The extinction of the architects

Ostrich Pillow Kawamura por-Ganjavian of Studio Banana

A Spanish architects of my generation has invaded the melancholy. After six long years of crisis in the construction sector, we can not understand yet how completely gone here a sector that had given us a task to society.

It is not a situation where we are alone. We accompany our misery a substantial part of the population of our country. Especially, the youngest, whose lack of collective occupation and personal development prospects is a scandal that also affects enormously and can not and should allow for longer. Nor, is possible to consider that this situation have led only architects, considering the huge disaster has meant handling economy: dark science is only able to predict and explain what has happened in the past and whose representatives commit so many mistakes with impunity.

Hope the prompt emergence of new ways of working to give hope to an entire technical and entrepreneurial collective, directly or indirectly, consists of several hundreds of thousands in Spain. This is what is happening with initiatives seeking to promote the rehabilitation of the building stock and which represent a hope for the revival of the construction in our environment.

For decades we have been in this profession, recycling is still very hard. Above all, if we consider that the traditional ways in which unfolded craft the practice of architecture will not return. Thus, we are forced to seek other routes technical exercise or, directly, recycled into other activities in which there is more real economic possibilities. Perhaps, some have to assume that we only have the way of early retirement or lack of resources radical.

A catastrophe that plunges us into a tremendous unease, trying to explain the reasons for change. It is what they have done two companions in two texts that unite here. From Valencia, Paul J. Hernandez Lopez urges us warning us that Do not tell your mother I am an architect, reflection appeared on his blog The Unrepentant Architect. And since Tenerife, Pedro Dominguez explains What is and what was an architect, an article published in the local newspaper, The Review.

You have to read his words as an epitaph to the demise of a way of understanding the exercise of a profession: “Requiescat in pace”. But after the death of King, might soon have to give live the new king.

Tixosaurus Recreation. National Geographic, 2007

Do not tell your mother I am an architect (retail architects)
Paul J. López Hernández. Extracted from the blog Unrepentant Architect. 18/05/2012

When I was young career in architecture was one of the coolest. She is pointing, vocationally about, absentmindedly other, and all future glories dreamers. Among our friends was one of the careers that was cool. For those who aspired to it, architecture was a combination of art and science, personal enjoyment and social recognition. All cast, encastado and well paid. Most plus. The repera.

There were other professions aupadas the pedestal of the “runs good”. But future “artists” the slightly despised, because we thought they were gray and sad. Its recognized economic importance not interest us too much, because we were more liberal and we were on other topics.

The architecture always wrote and spoke with a capital. Since ancient, architects had held the status of recognition and dignity. His sense of wisdom and goodness to the supported.

But everything has been changing for the worse. We are now testing the unemployed iron, of economic insecurity, and growing social criticism and disqualifying, crises including. For, at least a decade, and in recent years starkly, we have fallen, (rather, they have thrown), the old pedestal egregious. And it seems that there will be many not to pick up the broken pieces.

The architects of the Star-Sistem, the glamorous, start has to be viewed with suspicion by many blunders by megalomaniacs and uncontrolled economic extravagance. The rest is just using us and just sees us. And if done, Nor is usually with high praise.

Why are we where we are, unnoticed and with a large majority in this precarious immersed? I will say the first reason that comes to mind: Because we have forgotten our social function (some do not even know yet).

I will also say a second: Because we have earned almost freehand.

The rest is deceiving as putting bandages to stop bleeding. And we will not leave this if we do not identify our mistakes and assume first. Solo citaré, not bored, some of them:

First error: Many architects have forgotten the fundamental quality of what is architecture. Until we have accepted that we are pigeonholed as a “profession” more. I know that in today's society can not go it alone without the titulito. And that is not all the architects we create Borrominis or Palladios; but we have allowed, little by little, the support and having to spend most of our time on bureaucracy and paperwork pure, instead of being able to think more about shapes and spaces. (some do not even have time to think or). We have “professionalized”, but the worst. We cataloged, at best, as a mere firmones inexcusably those who must go to process roles and permissions. From architecture, the times, nothing is said.

According to error: Deified and arrogant in our role “artists”, we have abandoned other fields of activity “low range” for our high claims. The vanity has prevented us, in most cases, depth to our and other alternative forms of work, and try to impregnate its own spirit. It is true that the valuation of a property, or study health and safety are not issues especially courtiers or the cultivation of beauty, but it sure will always be some loophole to tune it. Most do not have tried.

Third Error: “The more the better, and in less time if megamejor”. When the situation and so have allowed bonanza, projects, the works and decisions have lacked, and we have imported, ripening time requiring. Pressed by owner, by promoter, or by administering, we have drafted plans, projects, contraplanes and counterprojects in record time in which it was hardly possible to read even though the regulations and ordinances or enter into the essence of each issue. The disastrous results in some areas edilicio, especially coastal, the view is and with our dwindling prestige.

Fourth error: Stupidly we have entered the trap of economic bargaining and rebates. The deceptive slogan “more results in less time” (the damn competitiveness), ancillary to “if done so fast is because, After the, so it is not that hard and it's just paper (to me have said more than once), and therefore its value also worth less. Defender behind the paper that there are many more things are tired and bored, and the more powerful economically and uneducated is the client (usually coincides), I do not care over our theories projective, (the truth, some are a bit pedantic). In the case of major bleeding the situation promoters. So all to play if-want-it-take-and-if-not-let-it-and-quickie-you-get-cola.

Fifth error: We swallowed each year, legislature after legislature, with all the flurry of rules, codes, and decrees that we have been torpedoed. The CSCAE has not been too effective precisely. Administration, the other groups, or who was passing, we brought all the goals you have wanted. The LOE, the Omnibus that, Bologna, CTE, and I do not know how many things, not enter the sudoku different legislation each Autonomous Community has been invented, our task has become a veritable obstacle. A series of legislative corsets, decrees, Errors modified decrees and rules changing and even contradictory. When we realized we were bundled into a tangle end whose purpose is only one : Architects are responsible for all.

Sixth error: The believing ourselves to be beyond good and evil when the current crisis and you could see her ears. We closed our eyes to the reality that came. When you did well because it was well, and thought this was saved. When he was wrong because neither had ever heard that things were better. Locked in our caparazoncito, naively, we thought we were untouchable. So we will.

Seventh Error: Many did not have adequate, seriously, to new ways of working that time and today's society require. Our great individuality was above all. We worked “multidisciplinarmente”, but only nozzle. Many we had only some ingenierete to solve the air conditioning, and if that structure is a bit complicated. Neither we learned in these times that architecture is not just the little picture that we do in the paper napkin while we are “inspired”, and teamwork not only limited palette that petulant postscript of “and associates”, “integral architecture”, and other nonsense that pompously put on our cards and our logos, So if, perfectly designed.

Pyramid of Caius Cestius. Rome, year 12 dC.

Most have not been aware that the architecture has become a complex discipline, which calls for a multidisciplinary, but actually the, and in which you have to accept that one does not know everything, and in which coordinate effectively to synthesize and must first have specifically if they know who alia. In our role as ” divine solo”, many of us forget that there was the rest of the orchestra.

E.E.U.U longer exist in virtually, the muy escasamente, independent architects. En China, the two thousand architects working (Chinese) in the same building is a normal thing. That I know, in Spain most profession still concentrated in small scale studies. And now with the crisis and that. Not that in USA or China have greater economic potential (I have), but they learned fast as you have to do things now and real teams. We have lost the way that society has.

There are more errors, and now I'm able to discover, but that led us nowhere and be a little lost. And being fresh meat barrel for we were keen.

We are told that we must renew. Maybe it's true. All I know is that we have passed previously by similar circumstances, certainly milder, and certainly, only chameleon-like ability to adapt our saved us.

So to not end up in dead end, have to reinvent. The illusion and imagination are the weapons we have, and we have never failed us. And understand that apart from the drawing of the napkin, must be incorporated in our task the qualities that the times demand inexorably: sustainability, ecology, saving (Power and other), environmental respect, hardware, economies, integration, specialization,……… and everything that comes to mind. For there is inevitably the future if we are to survive and rediscover that society. For young architects is an obligation. For older almost a chimera. Meanwhile to grit your teeth and to hold.

We will have to give, moment, our coveted ascent to Mount Olympus. To survive, and during the inevitable journey, to peck here and there and work a little retail. ¡Ah!, and serious warning to aquellos with Novias / NOVI pickups with the future: better than your partner do not tell your mother that comes with an architect ...

Grande Galerie de l'Evolution. National Museum of Natural History. Paris. Paul Chemetov y Borja Huidobro, 1994

What is and what was an architect
By Pedro Dominguez Duckling. Newspaper La Opinión de Tenerife. 11/04/2013

 

If you tuviéramos explicárselo a teenager, looking frame in society, I would say that is someone who establishes a special relationship and usually prolonged in time, with your customer, affecting not only its economy, but, and especially, development in later life.

Namely, an architect viene to be as a lover circumstantial, someone who is given the heart and soul to that given during one season: is in art and in the office of the architect of that relationship which arises a wonder or a freak.

The framework in which these sporadic relationships was developed society, and physically focused on the institutions and in private settings meeting. The architect, in addition to art and craft, culture should have all kinds, leadership and organizational skills; would then be the closest thing to a conductor, not only have to run a small army but also have the responsibility to do sound good.

An architect knows and knows geometry, therefore, a plane passing through three points; fail if only one of these points the plane would cease to exist. Well, this is largely what has happened: the plane in which its activity is sustained consisted of: his art, their craft and their customers and this last leg of the table has failed and, as in Cataclysm, everything was shot down and thus has not only wiped out the existence of a profession that dates back to the origins of mankind, or better said a friend poet: a profession recognized as necessary and useful, but it has brought ruin to many sectors of its activity descolgaban.

Hall of Science Museum in London

Not only has ended 95% so-called: architectural firms, but also have been affected other professions and trades employees as: Engineers, road and hydraulic, agronomists, calculating, surveyors, surveyors, draftsmen, artists, Biologists, geographers, mathematical, modellers, modellers, advertisers, material suppliers, masons, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, carpenters, metalistas, foundries, reprógrafos, software manufacturers, furniture manufacturers, nurserymen, etc.… All of them have disappeared or reduced their activity to a minimum after our debacle after the plane would break the balance. Where? Where are the customers? Under stones?? Behind the markets?? Hidden behind the government?? They flew as budgets? Institutions?

I try to find in nature an image resembling this species extinction and the closest thing I find is when describing the disappearance of an ecosystem and its disastrous global implications, and if so, you know what the consequences of the spread of contagion of this caliber.

There is a certain modesty among my colleagues that causes them to silence this stigma, is like the aristocrat who leads his ruin with resignation, but these are times of profound change against which no longer display it the old models. So we had better reinvent ourselves and learn to face the new challenges, not only those who have been fortunate enough to exercise this beautiful profession with dignity, but also the legion of young new degrees disconsolately watching how his illusions have vanished. All now have a moral obligation to speak out, raise the demand and to provide solutions to the mass extinction of this profession.

A good step would be to take this time out, pun…, to strengthen the leg for the job and get in line with the specialization that anyway despite the slowdown we are, if we are professionals, required to improve.

If I recall now the words of José Agustín Goytisolo's poem devil manifesto on architecture and urbanism: “I think of the branches that emerge from me if it were a cherry…”, I can not help shuddering.