By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Media Services
May 4, 2010
Sir James Dyson put his engineering and art background to good use with his Dyson vacuum cleaners, which are so sleek that they have been on display at museums, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Born in Norfolk, England, the 63-year-old inventor still enjoys working on new designs. The company’s Airblade (a fast hand dryer) is popular, as is the Air Multiplier bladeless fan. Dyson talks about his love of vacationing with family in England and France.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: I love Provence (in southeastern France), which is a very sensorial place. It’s a beautiful area, and I’ve enjoyed many family holidays there. A long run paired with the scenery makes it the perfect place to relax and clear my head.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A: I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren. We had a lot of snow in England this past winter and did some tobogganing. It was their first real experience of snow, and it was lovely to see their excitement. When I’m not with the family, I love working on new ideas with the other engineers. It’s still quite a thrill for me. But it’s always nice to escape to my shed to tackle a new idea.
Q: What is your favorite hotel?
A: The Standard Hotel (standardhotels.com/new-york-city) in New York is impressive. It overlooks the High Line park, which is made from an old elevated train railway. The concept for the High Line was extremely inventive, and it was transformed beautifully.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: In addition to my sketchbook, a Rotring pencil. It’s a simply designed engineer’s pencil I use to jot down new ideas and sketches. It’s not styled in the least, but it’s comfortable and does the job. I use an oversize satchel for longer trips — it’s a giant version of the sort of thing used by the postal service for mail delivery. It’s very easy to overpack, though. I’m always tempted to throw in that extra book.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: I’m not a big planner. I enjoy learning about new places and things as I go. It’s not about plotting a course but allowing one idea to lead to the next. It’s important not to be afraid of making mistakes or taking a wrong turn. That’s how we learn.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I’d like to visit the new green museum at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. (Renzo) Piano’s design is similar to Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes — incredible feats of engineering, I think. The museum’s “living roof” contains millions of native plants and posed a host of engineering challenges. In the end 50,000 porous, interlocking trays were designed to contain the growth. Finding creative solutions to new problems — it’s what makes engineering so exciting.
Q: How do you try to fit in when you’re a tourist?
A: Museums are a must-see. They are a great way to get a feel for a city’s history and culture. The Tate Modern in London has an exhibit of De Stijl-era art. We actually produced a run of De Stijl-inspired machines, drawing attention to the structural and geometric form of the humble vacuum cleaner.
© 2010 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
