With perspective in bucket loads, it's a storm John Quinn knows he will weather.

This, after all, is the man who had an unused ticket for the Zeebruge Ferry which sank with the loss of 187 lives on 6th March 1987. Add this to the fact that his partner Wilma missed by 15 minutes her British Midlands Kegworth flight which crashed in 1989 and you find a couple who know that a recession is something which can be dealt with.

These days you'll find the Derry born architect looking out over the hustle and bustle of Guildhall Square from the city centre offices of ASI Architects. A role only interrupted by indulging in his chosen poison in the Clarendon Bar. His work however, has at points, taken him far beyond these particular shores.

John's first job with his new American employer in London was the design and construction of a new 35million dollar Bank Headquarters in the newly emerging Russian Federation.

With a number of anecdotes including vodka for breakfast and a few more than scary run ins, Russia in the early nineties left a definite impression on the former St Columb's College pupil.

"Intrigued by a diet of Michael Caine spy films and the healthy disrespect of the capitalist system, the playground of all idealistic hairy teenagers, I think I had an obsession to see this great communist monolith," says John.

"I had full and free reign of the project because my American bosses for some reason were reluctant and felt uncomfortable in Russia. The Russian Federation was only beginning to open up at this point and it was truly a dangerous place to be.

"I remember when a London Accountant was sadly murdered in a Moscow hotel, the then Company President Harold Adams in Baltimore faxed our London office with the strict instructions that all RTKL operatives in Russia have 'adequate protection and security."

"The London office merely scribbled with black marker on the fax and returned it-"That's why we sent the Quinnmeister- he's Irish!" I spent several years going back and forward to Russia and formed a deep love and respect for both country and its people. We had hilarious encounters with Fire Chiefs, night clubs in Baroque Palaces and the good old AK47."

A self confessed day dreamer John claims his fondness for dreaming was always destined to lead him in some ways to an artistic career.

"Incessant daydreamer with a tendency to genius,' was written on one of my school reports," says the father of two.

"I was always thinking what I think most of the time now which is 'what the hell is it all about! And art, for me is as close as we get to it. The art of architecture is something special because it has a function in it. I had a massive appetite for art and life and luckily architecture has always been able to channel that.

"I've been lucky because I've always managed to get the right job which brought different levels of experience."

From jobs in Russia to an involvement in Eurodisney, John's CV more than backs up his claim that he's had a number of the 'right job.'
On a rainy afternoon in the Guildhall Square however it's the mention of Italy which really brings out the artist within the architect.

"Serendipity walked straight back into my life when ASI Architects were appointed to work on several projects in Italy for Brookview Developments, a local Irish development company," says John.

"This to an architect was like winning the lottery. As Verdi once said 'of course you can have the world, provided I can have Italy.' Italy has the greatest food, architecture, art, and climate and the most beautiful cities.

"Getting off the plane at Moscow airport for anyone who has been there is usually associated with the smell of benzene. Getting off the plane at Rome airport there's a smell of history, culture and style all bottled up in one addictive elixir of life. There are not enough superlatives for that which is Italy, I shall endeavour to make the projects last as long as possible.

"Equally it's an honour to work in such foreign environments and contexts and hopefully bring the experiences back to our own work in the local marketplace."

John pulls no punches when giving his opinion on some of the current architectural developments in the city. One trend in
particular he feels, is in danger of turning architecture too academic.

"Architecture to a very large extent has lost its way," says John. "The era of the 'starkitect' (a pop star-architect) is amongst us and we now have academics acting as practitioners postulating the 'emperor's new clothes and wrapping their self referential buildings in a diatribe of lecture-speak.

"It would appear the only way to secure your funding is to parachute in a starkitect from London or Dublin, wrap a glossy computer image around your scheme and here it is the future of Derry.

"But whatever happened to the people who live here, does their history their experience their local knowledge count for nothing?. Both in Italy and Russia we worked with local architects in all our projects, not to do so is a serious mistake.

"Historically and by definition the architect was the master builder. More often than not he began life on building sites accumulating knowledge and experience on such things as context, where he was building, tacticity-local materials and traditions and how things went together from bricks right through to communities. I think most people will agree architecture has indeed lost its way."

John has watched more than the buildings here change around him in recent years. Clearly optimistic about Derry's future, the well known designer has an elemental philosophy when it comes to our politics.

"Political respect is the new politics in our city," says John.
"We are all tired of the whinging Derry persona, as portrayed in the media. This city is beginning to empower itself and those who still see party political or paramilitary labels are those who Confucius refers to as those 'who point to the stars but merely see the ends of their fingers' my vote will always be with those who "see and reach for the heavenly glory."

While the property market continues to conjure up negative thoughts, John is determined to wade through the financial downturn.

"We're looking and believing that things will turn around and that's all we can hope for," he says.

One thing is clear. Hopes of an art filled retirement and dreams of much more time in Italy are enough to keep this Derry man
particularly focused.