the earliest stages of the design process and paper, whether it’s 110 lb. cardstock (my personal favorite because it feeds through our laserjet printer), the facing surfaces for foam board, or (in Frank Gehry’s case) a crumpled sheet, at that moment becomes metaphor; it is a floor, a wall, or a roof. It allows us to actually build an idea before it is actually built; in that case it is paradox as well, deepening my admiration for the material.

London Showroom’s theme for a recent series of posters accurately describes that admiration, “Love Paper.” Read More »