Anti-Traditional
I have always disagreed with having to follow the ways of tradition; be it with school, planning a wedding, or just day-to-day life. I enjoyed reading Jeremy Till's section titled 'The Negotiation of Hope' as it emphasized the importance he placed on being able to break away from tradition and accept changes in standard practice. He talks about participation in this section and how it should be perceived as an opportunity, not as a threat. I completely agree with this notion. For it is the successful dialogue created (learning and educating) between client+designer+builder, that offers the most potential in terms of the success of a project. Participation however doesn't simply mean allowing the voices of the client to be heard, but allowing those voices to educate us a architects. If we can allow ourselves to step back from the idea that "we know best", and allow ourselves to also be students throughout the duration of a project, removing ourselves from isolation, architecture cannot fail.
I think this is a powerful idea. The challenge in changing the way architecture works will be a real one. People don't like to give up their power and freedoms. Currently, the profession has some sort of mystery surrounding it demanding a sense of respect. By 'showing our cards' so to speak, we will be breaking down those barriers between us and the rest of the world. I think this is a very good thing, but it might be hard to make happen. People value transparency. It promotes trust and authenticity.
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