Folks, it's worse than we thought—if by "it" we mean the state of the craft of writing within Our Blessed Profession. Writing's like when you string words together in a line so people can read them. And you try to say something totally cool and new. Like, interestingly. And stuff. So—you guessed it!—people will actually want to read the words you strung together in a line for them to read!!!!

Here are the stirring opening grafs from the winning essay in this year's ArchVoices competition, "Research, Invention, and Collaboration" by a Mr. Erik Kath of New York City:

Let me tell you about our firm.

We are primarily concerned with the continuous advancement of the field of architecture and, inherently, the enhanced quality of the built environment. As lofty as it sounds, we want to improve the world. We do this through research, invention, and collaboration.

Before I begin, I should tell you why we started this practice in the first place. You see, we were not satisfied with the status quo. We asked ourselves why we continued to see costs escalate in making buildings at a rate exceeding the cost of living. We were constantly forced to make design decisions on the basis of cost that result in less choice, less customization, more standardization, and less quality. We were faced with numerous quality issues at the end of the construction process, solved only by reams of paper and countless hours of time. Compounding our frustration was the drive of our industry professional organizations to limit our involvement with the means and methods of construction.

Dry as death. And original as sin. But don't miss this gem among the honorable mentions:

Why is "Taco Bell" training so important to us as a teaching firm? Much like a dancer practices repeatedly to the same music to become fluid in the steps, we train with Taco Bells. Each Taco Bell is similar in size and scope, yet different as it is placed into different parts of the urban fabric.

Just a taste of the caliente to be found in "Taco Bell: A Teaching Firm Treasure."

· ArchVoices Essay Competition 2006—Honorees [ArchVoices]

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