SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT

Harry read the specifications. Another Call Centre office block. Thirty years as an architect and he was churning out steel and glass cuboids.

He drew a rectangle. He added a main door in the middle of it. He added oblong walls. More uninspired right angles and straight lines. He sighed and stared out his square window. The sun was setting behind white swirling clouds.

Harry contemplated the clouds. After a few moments he took a fresh sheet of paper and picked up his pencil.

***

‘What the hell is this?’ Harry’s boss waved the drawings in his face. ‘It’s supposed to be a call centre, not a curved…spaceship…circle…thing! What the hell is this?’ he repeated.

‘It’s something a little different,’ offered Harry meekly.

‘Get the hell out of here!’ Harry slumped out the office.

His boss sat back in his chair and looked at the swirls and curves of Harry’s plans. He stared out his window at the ordered rows and uniform lines that made up the city. How many of them had he and his company designed? He looked back at the plans on his desk. Maybe it was time for something a little different.


183-11-november-27th-2016

Written as part of Sunday Photo Fiction. Write a story of around 200 words based on the photo prompt given (above). For more details visit HERE.

To read more stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

26 responses to “SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT”

  1. Nice one, Iain, gently demonstrating how hard it is to be different, to break the mould.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Wouldn’t that be great? Enjoyed the story, Ian.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It certainly would where I work, blocks everywhere. Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I was just thinking about this today. There’s a great Ben Shahn essay about nonconformity I read where he said that while most wealthy people would love to have a Van Gogh hanging in their living room, they might not want Van Gogh hanging out in their living room. Pioneers with the arrows in their backs indeed. Nowhere is this more true than in architecture.
    Well written as always. I’m a fan.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Very kind, thank you. I like that idea about Van Gogh, makes the point nicely.

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  4. Great story Iain. It just takes one person to think outside the box which puts a grain of thought into someone else’s mind, and when that is there … things happen.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Many thanks, hopefully it makes a difference here, would be nice if it happened more often in general.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. You made a difference. A great take on the prompt!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Very kind, thank you 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Nice story on every level Iain. Thank you for sharing

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You’re very welcome. Thanks for reading and sharing 🙂

      Like

  7. I’m happy at least the boss in the end, thought that their could be room for change in their style of architecture. When I think off some modern buildings that have a curvilinear effect to them, I love them because they have such fluidity. Great write!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks. Where I work I’m in a big square building but look out onto some lovely modern curved buildings that look much nicer 🙂

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  8. This is so true! We are terribly resistant to any sort of change. And I bet once the building is built and is acclaimed, the boss will claim it as his own idea 😀

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  9. good luck to him, I hope he keeps doing something different!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Sally, I hope so too!

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  10. Great take on the prompt and I really enjoyed reading it! I was reading your comments about working in a square building but looking out at curved buildings with beautiful architecture. Think how much better-off you have it than the poor souls in those buildings who only have a view of your square building. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Many thanks – I hadn’t thought about it that way!

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  11. And so began the company’s manufacture of ergonomic cubicles. Wonderful. Good writing, Iain. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  12. I hope he calls him back!
    Good story Lain, it makes you think.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks again Dawn, glad it got you thinking:-)

      Liked by 1 person

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