Vox

Leitura de 8 min

Built to Change

Summary

In this rare weekend episode of Developer Tea, host Jonathan Cottrell shares inspiration about embracing change in all aspects of creation and planning. He introduces a powerful quote from Stuart Brand’s book ‘How Buildings Learn’ that illustrates how even physical buildings—designed with permanence in mind—undergo constant transformation due to evolving standards, materials, technologies, and needs.

The quote details numerous examples: asbestos going from beneficial to hazardous, building codes updating, accessibility requirements transforming infrastructure, and constant deterioration requiring repairs with new materials and techniques. Cottrell highlights the Architectural Graphic Standards manual, which saw only one part of one page remain unchanged across 56 years and eight revised editions, demonstrating the relentless pace of change in construction.

Cottrell then asks listeners to apply this perspective to software development, questioning whether they build with the assumption that some parts are permanent solutions. He argues that everything changes—needs, tools, and contexts—and encourages developers to hold their code, architectural plans, and career paths with a lighter grasp, accepting that change is inevitable.

The episode concludes by advocating for a flexible mindset that not only allows for change but actively invites it. By building systems and plans that are adaptable from the start, we can move through necessary changes more quickly and with less resistance. Cottrell credits guest Ernie Miller for the book recommendation and signs off with weekend wishes.

Recommendations

Books

  • How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built — A book by Stuart Brand that explores how buildings adapt and change over time despite being designed for permanence. Cottrell quotes from it extensively to draw parallels to software development and planning.

People

  • Stuart Brand — The author of ‘How Buildings Learn,’ whose insights about architectural adaptation form the core inspiration for this episode’s discussion on change.
  • Ernie Miller — A two-time guest on Developer Tea who recommended ‘How Buildings Learn’ to Jonathan Cottrell. He currently works in ‘people in power’ at Gusto.

Topic Timeline

  • 00:00:14 — Introduction to the episode’s theme of holding things lightly — Jonathan Cottrell introduces the episode’s inspiration about holding code, architectural plans, and career plans more lightly, understanding they may change. He frames this as a mindset shift for developers and creators.
  • 00:00:50 — Introducing the book ‘How Buildings Learn’ by Stuart Brand — Cottrell reveals the source of his inspiration: the book ‘How Buildings Learn’ by Stuart Brand, noting its popularity among building architects. He begins reading a lengthy quote from the book about how buildings change over time despite initial perceptions of permanence.
  • 00:01:17 — Quote details the forces of change on buildings — The quoted passage lists examples of change: asbestos reclassification, evolving fire and building codes, accessibility requirements, constant deterioration, and changing repair materials and techniques. It emphasizes that you can’t fix old buildings in old ways because methods keep changing.
  • 00:02:24 — Architectural Graphic Standards as evidence of change — The quote cites the Architectural Graphic Standards manual, which had only one part of one page remain the same across eight editions from 1932 to 1988. More than half of the 1988 edition was new or revised since 1981, demonstrating the rapid pace of change in building standards.
  • 00:03:01 — Applying the building analogy to software development — Cottrell asks listeners if they build software with the mistaken belief that some parts are permanent solutions. He suggests that, like most humans, developers often imagine certain elements won’t change, but the truth is that everything—needs, tools, contexts—evolves over time.
  • 00:03:39 — Extending the principle to life planning — The host extends the analogy beyond software to calendars, career plans, and retirement plans, stating all will change. He acknowledges things might meet expectations for a while, but lasting solutions require a flexible mindset that accepts inevitable change.
  • 00:04:09 — Advocating for a flexible, change-inviting mindset — Cottrell encourages building with a flexible mindset, open to and even inviting of change. He argues that by doing so, when change inevitably comes, we won’t resist it but will move quickly through the necessary steps to adapt, making the process smoother and more efficient.
  • 00:04:39 — Closing thoughts and book credit — Cottrell reiterates the book’s title and subtitle (‘What Happens After They’re Built’), suggesting this phase is more important than the initial construction. He credits former guest Ernie Miller for the book recommendation, mentions Ernie’s role at Gusto, and signs off.

Episode Info

  • Podcast: Developer Tea
  • Author: Jonathan Cutrell
  • Category: Technology Business Careers Society & Culture
  • Published: 2022-08-06T07:00:00Z
  • Duration: 00:05:30

References

Podcast Info

Transcript

[00:00:00] Happy Saturday from the Rare Weekend episode of Developer Team.

[00:00:14] My name is Jonathan Cottrell and today I want to share some inspiration for you.

[00:00:20] This inspiration is about the way that you think about your code or anything you build

[00:00:28] or really anything that you’re a part of and specifically this inspiration is intended to

[00:00:35] get you to hold your code a little more lightly. Hold your architectural plans with a bit of a

[00:00:44] lighter grasp. Hold whatever plans you have for your career understanding that they may

[00:00:50] change at any moment. This quote comes from a book that I recently started reading. It’s

[00:00:58] called How Buildings Learn. It’s by Stuart Brand. If you are an architect, not a software architect,

[00:01:05] but a actual building architect, then you know this book almost certainly. This is apparently

[00:01:11] a very popular book in that field. And the quote goes like this, a little bit long,

[00:01:17] so stick with it. Asbestos went from being very good for you to very bad for you. Fired

[00:01:23] codes and building codes discovered new things to worry about and old buildings were forced to

[00:01:28] meet the new standards. Access for the disabled transformed toilets, stairs, curbs, elevators.

[00:01:35] Deterioration is constant in new buildings as much as old. The roof leaks, the furnaces dying,

[00:01:43] the walls have cracks, the windows are a disgrace. People are getting sick from something in the air

[00:01:49] conditioning and the whole place is going to have to be redone. And you can’t fix or remodel an old

[00:01:54] place in the old way. Techniques and materials keep changing. Factory hung windows and doors

[00:01:59] are better than the old site built ones, but they have different shapes. Sheet rock replaces plaster,

[00:02:05] steel studs replace wood. You have to have vapor barriers, plastic plumbing, plastic electrical

[00:02:12] fixtures, a dozen new forms of insulation, track lighting, task lighting, up lighting and carpet

[00:02:18] by the acre. The extent of change can be documented in the Architectural Graphic Standards,

[00:02:24] the American Builders Bible for design and construction details. It was first published

[00:02:29] in 1932, selling in the hundreds of thousands. It was up to its eighth completely revised edition

[00:02:36] in 1988, with only one part of one of its 864 pages still the same after 56 years.

[00:02:45] More than half of the 1988 edition was new or revised since the 1981 edition, seven routine years.

[00:02:54] The book goes on to explain how buildings change over time, even though

[00:03:01] when we first build them, we imagine that they won’t. Does this sound familiar to you?

[00:03:07] Do you build software with this in mind, thinking that you’ve solved the problem once and for all?

[00:03:14] Maybe you don’t build the whole project that way. Maybe you imagine that part of it will change,

[00:03:19] but almost certainly, if you’re like me or like most humans, you imagine that there are parts

[00:03:24] that are permanent, that they’re going to be that way no matter what. The truth is, everything

[00:03:31] changes. The needs that we have change. The tools that we have change. If you look at your calendar

[00:03:39] the same way, if you look at your career plan the same way, if you look at your retirement plan the

[00:03:46] same way, all of these things will change. Sure, something might match your expectation

[00:03:54] for a while. You may have been right for one window in time. Things might solve your needs

[00:04:01] for today, but the truth is, if you were instead to think about your building, whatever that is,

[00:04:09] with a little bit more of a flexible mindset, open your hand a little bit, allow things to be built,

[00:04:18] not only able to change, but accepting and inviting of change. Perhaps when that change

[00:04:26] inevitably comes, you won’t resist it, but instead you’ll quickly move through the necessary steps

[00:04:33] to get to the other side. Thanks so much for listening to today’s episode of Developer T.

[00:04:39] Once again, that quote came from the book, How Buildings Learn. The subtitle is,

[00:04:46] What Happens After They’re Built. This is perhaps much more important than what happens in order

[00:04:52] to build them. The book is by Stuart Brand. Thanks so much for listening to this episode.

[00:04:57] I actually got the inspiration to purchase this book from Ernie Miller. Ernie has been a guest

[00:05:02] on the show twice. Ernie’s current role, and I think this fits him perfectly,

[00:05:06] is people in power. He works at Gusto. Thanks so much for listening to today’s episode,

[00:05:12] and until next time, enjoy your weekend and enjoy your tea.

Visão de gráfico