Adaptation

The essence of this week's main reading focuses on the idea of the ever-changing role of the architect and who and what an architect really is. What caught my attention the most was towards the end of the reading where we Habraken dives into the idea the role of the academy in this ever-changing dynamic. We acknowledge new trends, topics, ideas, and customs within the profession and bring them into our studios. We accept these things as they are and only question what we consider to be fluid. Those trends, topics, ideas, and customs that we consider solid, we choose to look over. An example of these solid ideas is the idea of how to learn architecture. The architecture studio is a great place for collaboration, thinking, sharing, and promoting students and student work. But at the end of the day, when we do projects either individual or collaborative, don't we still operate in the autonomous world that architecture today is teaching us to get out from? We still try to prove ourselves as Designers, with a capital D. But the role of architects has transformed into much more. Architects are problem solvers with a capital P.S. Architects are collaborators with a capital C. Architects are negotiators with a capital N. These qualities of an architect come before the capital D. This is what an architect is today. Since this is the case, why do we still conduct studios in the traditional mindset? If we are to promote the profession as a profession of problem solvers, collaborators and negotiators, then we promote that from within the academy. This helps build the foundation for the role of the architect, but really any role in life. Those are fundamental skills, and ones that we should not lose sight of in this ever changing world.

"D"esign

- Designer

Problem Solving, Collaboration, Negotiation, & Design

- Architect