The Architects Ego
The past few classes have made me contemplate
the role of the user vs. the role of the architect. We are taught that architecture is for the
people. Our culture of building is changing;
lately it seems that every project includes buzzwords such as “community”, “connectivity”,
“integration” ………etc., etc.
While this shift in focus is undoubtably positive, I think it means the
era of “starchitects” as we know it is changing. Many of the giants we have studies (FLW,
Corbusier etc. come to mind) were well known for their ego and control over
design. It could be argued their designs
were self-centered, focused on pushing their own theories- and in doing so a new
style of architecture emerged. FLW probably
didn’t hold a community charette discussing his designs, yet we as students are
still studying and theorizing about his work today.
Just a thought… while advancing architectural
design/theory, can you still maintain a focus on the people? What if the people don’t want what you
think they need? I think architects
will inherently always have some sort of ego.
I don’t believe you can have community involvement in every building
made from here on out, and at some point, we the designers will have to make design
decisions based on our knowledge of the field (without the input of
others).
I hope we move away from this idea that a building and its architect are synonymous. We always talk about projects like one person designed them. It's damaging to the profession and the public's perception of what we are. There shouldn't be famous architects just like there aren't famous structural engineers or carpenters.
ReplyDeleteI'm optimistic that this will happen because architecture has become a much more collaborative field compared to the days of Frank Lloyd Wright. It will become more and more ridiculous for architects to pretend like buildings are theirs. Big projects involve teams of a hundred people, get over yourself! (looking at you Bjarke Ingels)
I think it is possible to maintain a focus on people if the architect maintains a focus on the role of the user for a project. While not every building will be able to have total community involvement, there are many opportunities where previous work in a particular context and field has had the engagement. This previous engagement should contribute to the professional knowledge architects possess and allow the architect to design to the needs of the users.
ReplyDelete