Why Architecture Students Are Told to Play with Rocks : Seven Stones
3.2K views · 2026-08-31
Space & Architecture
When I was an architecture student at the University of Washington, the assignment was to choose and arrange seven stones and present your project. This is from a design exercise by the architect Arthur Erickson. This taught all projects start with an idea. It also taught how to execute an idea. In a Zen way, Seven Stones break down preconceived notions and let students cut to what is truly valuable about creative projects.
From the Seven Stones exercise students gain a greater perspective. Everything is designed, and the designer leaves their thought process embedded in the design. Designers have a great responsibly, to think and to implement ideas well. Lazy thinking is bad. Good design is always searching beyond current limitations to come up with even better ideas.
In the end, Seven Stones asks more questions than it answers. A designer can spend the rest of one’s career searching for the answers.
From the Seven Stones exercise students gain a greater perspective. Everything is designed, and the designer leaves their thought process embedded in the design. Designers have a great responsibly, to think and to implement ideas well. Lazy thinking is bad. Good design is always searching beyond current limitations to come up with even better ideas.
In the end, Seven Stones asks more questions than it answers. A designer can spend the rest of one’s career searching for the answers.