The Oregon State University campus is one of the most beautiful
places on earth; in fact I know a few Ducks who may even agree with me. It goes
beyond the historic Memorial Union peering over the crisply cut grass of the MU
Quad, or the waving shades of orange and yellow leaves that turn the trees
lining sidewalks into works of art. It is the life lived at these physical
places where I spent four transformative years of my life that catapult it to
my list of most beautiful places. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been to
several beautiful campuses in my life for various reasons, but it is at Oregon
State where I lived, which elevates
it above the rest. The Memorial Union is more than a building, it is where I
“jumped” into Greek Life quite literally, where I took countless naps in broad
daylight and where I played capture the flag at midnight accidentally spooking
a few passing students on their way to the library (as the kids say these days
“my bad”). The changing colors in leaves may just be “pretty” to a visitor, but
for me those falling leaves were calming while I walked to a looming accounting
mid-term and to this day bring back memories of raking leaves at the Chapter
House and flag football at Chintimini Park. At their bare bones, these were
merely buildings and places, just objects to host me temporarily. However, it
is the life I lived in them that
turned them into home and transformed the surrounding area into a community I
still feel connected to today.
A man who believes a place a person lives should REALLY be a where a person lives and builds community is Kenji
Lopez. I first met Kenji over 3 months ago as I looked for a place to stay
during my work rotation in Monterrey, Mexico. Over my time in Mexico I grew to
know him as Kenji the explorer, Kenji the engineer, Kenji the businessman,
Kenji the tour guide and as Kenji mi compadre (as well as the guy you can trust
for authentic Mexican taco and tequila recommendations). Kenji runs Urvita, a
property development firm comprised of young professionals focused on providing
beautifully smart designed residences at affordable prices throughout
Monterrey (the photos in this post are buildings he has designed...check out more here http://www.greenfieldmx.com/). When asked what motivates him
to raise his standards Kenji explains “one day I realized I wanted to shift my
energy to serving the most instead of individuals” in reference to previously
having a higher end of clientele. To understand the weight of his decision the
reader needs to understand Kenji’s background. After graduating at the top of
his class at one of the most prestigious engineering universities in Mexico, Tec
de Monterrey, Kenji had jobs as an assistant project manager for a steel high
rise buildings and was the lead auditor for the state government where he
earned accolades for taking a process that took 2-3 days and streamlined it to
a 13 minute process; all during his early 20s.
It is easy to forget he is a LEED certified engineer and his
laundry list of design awards when hanging out with him. One specific time I
was in his office and picked up an architecture magazine and noted how amazing the
home looked on the cover and turned to him and asked if he knew the designer,
his answer “I designed it, it was fun” as he closed his laptop and switched the
conversation to local craft brewery in Monterrey and a new Dunkel beer he
wanted me to try. The thing is he is often more excited to get you to go climb
a mountain with him, invite you to go watch a game, or show you where to get
the best cocktail in Monterrey (Maverick
is the answer to that question btw). This “work to live, not live to work”
mentality are not just words to Kenji; he lives by them. After facing burnout
in his 20’s and nearly falling asleep multiple times while commuting between
full time work and full time school and going to the hospital as a result of stress,
he realizes what is most important in life. After saying no to lucrative offers
from big name firms he used his innovative spirit, intellect and eagerness to
share life with those who he felt had a right to live in an environment
conducive to living, not just surviving. In doing so he has not only raised his
own standards, but is striving to raise his country’s standards as well.
“I remember early on as an auditor I was one of the only
engineers who would go out in the field. Yes, it was hot and dirty and my peers
found it much easier to stay in the air conditioned office, but I couldn’t
understand how you can audit a building if you are not in the field. I was shocked
at what I saw. The ‘homes’ all looked cookie cutter and had very bad quality;
concrete beams had multiple holes in them and to cover them up some builders
had tried to fill them with small rocks. It was also common to be auditing a
site and see the workers doing nothing, or even having sex in these buildings
because the lack of oversight. I knew for those buying these homes it would
likely be their first home, that is special, and I did not want them to buy
shit; Mexico deserves better and can do better”. From there he has launched a
career as an entrepreneur developing a number of amazing award winning
properties for his focus on not only creating beautiful buildings, but
beautiful living spaces for the common person.
This month remember a home is more than walls and a roof,
more than an address and a driveway; it is a living space where people connect,
build community, find peace and live.
Thanks for the reminder Kenji.
Then
my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in
undisturbed resting places (Isaiah 32:18).
Fun Questions
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- “When I grow up I want to be helpful and ignorant so I can still work and learn with family and friends. :D”
- What was the best April Fool’s joke you have done to someone?
- “I have been a bit of prankster for most my life. This was not on April 1st, but I once played a trick on my younger brother. I took him to school each morning early at 6AM. One early morning at about 2AM I turned all the clocks forward, closed the blinds and woke him up frantically and said we were late. In his mind he thought it was 7AM and so he got ready in a rush thinking he was late. When he finally realized what time it was he was furious, which didn’t help the fact that he couldn’t get back to sleep…he didn’t think it was very funny, but I sure did!”
- What is going through your mind when designing, or constructing a building?
- “I remember someone is going to live there. I want to build cities worth caring about where I think of people in the community as citizens and not just consumers…I enjoy making the most of the natural habitat and keeping the neighborhood/community as the centerpiece of a project…with this mindset I believe the people who live there will take more responsibility for the area they live.”
