What is the architect's role?
In A Film About John Habraken, Habraken himself stated that “[t]he role of the architect is not relevant at all.” And this speaks to the overall theme of the past few weeks, who is architecture for? And do architects play as big of a role as they think in the lives of everyday people? Another point that the film makes is the special-ness that we place on our architecture as architects. When we consider everything to be architecture, and we consider all our designs to be special, how can everything be special?
This relates to the “play” that Habraken mentions briefly about the “hole in the wall.” Also known as the entrance. As designers, we are always forced to make a series of moves. Those moves definitely have an impact on the way space can be used and inhabited. But, what happens when we take our role too far? When we’re suddenly the ones designing the furniture for those spaces too? Or like mentioned in the film, we’re designing the cups and plates for the people to use in the spaces that we designed? (@ Frank Lloyd Wright) The question that I’m ultimately left with is how do we take a step back and let the users define their own space? And if we’re able to do that, what defines the role that we play as designers?
You're asking some great questions, when we start thinking about this it does beg the question if we have any relevance at all. I think it's a give and take, and it depends on the project. Neither the users nor the architects can have completely control in a project, despite the fact that many architects would have it that way, it's a balance. Our role has to be to check our own ambitions and respect the ambitions of others.
ReplyDeleteI think architects are important but they are not everything. They are there to guide and suggest to their clients what they think is right based on their education and experience. There should be balance needed to be maintained.
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of control is counterproductive. Even in a single author's creative work, there is very little control. Architecture to me is no different. Sure, there are choices to be made. But to truly be in control would mean absolute certainty regarding the conceptualization, production, and interpretation of the final product.
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