Coincidii.

Is coincidence sincere or is the world simply smaller than our minds perception? This has become a regularly occurring question since moving to NYC. I suppose because the city seems so huge, but more than anyplace I've lived, coincidence seems more active. Maybe it's not even coincidence, but rather a product of true urbanity. Or perhaps I give things more relevance than necessary. But it makes life more fun and meaningful.



Last night my dear friend Courtney and I met up after work at the kickoff anniversary party of the Storefront for Architecture. I have a loyalty to the storefront because it's the scene of my first real New York design experience that I'll never forget back in late May - the Postopolis conference. Anyway, last night was packed as usual, free beer as usual, and the typical New York design crowd spilling out of the perforated facade of the tiny sliver of a structure the storefront occupies. I coincidentally ran into one of the speakers from Postopolis who is a cronie of Michael Sorkin in starting the non-profit Terreform. Since I have an addiction with parity to methamphetamine regarding design nonprofits, I was of course interested in this new organization. It's been on my mind to swing by their office ever since. They occupy what I call the 'New York Design Ghetto' at 180 Varick. Everyone has an office in that building. If you're ever in New York, swing by and simply read the directory in the lobby. It's mindblowing the amount of design work and speculation that goes on in that building everyday. Terreform is a nonprofit devoted to both practical and theoretical projects at all scales with a special interest in the city. They're wacky, as one would suspect from anything Sorkin.



I don't particularly jive with the forms they derive, but I do like how huge and unconventionally they operate and the massive topics they take on through grants, private funders, etc. Most notable is their rendition of the future New York where the figure ground inverses as buildings colonize in what are now the streets and the building blocks become productive green and open spaces. It's out there, but what a fantastic image to ponder. It'll take your mind 10,000 other places in the process.

During my conversation with Mr. Terreform, he shared with me their agenda to produce a counter plan to the Columbia expansion into Harlem. I closed my eyes for a moment and then quietly laughed. I told him what I've been slaving away on and some of my experiences thus far. He gave me loads of info on the history of it all and we exchanged business cards.

As if that wasn't enough to give the evening some extra somethin' somethin', Courtney drug me to some random guys apartment for wine and sea bass. I had no clue who this guy is and she hadn't seen him for 3-4 years. We arrived to a beautiful Nolita apartment (with a piano!) and only 5-6 people, mostly San Francisco musicians and coincidentally a woman named Jamie who I worked with at the Van Alen Institute a couple months ago and haven't seen since.

We proceeded to cook a 12 pound fillet of sea bass from the Chelsea Fish Market and converse over the smallness of the world for the remainder of the evening. Paradoxical? Maybe........


Sorkin image credit Terreform website