The American Academy in Rome Odyssey and the North Shore Unitarian Church Designing and Building Architecture and Landscape Environments in Harmony with Nature

The Dirsmith's life-long efforts have been directed towards designing, building, describing and illustrating why it has been throughout history and continues to be today so crucially important for human beings to bring nature into their daily lives and to create built environments that can and do enrich life, the human spirit. But it is also about YOU, the reader. And how YOU can ensure that nature and your creative human environment will forever be a part of your lives in spite of all the roadblocks, speed bumps, obstructions, ill-begotten, ill-conceived, over- reactive rules, regulations and restrictions others might or have already placed in your way. One of our early mentors, a sage of sayings, often repeated one of his most poignant words of wisdom to anyone who was under his influence. ... "The sooner one understands that he or she is the only person that has the power, potential and capability of changing, altering or enriching his or her life, the quicker the process can begin " There are many disparate and external forces playing upon the average human being when making choices relative to creating any built environment. These are subtle yet powerful constraints, not only affecting the public surroundings, but most especially the private spaces where we live, eat socialize and conduct the business of the day. On occasion, we are confronted by a space that is dedicated to a particular function but discover its design altogether misses the objective. A physical space and its properties impact us in many ways, affects our mood, our mental attitude toward work and our co-workers. It plays into how an individual truly refreshes or re-energizes both body and spirit. So often we are forced to accept, "the way things are." We sometimes overlook exploring what might be created that could dramatically change the built environment and the positive effect it could have on just one individual. Our strongest recommendation is that you actively engage with your own personal surroundings both inside of building spaces as well as outside in the natural environment. How does one accurately describe a radiant sunset as it slowly sinks into the glowing horizon of a Western sky? Are there any words alone that can portray the experience of witnessing a grand gaggle of Canadian Geese honking in soft sonorous tones as they fly in faultless formation overhead on their seasonal migratory flights? Is it possible to describe the emotions and sensations one perceives while listening to, feeling, and visually enjoying an orchestra play a liveperformance of Aaron Copeland's AppalachianSpring, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, or experiencing a rainbow arch across the sky after an exhilarating thunderstorm? The delicate, subtle aromas of Grandma Clara's hot freshly baked bread, apple pie and roast turkey with sage dressing coming out of her oven to grace her Thanksgiving table, still remain fixed in our memories but not easily re-captured or replicated by any communication medium. Trying to depict the unique qualities and characteristics of a built environment that might enrich the human spirit will probably fall short of the intent for two reasons. First, simply by being so restricted in terms of how something in all of its aspects can be illustrated by words alone. Second, because each of us as individuals is unique ... one-of-a-kind ... that sees, feels, touches, smells, hears and perceives things quite differently from one another. In contemplating the various scenarios surrounding end of life issues, we wanted to share some thoughts with friends and loved ones for their personal benefit. To us, one of the most rewarding observations is recognizing that our 3 children, Tim, Colleen and Brian Sean, have each developed and matured into loving, caring, strong and independent individuals with a good sense and overview of life, a tribute to their sensitivity. Follow your bliss, as Joseph Campbell so prophetically pen"