PUBLICATIONS

Issue 36 - Winter 2005

The GLDA interviews Michael Rice

Designers seek inspiration from a variety of sources: some allow the rhythm and tempo of music to guide their hand; others gaze to the heavens in the hope of divine intervention. Many find solace and comfort standing on the shoulders of giants while a few simply pilfer and plagiarise. Wherever you find your creative spark, the work of controversial Irish Architect Michael Rice is sure to illuminate.

Drawing heavily upon Sacred Geometry and the natural patterns of nature, M1chael has established a worldwide reputation for creating bold and innovative, yet sympathetic and sustainable buildings. While Michael is in demand across the globe and is busy finalising a lecture for the GLDA's seminar on 11 February where he will be one of the keynote speakers, he graciously found time to share some insight into his design philosophies, processes and techniques.

Barry Lupton: What was the initial spark for your interest in architecture?

Michael Rice: As long as I can recall I have been interested in space, shape and form. This found playful expression in everything from weird lego constructs, unorthodox airfix creations [ignore the instructions!], paper and card models, tree houses and straw forts. My acceptance into the school of architecture in 1984 was the result of a bizarre series of synchronicities, which started my formal architectural training. Fortunately, it took only a couple of years post graduation to purge this training, and to begin my journey to remember a more life-based design approach.

BL:There are many paths to successful design. What factors influenced your decision to follow your chosen one?

MR: I have always been interested in eastern philosophy and began traditional Karate in 1984. I read and thought extensively about cycles of nature and principles of creation. In immersing myself in natural movements and rhythms it became very clear that nature expresses itself in a language of shapes, harmonic ratios, geometric symmetries etc. It seemed to make sense that if our buildings are to support life they should have these principles as generative design paths. The quest was emerging at a conscious level.

BL:Sacred Geometry is not a typical subject on most architectural courses. How did you go about informing yourself on the subject?

MR: I have been and continue to be blessed with many wonderful teachers along my path, appearing each time when I was ready to gratefully receive the depth of their teaching. The subjects are far-reaching and diverse, ranging from martial arts, healing practices, shamanism, feng shui, bio feedback, permaculture, dowsing and energy clearing, art and traditional building practices. I have travelled extensively to learn and build this awareness and knowledge base, from the US and Mexico, across Australia, through Tibet, China and India, mainland Europe and more recently Japan. Each new level of understanding got ample opportunity to manifest itself in my design practice, honed with continuous feedback and subsequent refinement.

BL:One could argue that Sacred Geometry has been around since the beginning of time and underlies the very fabric of our existence. However, most people are unaware of its existence. How would you relate its fundamentals to a lay person?

MR: The principles of Sacred Geometry are actually very simple. 1 have had fun describing them to children, and got great enjoyment from witnessing their complete acceptance and understanding of the information. As the great philosopher Winnie the Pooh is fond of saying, "simplest is bestest", and this is true of natural, life-based design. I would normally introduce the subject by saying that everything in the Universe consists of energy vibrating at different frequencies.

Waves of energy are constantly interfering and interrelating in each moment in every corner of the Universe. When two waves meet they must learn how to interfere in such a way so as not to cancel each other out. The way they do this is to use symmetry [pattern / shape / form] which leads to the emergence of what we call matter. So in effect, nature uses shape to attract, form and sustain patterns of energy, which form the basis of the manifest world and the living environment. The underlying principles are easy to learn and use, as they are the very nature of who we are.

BL:Having outlined an understanding or Sacred Geometry, can you provide any practical advice for garden designers wishing to use it in the formation of exterior spaces?

MR: A lot of the garden designers I have encountered have an instinctive grasp of this information, even though they may not be consciously aware of the 'science' behind it. Mother Nature is the best teacher, and when we design places and spaces that mirror the forms we see in nature, we go a long way in creating a living wholesome environment. Sacred Geometry can provide a limitless natural framework for our design manifestations - it serves to open us to timeless and endless possibilities rather than limit us to the passing fads of fashion or mood.

BL:Is it necessary for a potential client to be aware of your approach or can you apply your understanding without their complete interaction?

MR: No, of course not. However, they do tend to get a crash course when they see the initial design! As these generative ratios and proportions are what we are made of, at every level, when we actually see it in the form of a design, we get a hint of our true nature, and this tends to excite and enthuse my clients. It is not about me and my 'design ability' - rather it is a way to ground us into a deep understanding of our potential and to see it made manifest in our space.

BL:Personal awareness and connection to inner feelings seem to playa large part in your process. How do you harness negative feelings to produce positive results for a client?

MR: I do not believe in good or bad, right or wrong. What we might describe as a negative emotion or tendency / habit / viewpoint is an opportunity to see where we still have charge or resistance to flow. It's all good, and it all leads us to establishing a more sustainable life for ourselves, our clients and the land itself.

BL:Many of your design creations are unconventional. How do you manage budgetary costs with creative ambitions?

MR: In the film 'The Matrix' there is a scene where a boy appears to be bending a spoon with his mind. When the main character, Neo, questions the boy he replies - "it is your mind that must bend, not the spoon". So too with the building of 'unconventional' designs. A mind that will not bend cannot see that a curved wall is actually easier to set up, is structurally stronger and can be a lot of fun to construct. It does not have to be more expensive or require greater skill. Just an open or 'bendable' mind.

BL:How does your design approach input on the specification of materials?

MR: The 'new' definition of life that underpins my design philosophy is far-reaching in its implications, as it impacts on every aspect of our lives, from how we choose to give birth, live, eat, build, create and of course die. Put simply, life can be described as 'the ability to fractally attract and self organize electrical charge'. I understand that this can seem a little obtuse and perhaps a tad heady, and here is not the forum to tease it out a bit.

But this definition provides a rigorous framework for life-based design including the choice of materials. We can see materials as complex wave packages, which interfere and interrelate with an environment. The choice of materials dictates whether or not the resulting wave interference pattern is generally constructive or destructive. This is not open to much interpretation as the results are measurable using bio-feedback - does this design choice add greater charge symmetry, greater charge density, greater electrical [energy] coherence - i.e. more life? Or does it create a reduction of same, leading to tension which creates imbalance? For instance, using metal in a garden installation can create disruptive magnetic symmetry on the land, or in more playful terms - it annoys the faeries!

I understand that the language used here can be a little off-putting or indeed irrelevant. It is introduced to establish a sharable language framework based on science, so that all creative disciplines can be singing off the same hymn sheet.

BL:Being aware of a client's conscious and subconscious needs seems to play an important role in your process. Have you developed any special techniques for reading between the lines of a client's wish list?

MR: This is actually the easy part, once all the head stuff is put in its place. We are more perceptive than we imagine, in fact we are limited only by our imagination. At a quantum level a perceived event has every much a likelihood of being caused by something that has yet to happen, as by something that just has. The notion of linear time, which underlies most design thinking [the critical design path etc] is actually an illusion, albeit a persistent one. There is only the now. This is of course counter intuitive and seems to make no sense, but in reality consciousness [all there is] is not limited by linear time and space.

At a more relevant level this means that our minds can actually reach forward in time and download the perfect matrix of possibilities in any given design situation. This flies in the face of most if not all established design thinking, but this does not faze me - I seek to be of service, and put no limits on how this can manifest itself.

BL:There appears to be a large connection between sustainable and Sacred Geometry design approaches. Besides terminology, what do you think separates them?

MR: The word 'Sacred' actually means 'Sustainable'. The two are totally interchangeable. If we remove the religious connotation we have a viable design philosophy that builds living systems.

BL:Are you planning to diversify into other areas of design in the future and should we look out for you at Chelsea?

MR: I am on this planet to seek to remember who I am, and to be of service to the continuing evolution of consciousness. I know this might sound a tad New Agey, but in truth it is the reason we are all here. Everything else is distraction. This process can be and indeed should be immensely enjoyable, but it does require a relaxed attitude to what might emerge next. As such I seek to expand my awareness of how best to serve, and to be open to 'signposts' along the way - so if one pops up and points to Chelsea, then I am there! It is all unfolding with perfection!

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