Creativity at the Forefront
In Habraken’s “Questions that will not Go Away”, he talks about creativity in the profession of architecture.
“In the traditional role model it is axiomatic that the creative impulse is suffocated by everyday environment’s constraints. But truly creative talent is stimulated by constraints.”
If I had to take one lesson away from this class, this would be it. We often make excuses and doubt ourselves when we are designing because of the limitations or constraints on a project. However, these restrictions should drive our creativity. It is the one thing as architects we should take great pride in. We go through so many years of training, tests, and school to become a “professional”, but what separates us from other professionals such as lawyers and doctors is that we have creativity. That should always be at the forefront of our design process. How do you break through a constraint instead of avoiding it altogether? Just start brainstorming, you got a pencil.
Molly,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Constraints are what fuels good design, like oxygen to fire. To operate within constraints and use them to the advantage of the design requires sharpness of mind and an awareness of our environment. To add to your post, I would say good lawyers and doctors also operate within constraints to problem solve, the legal system for the former and the human body the latter. Because of this commonality, the profession of architecture deserves the same level of respect as law and medicine.
Molly, constraints can be our greatest advantage if we know how to accept them. Doubt is likely the greatest weakness to a student when pushing forward with an idea, it is imperative for the student to remember that they can always go back and make adjustments to fit the needs of design outcome. It is, after all, what is at the forefront of school: creativity and how we as architects redefine space compared to those that simply occupy it.
ReplyDeleteThe constraints of a project are often my favorite part. One of my favorite projects I did in undergrad was designing inside of an alleyway because you had to be so creative of how it was possible to even fit a building in it. And then when we moved into COTE 10 and we had almost no boundaries at all, I felt almost lost trying to pick a site and a square footage and other stuff like that when I wished we had been squeezed into one area a little more.
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