Celebrate the Unfinished

One thing that we discover in architecture school is that our work is never finished.  Even after a final presentation, changes must be made for the portfolio, and then this project continues to evolve and develop with the portfolio as job hunting begins and so on.  Architecture differs from many other fields, where there are universally accepted right and wrong answers. There are often so many solutions to a specific architectural problem – different solutions for different people – that make this field an exceptionally challenging one.  Our work is constantly begging to be refined and added to.  However, projects have set deadlines, drawing sets are sent out, construction has a completion date, and you ultimately end up with a final building.  At some point you have to call “pencils down” and stop designing.

The ability to design an unfinished final product is something that I think all architects could benefit from: to be okay with allowing the end user to finish, or at least continue developing, the design that the architect facilitated.  In several ways, I think it is actually more difficult to design an unfished final project than to design a finished one.  To design something that has the ability to constantly evolve with the architect’s vision after it has left the architect’s hand is no easy feat.  Calling “pencil’s down” does not mean the designing has to end - it can just be shifted to the user.  Because if we’re not designing FOR the people, and allowing them the flexibility to adapt their spaces, then what is the point?  I was particularly drawn to the ideas behind Maki’s Hillside Terrance in Tokyo, where he was able to imitate and create architecture based on everyday life by accepting time.  Time is just another tool that we, as designers have at our disposal.  By taking it into account in our work, we can design spaces that allow everyday life to take place and evolve within them.