Learning from the Outside

     Television Commercials are things of the past! We will no longer have to sit through a 60 second commercial about the latest pharmaceutical drug! Yes, we may skip through 3 second commercials on YouTube, but that is something that we are willing to endorse for a “how to tie a tie”  tutorial. It is true that times have changed and they will continue to change with the advances of technology. In the 21st century, the most influential people are not writers or world peace leaders, but social media influencers. These “influencers”, respectfully, can have an impact on what we consume, the latest fashion, and even politics. Which leads me to question, who really is in charge? Who has an impact on what we design? Should it be a group of “architecture scholars” who secretly retreat and discuss the built environment around us?  In the declaration of Sarraz (1928), it states “it is essential today for architects to exercise an influence on the public by informing the public of the fundamentals of the new architecture” Or should we consider the Scott Brown approach of learning from pop culture? She says that “new sources are sought when old forms go stale”. In a global market where pop culture is constantly expanding and our attention is the product, which source should be listened to? Pop culture is not in the hands of the scholars anymore as it was in the time of cigarette commercials. Now the narrative has changed. We decide what is popular, the question is… are we qualified to do so?