The Strange Case of an Architect
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an architect?…It can be strange to say the least. The life of an architect can be a bit Jekyll and Hyde —different in character from one situation to the next, living a life of duality, haunted by two identities…two perceptions.
“With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and the intellectual, I thus drew steadily nearer to that truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two”… “I, for my part, from the nature of my life, advanced infallibly in one direction and in one direction only. It was on the moral side, and in my own person, that I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.”
— HENRY JEKYLL
The repetitive ticking of a clock filled the silence in a stark white examination room. I sat, uncomfortably, on a plastic chair in the corner of the room awaiting the arrival of my new doctor. Judging by the plaques on the walls, the practice was successful, receiving countless accolades and recognition throughout the doctor’s career. An older gentleman, tall and of average build, enters the room briskly. His stoic, authoritative expression takes command of the room.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Dr. Smith.”
“What brings you in today?”
It’s just an annual check up, so he conducts his routine examination. While outwardly mundane, he systematically performs a series of carefully orchestrated tests. Once completed, he summarizes his findings and recommendations. He wraps up with small talk to find out a little more about my background.
“So what do you do for a living?”
“I’m an architect.”
Then it happens. Dr. Smith’s persona completely morphs before me. His eyes light up with excitement and a childlike wonder. He is one of the most successful people I’ve ever met, in one of the most respected professions in the world, and the mention of my profession has him enamored.
“Really?! That’s so cool! I wanted to be an architect, but it never panned out…”
Perception vs Reality
Many architects encounter Dr. Smith’s response. Just recently, in a video that highlighted the progress of the Obama Presidential Center, President Obama shared, “you should know that when I was younger, I went through a phase where I wanted to be an architect...” In the beginning, architects served royalty and were well respected for their craft. Imhotep, the world’s first named architect who designed Egypt’s first pyramid, was even considered a demigod in some circles. Society has a grand perception of architects and holds the profession with high regard. Yet, within the building industry, the perception is much different. It is an odd dichotomy to experience. On one hand you’re worth bragging about, “let me introduce you to my friend, he’s an architect.” On the other hand, you’re the scapegoat, a cog, and neither your opinion nor your experience matters. For example, a colleague previously designed a clubhouse in a Tuscan style, as required by the local governing body. The design had a tower element that was indicative of the style. However, his client demanded that it be removed. While explaining the concept and the historical relevance of the element to the design, the client interjected “this is not a monument to your ego! I don’t want that penis on my building!” Yeah…that’s a quote.
Beyond aesthetics, architects have an understanding of construction and cost benefit analysis. In a separate instance, another colleague, “Bill,” met with his client and team to resolve concerns with the building’s foundation design. Bill made a suggestion that improved the construction phasing and reduced the amount and cost of concrete. The client ignored Bill’s very presence, and without looking in his direction, questioned the room, “who is this?” “He will be the project manager on the project” the principal architect responded. The client continued with despise, “well, he doesn’t need to be here. He can go.” Yeah…that happened. Maybe it was Bill’s perceived youth…Either way, the client is always right, so Bill gathered up his belongings and left the meeting. Months later the team reconvened in the field to address concerns with the chosen foundation solution. An enormous amount of concrete was wasted, and the design still didn’t work. The client finally came around to Bill’s original suggestion.
Origin Story
Design theory is a system of ideas and principles that all architects and designers are practiced in. It refers to understanding the methods, strategies, research and analysis of design. Through this experience, a toolkit of empathy, social/cultural awareness, experimentation and creativity are formed. There is great value in the design program. In fact, Stanford University established the d.school, a program for educators, executives, business leaders, and designers which uses methods from across the field of design to teach design thinking and create learning experiences that help unlock students’ creative potential to arrive at innovative solutions.
The essential purpose of an architect is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. It is imperative that individuals are trained to provide buildings and spaces that adhere to this purpose.
In architecture school, students embark on a grueling four to five year journey of studies — design theory, architectural history, anthropology, sustainable design, structural design, seismic design, and building systems design to name a few — experiencing an unparalleled number of all nighters, insta-glue and glue gun injuries, late night xacto knife and paper cutter accidents, and bi-quarterly firing squad style presentations, where students and their projects are scrutinized by a panel of architects and professors — not to mention the financial burden of material costs for physical models, on top of the cost of tuition, and room and board. With all that said, it is the impassioned love of architecture that gets students through the program.
The essential purpose of an architect is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. It is imperative that individuals are trained to provide buildings and spaces that adhere to this purpose. Furthermore, architects provide aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces that aim to be enjoyable environments for the user. Studies show that the built environment effects both the physical and mental health of users. In The Generic City, author Colin Ellard notes several studies that research the effects of place on people. Ellard highlights that when people are in a bland environment with a lack of visual interest, no information is passed and the nervous system is completely unaroused and uninformed. He states, “we are biologically disposed to want to be in locations where there is some complexity, some interest. And this urge runs much deeper than a simple human aesthetic preference for variety. The urge to know is written into us at a very primitive level.” He later continues “the prudent design of city streets and buildings, taking optimal levels of factors such as visual complexity into account, goes beyond the simple idea of promoting walkability and active and vibrant downtown neighborhoods. It is a matter of public health — mental health in particular.” Students are trained to innovate, but it is the artistic and problem solving aspects that captivate the would be architects who are often altruistic by nature. The idea of helping the world through design resonates. Architecture is often characterized as being at the intersection of art and science, however it is much more complex. There are many facets to the profession. For many architects, this ignites an internal struggle of art vs business. While creative and idealistic lessons hone the skills of innovative thinking, there is also something to be said for the need to prepare students for the reality of business. Post graduation, architects have to quickly come to terms with the jarring reality of curbing their innovative thinking, and stifle who they truly are to accommodate the business of the building industry.
Money & Relationships
“Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.” — Jackie Mason
Historically, architects have been respected leaders of the project team and all aspects of the project delivery. Architects had a relationship and personal connection with owners, working hand in hand to solve the owner’s problem and produce a thoughtful and creative solution that was valued and appreciated. Unfortunately, in many instances today, architects are just seen as a tool to obtain a building permit…at least until something goes wrong. In the book, The Business of Design: Balancing Creativity and Profitability by Keith Granet, John Merill of Skidmore Owings and Merrill, expressed, “I think that there has been a significant change [in the face of architecture] in terms of client relationships, a general deterioration of the practices. I don’t like to be somebody who thinks in the past, but I recall in the fifties and sixties that the relationship between client and architect was very close. You were friends; contracts were three pages long. If there was a problem, things would be settled by sitting down with a client and working it out. There was not the litigious atmosphere that exists now.” The building industry has become a big business with the introduction of speculators, investors and corporations. There are significant financial risks that must convert to profit or be returned via a lawsuit. Architects regularly receive directives by clients to lower costs even at the risk of reducing recommended assemblies. I recently heard a story where, in order to lower costs, a client chose to install a lesser grade floor system than what was specified. The architect contested the decision due to acoustical concerns, but her recommendation was disregarded. The client was inevitably sued for excessive noise transmission and subsequently attempted to sue the architect.
In order to survive in this volatile environment, architects relinquished responsibilities in an attempt to minimize the chance of litigation. Inadvertently, this devalued the profession and clients seized the opportunity to aggressively reduce fees. Architects’ fees are regularly negotiated down, but now they are one of the lowest paid members of the design team, in proportion to the service provided. However, there continues to be a high expectation for information and delivery that is disproportionate, and impossible to cover with the lessened fees for service. In addition, architects carry weighty insurance premiums and significant liability for the life of the building which can cripple a firm, if not careful. Unfortunately, architects often accept these conditions because of their altruistic nature, their love of the work, and the raw need to financially survive. Interestingly, Granet notes, “the real estate profession consistently receives a 6 percent fee every time a building is sold. An architect often struggles to get that same fee for creating that building and will receive it only once during the life of the building. This is because real estate professionals banded together to create a standard that the public finds acceptable. When architects tried to establish a similar standard through the American Institute of Architects, they were accused of price-fixing.” Architects have been left to cannibalize themselves, repeatedly lowering fees to win the next commission just to keep the lights on. Speculation and profits, excruciating deadlines, heightened stress, bare-bones staff and endless rounds of the blame game now threaten to overshadow the passion of the profession.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Architecture is a rewarding profession and is one part of a great industry, the building industry. The building industry provides countless jobs, shelter and spaces that society benefits from. However, to continue to advance the industry and the architecture profession we must acknowledge faults and improved upon them. As the architectural profession progresses, there is opportunity to bring the perception of architecture into a single view. To do so, architects and the rest of the building industry must meet in the middle. The building industry must be open-minded, listen and consider the value and premium that architects can provide — they protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, create beautiful spaces that are good for people, communities and the environment, and, if deployed properly, provide a service that can streamline construction and reduce costs and waste. The architectural profession must also do its part— evolve education to also prepare students for the business of architecture, evolve practices to develop tools to better inform the greater industry of the value that architecture provides and hold true to providing that value, evolve individual beliefs to accommodate today’s business climate and business decisions — alternatively, there are options to redefine what it means to be an architect all together. Architecture is a multifaceted discipline that develops a multitude of skills, and it is an exciting time for architects to explore other outlets. As all industries and professions evolve, architecture will not remain stagnant. Architects do not have to proceed infallibly in one direction and in one direction only. Architects do not have to live the life of duality that exists in the profession today, revered by some for what they were trained to do, and deprecated by others for what they are restrained to do. There are opportunities to provide value, or represent that value in a new form, if willing to explore the possibilities.
If you enjoyed this piece, please comment, 👏 to show your support below, and read my other work listed below. To hear more about architecture and the building industry, you can now subscribe to my podcast, Spaces Podcast.
How the Birth of Suburbia Killed the Millennial Home Buyer
Future of Housing: “American Dream” or Nightmare?
Earthquake Proof: “The Big One” is a Concern of the Past
Landlocked: When Homeowners Don’t Move Up or Down
Disrupted: The Architecture Profession
Thank you!