Choosing Between Fortune & Virtue
“….goodness is more important than their greatness, their compassion more eventful than their passion.”
The rural studio reading made me think about the ethic responsibility of the architect. In our pro-practice class, we talk at length about ethics, obligations and morals, but we never really discuss the power we have as architects. Often when we think of being an architect, we fantasize about big budgets and elaborate programs and scoff at plain residences on shoestring budgets. I’ve worked on “affordable” housing projects, but never anything remotely close to poverty. I was struck by how Mockabee discussed the moral sense of service to the community and ethical responsibility he felt to help improve the living conditions of the poor.
As we finish up school, I wondered about ways we can contribute to his vision of architecture being an act of service and I encourage anyone else reading this to add their own ideas and experiences in the comments. I used to work at a firm that would take on a few pro-bono projects a year as a way to better their community. When I was there I worked on a project for Green Heart, an urban garden after-school activity in Charleston. We worked on a design-build project for an outdoor classroom and a noise-muffling fence to block the highway cacophony to create a better learning environment (unfortunately the project construction has been indefinitely postponed due to COVID). I’ve also worked at firm who frequently partnered with a quite a few different non-profits and worked at greatly reduced rates to help with providing affordable housing options. That same boss advocated for diversity and equity in commercial development by having an adult autistic care facility as our other tenant in our building after they had been turned down several times trying to find a location. Other opportunities I’ve had with firms have been in the form of ACE mentoring programs, STEM day activities and visiting high school engineering classes. As we take these next steps from the classroom and into the profession, I think we should all consider the privilege and power architecture has provided us and consider how we can use it to help others.
*Also kudos to Clemson’s Genoa program for serving as a model for a fluid campus location for a studio
Great post Cora. The introductory quote had me thinking the same questions just like the ones you raised through the paragraphs above. Architecture has so much power you know but again we are living in a world that is getting more and more complex. The position of the architect should not always hang between the balance but it should be an impactful one. Like it was discussed during the conversation in class, we should not just look at ourselves as problem solvers but as decisions makers too. From a political standpoint, I believe architecture needs to be more in the frontline not just because 21st centuries challenge require it, but because it is a discipline that transcend what we as human beings can do and cannot do, what we should do, and shouldn't do even if we can do it. Architecture has an array of broad spectrums that are entangled within each other, and it is hard for us to sometime understand what we really need to do because again we are human, we live through ethical and moral dilemma each day, we grow through time and continuous effort, sacrifices, and difference of thinking and doing. However, it is important to tell ourselves that we can change lives for the better, we can bound communities through what we build, and we can also have a voice in the shaping of our democracies. We can do it all, but the question again is how do we do it by being ourselves and bringing a fresh perspective to archaic ones in general. That is needed and we yet have to get there but every one of us need to keep reflecting on those questions that you brought up, as we navigate a world that can push us to fulfill our passions, make a fortune, and maintain moral and ethical virtues at the same time. This all sum up what you said, "I think we should all consider the privilege and power architecture has provided us and consider how we can use it to help others." and I believe it is powerful and much needed for us future professionals or creators to acknowledge and understand.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Cora. We as designers do have quite a lot of say. Which may be part of the reason why developers and GCs try to circumvent us instead of collaborate with us. With knowledge comes power, but if we only design for a select few we end up negating much of that power.
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