First impressions are not always correct
I think an important aspect brought up in the course of the discussion, was that of deferring one’s judgment to a later time. We are trained to have opinions and these are inherently shaped by our past experiences and learning. This knowingly or unknowingly produces opinions and reactions based on personal preference and bias. I think a crucial skill for an architect or a designer is the ability to separate your personal opinions from what you’re observing and being able to see the value and strength in something that you might not personally like. Sometimes, the hasty judgments passed are due to our ignorance and just not being able to understand the intent behind the way something was done. More often than not, our first impressions are not always the most reliable. With the passage of time - familiarity and knowledge play an important role in the shifts in our understanding. In the end, as mentioned in the text, there is nothing wrong with having an opinion. To ensure that said opinion is an objective, educated, and well-informed one, it is important to take a little time to think before you decide.
This is good observation and it's important for us as designers to find the proper balance between our instincts as designers and our intellectual understanding of buildings. In architecture there are so many intangibles as well as subjective elements. I think it's important for us to listen to our intuition and instincts while also exploring the intellectual side of design.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the intent of what you are saying, we should always be open to the fact that we may be wrong. However, I subscribe to the proposition that one "should not be so openminded that your brain falls out." To illustrate my point, let me present an argument for why you may want to trust your instincts. I think most would agree the world would be a much better place if we all lived virtuously. The virtuous person lives a life in-between extremes: they do not eat too much or too little, they do not speak too much or not enough, they are neither a miser nor wastrel. They are habitually disposed to do the right thing. When telling a lie would be easy, they desire to tell the truth. To become virtuous, you must will to do good even when you don't want to. By doing this, you create good habits which form you into a virtuous person.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip-side, if you habitually expose yourself to vice, you will become a vicious person. Imagine a person coerced to do evil, let's say, to use harmful drug. They know it's wrong, but they do it. After taking it once and getting that first high, it becomes easier to do it again, maybe by their own choice. Chasing that high, they do it over and over and over again. Would the person not become habitually disposed to drug use? Imagine a culture where an entire generation is coerced into this practice. We may not need to look too far given the opioid crisis.
Can the truth not also be said about architecture? Imagine an entire generation of architect students coerced (well intentionally) into thinking that ugly buildings are beautiful and beautiful buildings are ugly. It would become easier and easier to reject the beautiful and glorify the ugly. It may require An Emperor Has No Clothes Moment to redirect. All this to say, in matters of style, flow with the current. In matters of principle, stand firm like a rock.