Personal Journey
by Omar Enriquez
2002 – 2008 University:
The architectural curriculum that I studied back in Mexico was designed so that we, the graduates, could analyze cities to propose/design architecture to satisfy the existing network of demands; demands from social and economic systems; systems that continually evolve in complexity and excess of information, making it difficult for us to sense, imagine and challenge a change to connect things differently.
2008 – 2024 – time in different offices and a discovery:
The main goal of my work in the different offices in which I have collaborated has been to solve problems and meet the requirements of multiple projects – at least that was expected from me. However, my personal development was not growing in understanding about the origin of our current set of social networks & connections, networks & connections that tend to follow rules & regulations, rules & regulations designed and operated by groups and systems that have transformed our urban fabric and architectural space into what is now.
To delve deeper into how we, as individuals, play a role in all of this, I decided to read philosophy, and in return, philosophy taught me the practice of contemplation; contemplation that helped me think about the web in which we all are, but also to observe our human species; our human species in relation to our ecosystems, habitat and purpose.
2022 – Anthropology and span of time reflection.
As the main theme of my studies and observations became our human species and its vast timeline, in 2022 I began taking courses in Anthropology and homo sapiens evolution; evolution that spans for hundred of thousands of years and has recently experienced more rapid progress since our ancestors began to contemplate; contemplate what other species were doing, such as foraging (feeding lesson), and the effects of natural events (fire lesson).
By reflecting on the time and space of our human evolution, I was able to digest the big span and the short span of cultural development. We have dedicated a short span of years, barely 0.03% of our existence, to producing resources and building civilizations (complex system). The other 99.97% were dedicated to nomadic life, moving around and understanding the seasons to hunt and gather resources, (simple system). The conclusion I draw is that some of our ancestors decided to change course into a new pathway; a pathway that reinforced the idea of land ownership to work together and create resources; resources that have developed in complexity and now damage our own habitat and survival.
2024 – OEM Architecture Office Inc. emerges to play its role.
All these disciplines combined (architecture, philosophy, and anthropology) have shape how I see the world now, and I am hopeful that we will be capable to change pathways and that we all have a role to play in this so that we can solve current crisis (e.g. climate change, homelessness, addictions, affordability, lack of resources) by redesigning our pathways, pathways that will reconfigure our network of systems; systems that will prioritize environment, habitat, empathy, technology, culture health and safety, and social development.