— Andrew Reeves, Architect and CEO of Linebox Studio
It took a card game on a vacation to make Andrew Reeves realize that he was dyslexic at the age of 42.
A comment from a friend put him on a journey of discovery and now he is aware of the skills and the mindset that he has due to being dyslexic.
From CBC News:
“What was your experience as a kid?
It was frustrating. Obviously, our school system, especially 30 years ago, was set up in a very traditional model. You get a grade and that translates to how smart you are and also your success, if you can make it to university. So it definitely was a confusing time when you felt half of you is extremely smart and brilliant at certain things that aren’t being tested, while your peers are high-fiving and getting “good grades.'”
Andrew founded and leads a highly successful and innovative architecture firm.
When you look at his projects, you can see all the dyslexic MIND strengths in action. Architecture of course reflects spatial visualization and material reasoning, but there’s a lot of storytelling and interconnectedness in the design of his multi-use buildings and he and his firm are also designing for the future as well as the present. His buildings are sustainably built and also have LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified architects as part of their firm.
Here are some photos of their design of the ElementAI building in Montreal. He talks more about the design of the building here.
The spiraling of bricks create a dramatic visual texture to the walls. Meeting spaces were very individual, but united with other design elements carried throughout the building.
To see more of Andrew’s company portfolio, visit HERE.
We’ve often heard from other dyslexic architects that dyslexia is overrepresented in this field.
So much of what architects will ultimately do in their careers is never covered in conventional school curriculum. Sometimes a little building can be seen in a STEM class, but usually it’s overlooked completely.
To foster a young person’s interest in architecture, visiting buildings, ask to do behind-the-scenes tours, and let them plan and build. One great resource for programs and ideas is Architecture for Children at: https://archforkids.com/
