15. You have to work at it

When I was in grad school at Texas, I asked Charles Moore to tell me how he got famous, more specifically how he got great commissions. He said these things happened because he developed the teaching track - teaching, writing and lecturing gave him the money, he said, to keep the office going irrespective of how much work it had coming in. That way, if there wasn't enough fee to do that killer rendering, or to work up presentation materials for publication, say, he could infill with his own money. He got bored with being known for a singular type of work, he said, so as people approached him about starting and being associated with other offices, he did. Being in three places at once was kind of a novelty that helped his profile as well.

... [Moore] said being famous was just like any other driven career track - you have to commit to it, you have to think your way through it, you have to make the right connections with clients, the right types of clients, people who control publication, people on the academic side - you have to devote your life to it, which he did. I don't believe it's a random thing - there's an element of randomness to it, but becoming famous doesn't happen at random. Just ask Britney Spears' mother.

Left to right: Richard Whitaker, Donlyn Lyndon, Charles Moore, and William Turnbull.

Post from Archinet forum "How to become a Famous Architect"

ALSO SEE THESE RELATED NOTES FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS:
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14. Do Good Work & Keep Your Soul