issue no. 23

what’s in a name?

It’s the best day of the year on Sunday, as well as our namesake.

Curious to know how the NYC marathon inspires our design practice?

Read below!

Naming is no joke…

Think of a word or words that evoke your mission, service, perspective, your ideal client, you as a complex human(s), all while hopefully connecting with the external world when you can’t physically be present in the room?

Of course, there were the usual contenders. Terms that speak to the world of design + architecture in a more literal sense, as well as acronyms, which always make me think of law firms. There were first names + last names, and everything in between. There were the ones made in jest that felt perfect but a little too much like an inside joke.

So for us, it was all about selecting something that:

1.) We connect with emotionally, are passionate about + are genuinely inspired by

2.) Conveys the true essence of our purpose

As it turned out, the words themselves had nothing to do with design but everything to do with the spirit of our process.

marathon day

What this day means to us

This day is not about running. It is a signifier of the journey to self-actualization - a study in practice, drive, discipline, + self-trust- manifestation in its purest form. It is a firm decision to choose to see the bigger picture, knowing that when challenges arise, not only will they pass, but they will pale in comparison to what lies ahead.

It is the fans - the people who come out to cheer, to compassionately champion total strangers as they strive to reach an incredible goal. They rise early + bundle up with family + friends to be a part of something bigger than themselves. And as a runner limps by, clutching their waist, brow furrowed + mouth open in defeat- exhausted + ready to give up, they cheer  “You got this, Tomaso! You’re halfway there!” + instantly, a grin washes over + the pace picks up.

It is the community- coming together for the common good. For positivity + uplifting each other in a time that can feel so bleak, knowing that a raised vibration for one is a benefit to us all. It is a city unifying - roads shut down, streets closed off, all in the name of hope + opportunity.

It is the runners- who run for loved ones who have passed + new life on the way. For mental health, because without running, they are unable to see the light. They run in wheelchairs + cycles, pushing through all limiting beliefs, proving to us all that anything + everything is possible. They run for liberation, equality, for a free Palestine, Congo + Sudan. They run as a reminder that we have so much to be grateful for + still so far to go.

It is the marriage proposals + generational traditions. It is the change of season + daylight savings, where for two weeks straight we’ll ask, “Can you believe it’s already (insert any time here)?”. It is feeling so inspired that you tell yourself (again) “I think I’ll do it next year”, later realizing that you probably (definitely) will not. But it is also remembering that you, too, have pushed through some seemingly insurmountable challenges in your own life + persevered.

Marathon day is so many things. But mostly, it is bearing witness to the beauty of humans being their most human beings. And for us, humanity is what great design is all about.