FLEXIBLE CAGES
Below is a screenshot of an excerpt from the reading that I think is most impactful for all of us as emerging architects to consider. The user and future users are the true client of any project and we need to be an advocate for them as we work with other professionals in the process. Often time the developer or the people funding the project can drive the design with very little care about the future users. Rather than approaching the process as one who knows what is best we need to be a mediator in the design. I believe that we as architects have a moral obligation to "do no harm" such as physicians. The impact we have on a singular project extends much further than the present circumstances.
"Therefore in the phase of use the user must normally adapt him or herself to the architectural object as an inflexible cage and all tensions are resolved in superficial alterations that contradict the pre-established morphological order, without being able, however, to modify it sustainability"
EK, I agree that the client is sometimes overlooked when designing for functionality. For example, this makes me think of the project on UC Santa Barbra's campus where the rich guy wanted to donate millions to essentially design a social experiment for students to suffer through a lack of natural light. No consideration of how it would impact the users just the fact that they were getting a hefty donation.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have been thinking about lately is how we have studied the past 5-6 years learning about the effects of design on humans. No we do not have all the answers, but we have a pretty good idea as to what would be a healthy space for people vs is not. Kelsey's prime example is why is baffles me that we have rising mental illnesses, yet we are going to experiment with this design to see...what? Not a smart move and a waste of money if you ask me.
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