What's Our Role: Part II
Clients are at the center of our occupation. They come in all different shapes and sizes; from the single family looking to build their forever home to the massive conglomerate looking to build their next business venture. That is the unescapable truth of our profession. We can choose our clients, but we cannot choose what our clients want; this fact is a little more blurred but ethically it is fact. Therefore, our buildings are basically already built right? The client already has some preconceived idea of what it is they want and we are simply designing it into fruition, right? WRONG.
We have an obligation to our clients wants, true.
But, we also have an obligation to our clients needs and sometimes, those needs are things that we as designers have been trained to see. We have clients because we are professionals, experts. With that notion in mind, our toughest, but most essential job is to listen. Not just listening to what is being said and being a yes man/woman, but also understanding the repercussions of what is being asked. Only then will design truly flourish into something our clients need, but society needs as well.
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This is a great point. It seems that a major point of frustration for architects comes from their client's assuming they know more about the profession and about what they want. However, architects are not hired to simply draw up and stamp technical drawings (though some are). We are hired for our professional design vision. Our job is to show clients what they don't know they want, or need. It is also important that we push clients to create spaces that keep the bigger picture in mind - that take into account the ever changing lifestyles of the individuals that will be occupying them.
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