modus principle #5 | balance.

guiding principle #5:

balance

a respect for the whole person.

We encourage individuals to be themselves, maintain their principles, and take time for personal commitments. We believe this creates a good, healthy work-hard/play-hard focus.

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Balance is one of the hardest things to do in the life of an architect, partly because our work is always changing, and partly because to be a good designer and create good designs, it takes time - lots and lots of time. I constantly strive to be good at what I do, but I also work hard to hold on to my personal commitments and goals outside of my profession. Fortunately, modus views design team members executing the successful balance of these as being well-rounded and all-around better ‘modi’. If someone has certain personal goals that they are striving to achieve, they are encouraged to communicate those goals to the team so that we can all support them in their endeavors.

When each of us are successful as individuals, modus is successful as a studio. That is why we believe in supporting our team in more than just the ways they contribute to the design work. We support and respect each individual as a whole person. Work can often take more time than I would like, and the scales tip a bit. After giving so much of myself to the design work, I know it’s necessary to take time for a break or a celebration. When you work hard, you should also play hard. When the big design goals and deadlines are met, we take time off for what we call a ‘mobration’; on-the-clock, well-deserved fun. Just because you CAN work all the time, doesn’t mean that you should.