Mens et Manus
Mens et Manus translates from Latin to “Mind and Hands” and reflects our philosophy of the union of knowledge and application.
Opening a small architectural practice in central London was not planned and yet suited the juggle of family and architectural practice well. The first projects were small to mid-sized residential (thank you to the Honeys and my Messina Avenue clients). This scale and project type matched my working-from-home and flexible schedule arrangement. And even - or maybe especially - small spaces and small projects needed to be well thought out and well detailed. When contemplating a name, my co-founder suggested Mens et Manus. It reflected the considered design and spatial experiences (the Mind) and the tactile, textural, material and light qualities (the Hand) I use to make places people love to live in.
The name is a nod and tribute to our alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which provided me an unparalleled education in architecture.
“MIT’s motto is “Mens et Manus,” which translates from the Latin to “Mind and Hand.” This motto reflects the educational ideals of MIT’s founders who were promoting, above all, education for practical application.
Mens et Manus appears on the Institute’s official seal, along with a scholar and a laborer who signify a union of knowledge and the mechanical arts, as do the volumes “Science and Arts” that rest on the pedestal in the center of the seal””
Now, it is not the easiest to use as a business name. Some of the phone conversations include:
Why “Men and Man?”
Do you mean ”Mainset Mani, as in Manicure?”
“Mens… Wha?”
The puzzled pronunciations give us plenty of humour.
And the meaning gives us plenty to work with.
Heidi Rosenwald,
ARB Registered, RIBA Chartered Architect
and a proud graduate of MIT (MArch, 1999)
