Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I just met a vault star

I just met a rock vault star.

I was minding my own business, and was transitioning from contractor to managing director and was about to leave for my office job.

Fred Nnko, a builder, calls after many months and says there is an architecht from South Africa and he would like to show him some of my vaults.  He suggests Kisongo but I say come to the brick factory.

I envision the architect being ho hum about vaults like engineers. 


So I meet Peter Rich pictured above and realize right away he knows all about vaults.    Then he mentions he was the architect on the Mapungubwe Interpretation Center In South Africa! 

"Sorry what is your name again"
"Peter Rich"

  This Center won a world architectural award in 2009 and I have spent hours looking at pictures of it.  I mean this guy has taken timbrel vaulting to extreme levels, and the architect is standing there in my house talking shop!




One article about this is here .

He knows and works with people I read about such as John Ochsendorf.  After some years maybe now I have someone to discuss things with.  Like right away he said what i want is quick setting gypsum.  We talked about water proofing.  We talked about materials.

I felt like I had met a star.

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