By Us for Us
Architecture stems from human-centered design; the idea that
the sole focus of design revolves around the users’ needs and simplistic interventions
to address these needs. However architecture as we know it today has moved
further away from this practice due to the needs of the users being compromised
somewhere in the design process. Mike Cooley’s writings in the 1980’s of Human-Centered
Systems resuscitated this ancient practice as well as the work of a selection
of other design professionals throughout this time. One example, is the work of
Walter Segal, whom eliminated the need for an outside professional to erect a
home for residents at Walters Way in London because of his “user-friendly”
building instructions. These instructions allowed for the labor and design of
the homes to be done solely by the residents, reinforcing the idea that the
user = designer = builder. This poses
the question, are architects even necessary? Are architects imposing their personal
goals and opinions through design on the users? Is this why (according to ‘Pattern
Language’) the best places, neighborhoods, and communities, are created by the users
themselves, not architects?
I think architects are necessary for a couple of reasons, not everyone is as handy or has the time to building their own houses and buildings. Another use for us is larger buildings like stadiums and skyscrapers which require a bit more planning and engineering. I do agree that the more hands on a community is in the design the better it is though, rather than just more cookie cutter developer houses.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Walter's Way neighborhood would never have been possible without Walter Segal. The residents even named their street after him! I think it's up to architects to facilitate projects, whether that be allowing the residents to build their own homes per your instructions or taking a heavier hand in the Construction Administration to make sure the client's goals are met entirely.
ReplyDeleteThe architect, Walter, is who implemented the system in order for the residents to be able to build on their own. It took his knowledge and skill set to create a system that was accessible to anyone to build. While the people take agency over the project during the design and build phase, the opportunity would have never been possible without the architect in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI could see how some of the starchitects of the time and organizations such as CIAM throughout history have had their own agendas and goals when producing architecture. regardless of the user groups. However is some instances, the most effective work is done in collaboration with the users, void of any ulterior motives. However, I do think the presence of the architect allows for the facilitation of these discussions and the expertise needed to make these collaborations a reality.
ReplyDeleteI believe architects are necessary but in a lot of cases they do impose their personal goals and opinions on the users, with some of those goals not quite reacting to the user experience or their input. As we act sometimes as consultants in a project, there are ways that we can advocate for example, sustainable solutions.
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