Beauty takes time . . . or, time creates beauty

If you have never been to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, you are missing out on one of the most fascinating geological treasures on this Earth.

Various views of rock formations near Double Arch

My first time coming to Arches was a few months ago in October of 2015. My kids had fall break off from school and so off we drove from our home in Bountiful, Utah to the fiery desert around Moab. Unlike our trip to Bryce Canyon earlier in the year, the kids didn't say, "oh no! not more stupid rocks!" No, this time they enjoyed every bit of it.

My oldest kids while hiking.

The beauty of the arch formations at Arches National Park is something we all enjoyed. But as we talked with some of the park rangers and learned the geological process of how the arches were formed, I was struck by the fleeting moment in geological time we inhabit.

Take for example the Balanced Rock. It got to its precarious position because it was a harder stone on top less dense stone. Over millions of years, erosion took away much of what was under the harder stone, leaving this unlikely monument to nature's beauty.

But it took MILLIONS OF YEARS! Beauty doesn't just happen. As an architect, I'm building arches all the time (okay, well not always arches), but "arch" is in the name of my job.

Anyways, creating a beautiful building is similar. It takes a lot of time. The process is slow and tedious and involves thousands, even millions, of little decisions that all add up to a single building.

Some might wonder, "then, why do it?" For me, I do it because seeing the happiness on someone's face when they enjoy a space or building I have created, it makes me happy.

Me with my youngest two kids.

Because, isn't that what makes life worth living? Those moments we have with other human beings where we are happy together. If a building can help make us happier, then I want to help make that happen.

This, is the first of what I hope to be many posts of a newsletter for my architecture business: DEIV Architecture and Design. My hope is that as I share moments and stories from my life and my work, that you will enjoy my journey through my life and career. I hope to share insights, knowledge, and sometimes, just fun elements of what makes architecture and family life so enjoyable for me.

As always, I'm happy for any referrals. You can contact me directly at david@deivarchitecture.com.

Created By
David Clayton
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All photos were taken with my iPhone 5s.

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