Does the role of the architect matter?
Throughout reading The Politics of the Envelope I have found myself thinking about how the building industry has changed from complete design and construction solely driven by the opinion and plan of an architect to an industry driven by numbers of consultants. These consultants take over many parts of the project. There are urban planners, structural engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers, technology consultants, special program consultants, energy consultants, construction managers, interior designers, space planners, and the list goes on.
So what is the role of an architect with all these specializations. Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist within the industry of design? What should the architect aim to be?
I would argue that the architect should be the generalist. Now maybe some should specialize in an area that they particularly excel at, but we need architects who are generalists. Someone must have an understanding and direction for the big picture. Without someone creating a narrative or cohesive design, without someone advocating for design thinking (not just simple slapping materials together in the most quick and economical way possible), without someone setting direction, there would be no great architecture.
The definition of great is open to interpretation, but there is always a reason someone considers something as being great. Someone who points to a piece of architecture and says that it is great recognizes something about the design that brought it to that point.
So what is the role of an architect with all these specializations. Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist within the industry of design? What should the architect aim to be?
I would argue that the architect should be the generalist. Now maybe some should specialize in an area that they particularly excel at, but we need architects who are generalists. Someone must have an understanding and direction for the big picture. Without someone creating a narrative or cohesive design, without someone advocating for design thinking (not just simple slapping materials together in the most quick and economical way possible), without someone setting direction, there would be no great architecture.
The definition of great is open to interpretation, but there is always a reason someone considers something as being great. Someone who points to a piece of architecture and says that it is great recognizes something about the design that brought it to that point.
I completely agree that we need architects to be generalists, but of course theres a difference between that and a micromanager. I always like the comparison of an architect to a conductor of an orchestra, we know enough about each instrument to lead them and make sure every chord is balanced, but we acknowledge that the trumpeter is an expert trumpeter and knows what he's doing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the architect does need to be a generalist in order to have to knowledge and tools he/she needs in order to have a cohesive design. I really like the comparison Russell shared. I've never thought of it that way but I completely agree with it. The architect needs to know enough about each discipline but also needs to realize the person representing each of the disciplines is the expert in that area and needs to allow them to do their job without the architect micromanaging them.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Russell's comment. Especially the example about the conductor of an orchestra. In my mind, architects are like the conductors in the construction industry. It is our responsibility to know enough about each of the trades to make sure that everything is coming together properly, but we also take a step back and let the specialists control those areas. Addressing your question about whether architects should be specialists or generalists, I think that as a whole, we are generalists, but it is important to have a variety of those who are specialists and generalists. It makes me think of the structural firm I used to work for. You had some people who were steel design experts or concrete design experts and then others who did a little bit of everything. Each person had their own important roles and having both types of people in the office was beneficial.
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