Thinking Beyond our Wildest Dreams: Imagine Architects as Leaders of the Free World

Stop what you are doing and take a minute to ask yourself this question, "what does it mean to be an architect?"

Hard question, unknown answer, but truth is, that this week, one reading that struck me came from Samuel Mockbee. Honestly, I was blown away by the inspiring level of the projects he did, but more importantly, I was struck by what he said, how he said it and how much it all reflected back into his rural studio perspectives and impactful design-build projects. Words tend to disappear in the cold breeze, but when they are followed by actions, then they can survive time and become an inspiration for the generations ahead. 

Check it out, "...we must maintain faith in the wonder of architecture to bring us into accord with the natural world, the supernatural world, with our fellow human beings and the great unknown" Mockbee said. I understand that architecture and democracy have always had a complicated, covetous, and tangential relationship with advantages and disadvantages as much as progresses and inspirational changes through ages, and centuries. Looking at Samuel Mockbee projects and rethinking our positions as aspiring professionals of this discipline that some of us love so much, much more than ourselves, it is important that we ask, should we just dream of becoming architects, or can we think a little further and think about a world ruled by architects. Is it surrealistic, probably, is it unreal, probably not. Learning from history, we have witnessed the impact of architects like Philipo Brunelescchi and Imhotep in the shaping of not just cities and village but countries and regions. Architecture and politics have been evolving together but the funny thing is, who make the decision? 

Mockbee rural studio is the vision most of us are looking for, humble and bold servants of this discipline. Changing communities for the better through the design of structures that come from nothing but mere imagination and willingness to help. That is empowering, it is inpirational and motivate us that yes being an architect is simple, just use your imagination and you will do just fine. However, the world need leadership as much as problem solvers, and in that instance, the architect is always the one on the sides instead of being the ones on the frontline. 

Again, I am not saying that every decision should come from us but just imagine what if that was the case, do you think that the world would be suffering much more or less? do you think that the promises made by our political leaders would have been fulfilled faster and sooner if those same decisions were made by architects? I think it is possible, yes, and again our purpose as architects remain in what we do to help the world, the spaces we can create from nothing, but also the way we can shape communities and make them bloom and thrive. Aren't politicians supposed to do the same thing, aren't they supposed to serve the public and promote the making of public spaces to address the needs of the most vulnerable among us? as much as helping those who have the means to live a comfortable life also live in peace and happiness. Yes they have a duty to do that, but are always lagging behind. Architects solve problems fast, architects understand that a building need to withstand natural calamities or protect us against them but also serve as shelter when we feel warm or cold. So please let us make the decisions from now on, and to all the leaders of the free world, please step aside and let the architects get the job done. Just imagine how much we could get done. Not an answer but just imagine.

It is sad though, but it is also the reality we live in, and we cannot think of ourselves as being corrupt because we are making a good living as architects, we can't blame ourselves for not helping enough although we aspire to. What we can do however is to ask ourselves this question, what does it mean to be an architect. The answer is within ourselves, and we are creator as much as decision makers. If we believe in our power to change this profession for the better then we need to go ahead and do it. Again just imagine. Your imagination is the answer.

I would always consider architects as public servants no matter the kind of buildings they make, but again our dream might just be to become architects, and that alone is enough, but why can't we also lead the world you know? I believe that being a good designer also requires jumping on the front line and voicing our concerns as much as ordinary citizens do because we are part of the public we are serving. Everything we build for other not only reflect us as designers but it is also for us because we share the same world and universe that surround us all together. 

I know for sure that as architects we often don't want to mix design and politics, power and poverty neither, although we want to try hard to help communities strive. Yet,  Mockbee is proof that design will always collide with capitalism, money and power will always influence the way we approach building, but the architect need to be a leader within himself or herself if he or she want to build something that will last and something that can change lives for the better. That power is within us, and again our wildest dreams should go beyond architecture, we need to be leaders of the free world, and that doesn't take money or power because again we have our imagination and we know how to be creative, we have the power to use a pen and shape a building by just looking at the ground that uphold us even when resources are scarce and situations austere, the architect got the answer. Architecture is powerful enough within itself but we need to find our position in this broad and diverse profession that we want to be part of. 

These are questions that we (myself included) need to keep asking ourselves and there is no ideal answer but the world need architects that can fulfill its splendeur not hide its imperfections, architects that are just regular citizens, not politicians, and architects that can make positive, impactful decisions, not just solve problems. Again I just imagine.

Maybe it is possible, maybe it is not, but again I just want to be an architect you know. Yet, I m still wondering what is an architect. Just Imagine.