create, not Create
We are always learning from our peers. Uni is such a great place because you are constantly surrounded by those with similar interests ... and what better way to learn by having conversations, right?
Anyway, I attended a mid-semester crit recently and my peers had done some great work. Many things popped up in my head during each presentation, but I have been thinking a lot about one thing in particular that rose up in a lot of students' presentation, and I have to get it off my chest.
As we all know (or should know), language is of utmost importance in any presentation. This one issue that has been bothering me is, how a lot of presentations contained phrases like "I've created a landscaped area here", or "I made the ground floor permeable". I have a slight problem with phrases that suggest what we, as architects do, as powerful, egotistical insertions into the urban environment. When I hear phrases that start with "I've created" or "I made", or similar, I am reminded of the photo of Le Corbusier's hand illustrating the concept for Unité d'Habitation.
Ok, it illustrates the concept, or intention of the designer well, and it is symbolic of the architectural profession in some ways. But, I think, there is no place today for this type of illustration, especially as architecture and construction is a fundamentally collaborative process.
I get it, though, our profession means we are essentially always creating something, designing something, but I think language is key here. Don't make it sound like you are a Creator, with a capital C. In my opinion, it is a little too egotistical, and in simple terms, putting our profession on a pedestal ... which we must not do.
I mean, shift the focus to the people who will be using the space, how the design will add meaning and value to the existing built environment.
(On that note, I have to say now that another thing that bothers me are architectural photographs without people in them. What is this? Buildings are designed to accommodate people and the associated activities ... it is inherently a part of your design. Include people in your photographs, show how the space is being occupied; in the case of remders, how you think it would be occupied.)
I'm not even sure if what I have written made sense, but time must be spent on research for a paper on the impacts and implications of globalisation on architectural practice.
Additional thought ... instead of creating, maybe we can be seen as 'enablers'?
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