Our First Competition

Gentlemen,

I feel it is time to begin the inevitable and start submitting for design competitions together - Collaborative Design. Check out the link and get back with me ASAP: http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T1115/Holcim_Awards_Introduction.htm

Your friendly grad student,
Dave

Fall '09 Studio - eCommunity - Board_1

A Lot To Think About

That was a compelling movie and your previous post poses some very complex questions. Since I hate with a capital 'H' politics and economics are outside my scope of understanding I can't intelligently comment on either. However, in May 2010 I will have 10 years experience in architecture and have seen everything from the economic fever to our current condition of begging for any scrap of a project just to stay afloat. As far as the future, no one knows what it will be. To point out the obvious the future will be what we make it, and by the time we are aware of it, it will be the present and quickly slipping into the past.

I would argue (for the sake of argument) that the average 50 person firm has more power than you might think. While yes it is true a lack of financial clout does limit large scale change and power. It also allows for greater mobility to change course and think outside the box. For an industry like the automobile industry to change course it takes years of re-working, billions in systems redesign and countless arguments with lobbyists, politicians and investors before anything is done, and in the end what changes? Nothing, maybe an extra 3 gallons per mile in efficiency or ipod docks as a standard feature. In my lifetime nothing of great significance has changed, even the highly celebrated hybrid cars only get 45 miles to the gallon. Not much of a feat if you consider the technology for zero emissions cars has been around since the 1950's. Architecture on the other hand not being tangled up so literally in politics has allowed it to be one of the industries with the wiggle room to apply (albeit handed down) technologies in a way that make off the grid homes and passive technologies a reality today. If we were the auto industry solar panels would still be a little known and un-produced addition to houses because they are not good for the bottom line...long term returns on continued energy reliance. Yes we have little ability to make legislated, wide sweeping change on a national or global level, but look how quickly "sustainability" took off. While sustainability is a pathetic attempt at the end goal, it is a testament to the strength of the architectural network of creative people without corporate agendas spreading and applying new ideas liberally to projects which then spawn wider and wider applications, until that idea becomes common place among professionals in the industry. Maybe it is my personality that leads me to take this perspective, but I feel this depression is the best thing that could happen to young architects. It has provided for us a clean slate with which to reinvent the way we do our jobs and influence the built environment. If we can shed the worthless baggage of old architectural ideals and invent new systems of practice and design, we will have a greater impact on the world than we are currently able to imagine. We are only limited to the extent that we limit ourselves.

As to our ability to create our own technologies, why are we not adding prototype engineers, computer programmers and ecologists into firm hierarchies. Imagine a firm where the power structure is such: (1) Architect, (1) Landscape Architect, (1) Business Administrator, (1) Conceptual engineer/structural engineer, (1) Programmer, and (1) ecologist. Now hire an educated team of 10 or fewer to support each principal and allow each group to learn from the other and produce new technologies or systems which strengthen the firms overall efficiency while creating new streams of income. Software development/sales, Material patents, Groundbreaking systems of management, etc. If we would stop trying to create firms exclusively based on architectural production i.e. design/build we would probably see faster growth and greater financial maneuverability in down economies.

Scott G.

Did You Know?

Dave, I've got my own thoughts on your post and its a subject that needs to be dissected thoroughly. However while I collect some of my thoughts and current financial short comings, here is a video that Jade brought to my attention a few days ago. I think its really an eye opener and something that really hits your subconscious mind in the face! After having watched this video and then contemplating the questions you voiced about the current situation and place of architecture in our economic and political system, it really makes me wonder about our desires as Architects or Designers and what role "if any" does our profession have in the future? Anyway enjoy!

Economic Turmoil

So.... Now that we have all had at least a little taste of the current economic downturn, what are your thoughts on it? Could the architectural industry have planned better for it? How will these events change how you run your future firms? What are you doing now to cope with the situation in the short term?

Currently, I am working in residential construction repairing roofs. It doesn't really pay all the bills, but it is making my savings stretch further. In my free time, I find myself longing for studio to return, and I read.

The architectural industry as a whole is not setup to cope with a recession like this since about 96% or more of all firms are smaller, i.e. less than 50 employees. Yes, the number of licensed architects is held to a minimum do to the rigorous process of licensure, but that limitation did not work this time around. I feel the architectural profession has to create a way to link all the individual firms together in a way that makes them a stronger political force. Think about it. Almost 100% of every innovation that enters architecture comes from R&D from another field and is applied to a building. A small firm simply does not have the capitol and/or resources to develop them. Even CADD was not originally created for architectural use! Until someone decides to join firms in some sort of political union, architects will continue to be the innovators of leftovers hung out to dry at every economic downturn.

I know my experiences now will effect the way I run my firm in the future, but I don't yet know how. I talked to an architect just before the downturn about his retirement plan. He said he wanted to have 3 million dollars saved up for retirement. That way, if the economy tanked, he'd still have about 1 million dollars left to live off of (~$50,000 in interest per year). Does this apply to business? It doesn't seem to me that having 3 times the amount of assests on hand than you need to run a business is a very feasible business plan, but it would be nice. Who knows...

Evermotion Render Competition

Online, and about to complete right now is a render competition by evermotion.org the competition has a downloadable 3dsmax file that you then take and render however you want and in the most creative way you can imagine. Since the competition is over or almost over I think it would be fun for us all to download the file and make our own renders to share with eachother. this will give you Dave a chance to practice your vray skills using the same model as the rest of us, which we can then share settings and techniques with eachother. Also all the registrants in the competition have uploaded their renders to evermotion's web site, so get on and check them out they are pretty impressive and definately a skill level to aspire to.

New Comers to VRay

I finally bought the VRay Plug-in for Sketchup! Know I can join the world of the render crazy. What should I start with.... the owner's manual would probably be best. Wish me luck:)

If I were to align my thoughts on architecture at present with any one current architectural ideology it would be...

Biomimicry/Sustainability believe it or not.

I speak not of types - caves, huts, or tents - but of an over arching principle that includes every building ever built: to protect something from the elements. I strongly believe nature does a much better job of this than man. Every structure animals erect exemplifies sustainable, reasonable design for their place whether its a bird's nest, a termite hill, or a fox hole. It pains me a little to say this, but FLW employed a modern version of this method well and often in his flower inpired designs. Why can't building materials come from the site and immediate surrounding areas? If you can't find it close by then don't use it! This doesn't mean you can't be creative. Billie Tsien and Tod Williams cast the facade of the American Folk Art Museum literally on the site*.

Let me paint a better picture for you. The largest mud building in the world spoken of by Steve Ehrlich would look ridiculous in Antarctica, yet architects deliberately do just that everyday.

Was it ego that started a trend away from the architecture I speak of? I believe it stems back to the Romans who shipped their spoils of war to Rome for use in their buildings - We are not the Romans! Nature is all the inpiration we need for our buildings to be designed in a sustainable way.

*While this particular aspect of the building is a good example, the whole museum would not fit the idea I speak of.

Aligning Our Thoughts

Rather than make a comment to your last post Mihir, i though i would jump back a step with regards to your beginning the discussion with attempting to define ourselves as a group and begin with defining ourselves individually so as to see clearly where our own philosophies lie and then attempt an intervention into the current needs of architecture as we see it. I am in the middle of writing the White vs. Grey debate paper and yeah I know it is due in 7 hours and I should stop procrastinating, but I couldn't help but notice that these revolutionaries which we are studying did not come about their theories on architecture all on their own, rather they saw what was going on around them, aligned themselves or put themselves in opposition to these theories and then began to theorize for themselves beyond the initial movements into realms of their own, which is why we are studying them today.So I would pose this one question to begin the process of defining ourselves first as individuals and second as a collaborative. so here it is:

If you were to align your thoughts on architecture at present with any one current architectural ideology, which would it be?

Identity Reconn:

In our attempts to extract some sort of identity I think we should explore some of the things we discussed in class this past Thursday. Keep the conversations going consistently and continue to add to this blog with meaningful, inspiring and constructive thoughts and materials.

To get this conversation going, I believe our identity should express our provocations, resourcefulness, and inclination to provide a new assessment on purposeful architecture. I guess in short we should be willing to be creative in our ideas, experimental in our approach and continually question the norms "ALWAYS"!

Well that's my two cents at the moment! By the way, if we have not already done so, we should go read each others papers. I'll admit I still have to finish Scott's and start Dave's.

eVolo

Another great site for competitions. One just finished, but we can keep a look out for new ones. If nothing else take a look at the past winners, pretty interesting and exploratory stuff... architecturally and graphically! **next time your laying out boards!
http://www.evolo-arch.com/

Competitions

Well We haven't really begun to discuss what this endeavor is all about but I guess the first place to start is to create and identity for ourselves (any ideas?) then begin tracking and entering in competitions. I dont really have any great ideas for an identity but I did a little footwork and found some sources for tracking competitions that we might find interesting.

http://www.thearchitectureroom.com/
http://www.deathbyarchitecture.com/recent.html?method=Search
http://www.competitions.org (this one in particular is interesting)
http://www.archinect.com/index.php

There are many others but the last 3 on this list at least seem to be a good barometer for what is going on in the world of competitions.

I would like to get a discussion going about our identity first of all and then we can take things to the next step.

Don' let the man get you down. S.

pallalink:master of illusion

Amazing Japanese architect and photographer! I find him to be inspirational in architecture, photography and expanding the imagination! Brings new meaning to flipping the plan and section unto itself!

Accuracy & Aesthetics

I found a great site full of food for thought on semantic design and the collection of open source data for everything from architecture to topology, http://accuracyandaesthetics.com/. There is a wealth of ideas which allign with many of the contemporary ideas we are being exposed to in school. One of the posts which caught my attention, http://accuracyandaesthetics.com/1053, just an interesting read but this is just the tip of the iceberg on this site. It could become a great place to pluck ideas from to aid us in our own discussions. S.

Theme

By the way i took the liberty of tweaking the theme and graphic, but i'm not married to it so feel free to have at it as you wish!

K.S.S.

I'm sure you've heard of these guys, but thought I'd post it anyway! They do have a new website and definitely do some good work!

Great Song....

to a great new adventure!

Hopefully I'll have more intelligent offerings in the future!

Let's Get Started

Hey guys, so I set up the blog now I don't have anything profound to begin discussing so I will let you at it and we can see where this little endeavor leads us. sCoTt.