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Norquest Careers Skills Centre | 34m | 10s | GEC

^ I am not "pissed off" just musing about why many people in Edmonton have to "default" to the negative.
I asked this question of Google AI and the response was interesting...
Here's the wording of my question: what can be said about a person who claims to never be negative just realistic?
And here is the response:
A person who claims to "never be negative, just realistic"
may be exhibiting several traits or psychological tendencies. This statement often serves as a self-justification for a pragmatic, cautious, or even pessimistic approach to life, while attempting to avoid the social stigma associated with negativity [2].
Several things can be said about such an individual:

Characteristics and Traits
  • Self-Perception: They genuinely see themselves as objective and level-headed [2]. They likely believe they are simply evaluating situations based purely on facts and logic, free from emotional bias [2].
  • Pragmatism and Caution: They may lean heavily towards cautious and practical thinking. They focus on potential obstacles and worst-case scenarios, believing this is a responsible way to anticipate problems and prepare [2].
  • Defense Mechanism: This claim can be a defense mechanism to deflect criticism about their attitude. By labeling their perspective as "realistic," they are implicitly suggesting that others who are more optimistic are naive or irrational [2].
  • Risk Aversion: They might be highly risk-averse. Focusing on potential negative outcomes is a way for them to manage anxiety about uncertainty and potential failure.
  • Potential for Pessimism: While they reject the "negative" label, their perspective may align with psychological definitions of pessimism. They might consistently focus on the less favorable aspects of a situation [2].


Implications for Interaction
  • Conflict with Optimists: They may frequently clash with more optimistic individuals, whom they might perceive as being in denial or having "rose-colored glasses" [2].
  • Difficulty with Idealism: They may struggle to appreciate or engage with idealistic ideas, creative brainstorming, or "big picture" thinking that involves a degree of positive assumption.
  • Perceived as a "Downer": Despite their self-perception, others may still perceive them as draining or unsupportive because they often focus on what could go wrong rather than what could go right.
In essence, the phrase highlights a person who equates a cautious, outcome-oriented, and potentially pessimistic viewpoint with truth and objectivity, while dismissing optimism as unrealistic [2].

In my own world, when I am interviewing a potential hire I look to people with aesthetically rich outlooks and that keep striving for the best outcomes for projects and their clients; there is not much "joy" in references to less-than solutions.

Go with what you will, I have no problem with you personally so there is no need to apologize to me.
 
With a little time on my hands while taking the opportunity to devour my lunch I decided to go back and compare rendering to final result for the NorQuest Singhmar Centre also a product of GEC Architects with a before rendering and actual end result photos. With exception of a few upgrades, the end result building is essentially identical to the rendering. The upgrades include: 1. a more elaborate entry canopy where the two buildings join together, 2. a more elaborate window detail on the pop-out element facing 108th Street (a corner window much more complex than the flat window in the rendering, 3. More elaborate signage on the building facade, and 4. more expressive finish materials on the building overall (but that may be just a failing of renderings to highlight high quality finishes). To my point these are all upgrades from the rendering. I know for certain that GEC renderings are produced in-house sourced from meticulously planned interiors from well-developed programming -- would that other architects spent time trying to perfect their design efforts as much as GEC does.
First the rendering...
Screenshot 2025-10-31 at 12.40.46 PM.png

And then two photographic views of the completed structure...
Screenshot 2025-10-31 at 12.43.46 PM.png
Screenshot 2025-10-31 at 12.48.23 PM.png
 
Whoa, slow down there Trigger. Geotechnical leads to footings engineering design which translates upwards through engineering of the entire structure and gets represented in construction documents -- all necessary for BP application. Even if this could be fast-tracked construction is not going to be able to start until well into next year.
 

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