ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER.
If architecture continues to remove itself from user needs, it
will become obsolete and the user will take over. Ideally, architecture is the
blend of user needs, client budget, contractor craft, and architecture design. But
in today’s architecture, the client’s budget overshadow user needs, and the contractor’s
craft is the base of the architect’s talent. Both the user and architect are screwed
over. In the residential sphere, hiring an architect is just too expensive for
everyone, and picking plans from a book may not suit everyone’s needs. So if hiring
an architect is too expensive and still not right, why not do it yourself?
Movements such as Walter Segal’s self-built homes are becoming
more popular. Today’s DIY movement consists of everything from the tiny home
movement to full-scale homes. Even homes that are a mix of DIY and
pre-fabrication have gained ground in recent years. If you are unable to
construct the main frame of the house, you can buy one prefabricated and do the
interior work yourself. These housing types allow the client/user to customize
their home while sticking to a lower budget and their own schedule.
However, these building types also allow the user to become
the architect. And while they are far from feasible on larger scales, they can
take over the entire housing market, and possibly the small business/building
market as well. So how do we regain our footing in residential architecture?
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