The Skill of Architect

“…we tend to be narrow in the scope of our thinking and underestimate our natural capacity to be subversive leaders and teachers. In other words, the more we practice, the more restricted we become in our critical thinking and our life styles. Critical thought requires looking beyond architecture towards an enhanced understanding of the whole to which it belongs.” 

“The Rural Studio”, Samuel Mockbee

This quote sums up the typical path of most architects in my opinion. We start out as “newbies” in school, with big ideas and dreams for how our buildings will change humanity. As we gain more experience after school, I think most architects fall into a rut. After designing multiple community centers (for example), when another one comes along we simply say “hey, I know what this needs to be” and take the cookie cutter approach. We forget that each building is unique, the occupants are unique, and the needs of each project are unique.

As architects our skill is not just designing a building, anyone can create a sketch that gets built, but creating a building that meets needs, solves problems, and looks to the future. As we do this, everyone comes to the table with their own experiences that have shaped them as a person and will influence their design. Where this goes awry is when we let those experiences become blinders, hiding what is really important on a project.

Michael Hopkins stated that, “Maybe architects shouldn’t be in the position to make those kinds of decisions.” Referring to “issues affecting social, economic, political, or environmental decisions.” Do architects really have enough knowledge to change the world with buildings, or do we give ourselves too much credit? Should architects start utilizing a broad spectrum of people representing the issues mentioned previously in the design of buildings?