The Architect's Ego
Is it change that architects are so afraid of or is it our ego’s
that simply prevent change from occurring? Habraken stated that “studio can no
longer be the only format for teaching design”. I don’t see studio as the culprit
to change. I see it as a tool that we can use to adjust our teaching style to
adapt to the changing times. Having studio with landscape architecture and undergrad
architecture students already begins to push this boundary surrounding the
field of architecture. It allows us to get over ourselves and interact with other
disciplines.
Oddly enough, I think change is one of the few concepts
architects can agree upon. We know that change must occur, but we disagree on
the how. For example, there is a trend that every new building is going to be
the building that will solve climate change. It has become a privilege to design
a building that meets enough criteria to be awarded for its efforts. This is
where, as a design profession, it is time to think about implementing these new
strategies as the new ordinary rather than as the exception.
As architects, even in our studies of the profession, we are taught about and study the architecture that stands out. The innovation that sets itself apart from the rest. In doing so, there is a constant need for our designs to be different or unique which makes what should be thought of as "a greater good" design criteria sought by all designers, a calling card of great or good architecture.
ReplyDeleteI think this effort to stand out also comes from the fact that architects have to compete with other architects for jobs, so even though its vital for communities to have those background buildings, its very hard to attract new clients by only showing good quality but mundane buildings.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think change can and still should happen in the studio ( whether its academic or professional ), the studio is ultimately the petri dish of thought experiments where people of like interest (but almost never of like mind) can bounce ideas off of each other. Change is the refinement of ideas, where iron sharpens iron.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Russell said. Nowadays, many projects use competitions to select their final proposal. If the architects have the ability to let the design to stand out, then he would be a rather competitive and would not be eliminated in this field. Same situation in China, when the architectural industry is influenced by the economy crisis, those capable architects are still popular and welcomed by the clients instead of being desperate for cases like some ordinary architectural offices.
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