An Inspired Chat with Gregory Walker of Midtown

We recently had the chance to connect with Gregory Walker and have shared our conversation below.

Gregory, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
After getting ready to face the world, an ideal start involves coffee at a place like Spiller Park, working and thinking at a big picture, speculative level. Be it trying to work through a present design problem or decisions about where our studio should be positioning itself, that first couple hours of each morning tend to be my best time for thinking most expansively.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
At its most essential, I design experiences. Spaces, objects, ephemera – my interests are in trying to create experiences that make you say ‘wow’ the 50th time you encounter it, not the first time.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Experience and time have convinced me communication failures are the root of friction between people. A simple misunderstanding, a failure to ask a question in a critical moment, not appreciating the life experiences someone brings to a conversation – all of these lead us to make assumptions and assumptions rarely build trust effectively. To balance this and repair fractures, we need practice a kind of kintsugi: bring forward only the most pure, essential, vulnerable version of our understanding to mending that fracture and always start from a position the other person is bringing their best intent.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
That people don’t care about what you’re doing or how your efforts look as much as you think they do. Which, once you realize that fact, it’s the most liberating moment an artist can have – just do and you’ll find your tribe. And turn the volume down – your ears will thank you later on.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
As architects, we like to believe we can change the world. Inevitably, that’s a kind of false braggadocio, one that more ‘successful’ architects swallow whole so they can maintain enough sanity to actually believe they can accomplish something that really will make a small dent in the world.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Without it being a matter of health, the longer I’ve practiced, the more I’ve come to value letting go of opportunities where the value alignment isn’t there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.houserwalker.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregory.walker.design/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorywalker/

Image Credits
Images courtesy of Gregory Walker and Houser Walker Architecture