Sadly, last night, Joel called me and I had to text back because I was at the Notre Dame pep rally, to tell me we had lost our beloved--and I say this for those that were fortunate to call Robin that--friend.
Robin Nelson, Brett "Mothman" Moog and Neil Haworth were all original participants in young days of the internet discussion on architecture; they all set the record straight for a lot of us students of the sport and the art when it became a bit sardonic in tone for what we thought/still think are some of the rightful criticisms of what had become of architecture over the years. It would lead us to not only learning more, but meeting others with similar interests that weren't even in the profession. The love of it all grew, and there with it the passion.
Neil Crafter can verify that Robin was a bundle of fun and thankfully events like Tom Doak's wonderful Archipalooza event brought all of us together from ever form and function: Architecture, Maintenance, Media and mere common men such as myself.
At the end of that event when all of us were getting on the commuter plane back to Portland out of North Bend; Robin and I were passing his trademark flask back and forth, and we got caught by the flight crew. They were ready to throw us off the plane, but once they saw how much fun we were all having--about 75% of that commuter plane was filled with people leaving Archipalooza, they knew it was best to just let us stay, but only after apologies. Still, it didn't stop us from passing the flask back and forth!
I think it was you Neil that said; maybe it was Brett, who said, if this plane went down how happy it would make Rees Jones and Tom Fazio! (Bill Coore, Brad Klein, Tom Paul, Ran Morrissett were even on this flight!) It was one of the great times I've had in my life!
Tom Doak is correct. Robin's presentation of the hole in Guam, in various images of one typhoon after another and how the owner still wanted the hole back on that point was one of the high-lights of the event. Robin and crew developed some sort of massive concrete drainage system that allowed the water to mass drain in such circumstances and its survived every typhoon or tidal wave since. (a testament to Robin's abilities; Nelson & Haworth's for that matter)
Sadly, the last time I had talked to Robin he told me of being ill, but not to the extent of it, and that he was diagnosed with ALS, which is ore or less a death sentence. I figured Robin wanted that space and privacy, but I just knew his illness wasn't good. In my experience, I can only pray for friends in this kind of situation. But, I do know one thing about Robin Nelson.
The man knew how to live.