Every year, thousands of people all over the world graduate from highschool and have to choose a profession. And every year students from universities graduate and receive the titles they were waiting for and that will chase them every time they sign an email, a letter or apply for a job. They stop being students to become part of this huge profession.
For example, my title would be Architect, with a Master in Science in Architectural Lighting Design. I like to say I am a Lightnig designer, but lots of people call me Architect and I am embraced into that group. So as a member of that group I would like to welcome, as many already have, someone I "admire" since I was little: Barbara Millicent Roberts, or Barbie, who will be in fall the new Barbie Architect.
I remember when I was a kid and I read the Barbie magazine. I remember playing with my Barbies, and my favorite one had no head, well, it had but they were not together, it was more like Wednesday's doll, from the Addams family.
I have always liked Barbie. Despite what others might think of her, I think she is the representation of a strong woman, who can do anything she wants. She is gorgeous inside and outside. Cares about animals (I remember a story in the magazine where she went to save dolphins), looks beautiful, helps friends, sisters, I don't know what to say about her. I think she is a role model and I have when people call Barbies beautiful girls who are empty, because Barbie is not that way. At least not for me.
With this post, I welcome Barbie to the architecture world. She doesn't need to take off the high heels, abandon the pink or dress up in black. I have never done so and I am an architect. I used to have a tube where I had all my prints, I used to go to school sometimes with a helmet, and I went to some not so big construction sites on high heels. Not a big deal.
BTW, have you seen her new Eco Friendly dream house? It's fantastic. It was done by Ting Li and Maja Paklar, after mattel and the American Institue of Architects convoked the AIA Architect Barbie Dream House Design Cometition.
This house has solar panels for clean energy, bamboo flooring, which is fantastic as it is much better than wood. Bamboo just happens to grow faster and be really useful. You don't have to cut a tree that had been grwoing for years to put it on your floor. It has a low flow toilet so if she used it, she would save water.
Here it is:
Even though I am old enough, I think I will buy a Barbie Architect as soon as I see it. (and have money, because... well... this is not the best paid profession).
