Interesting perspective from the sidelines.

[heni30]

Wish they would have expanded it to include what it's like living

with geniuses.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/architects-wife-chelsea-van-riet

Edited May 10, 2015 by heni30

[Corey Beaulieu]

Not exactly a sideliner is she?

 

Her writing here is very short and not entirely well thought out. She seems to just be regurgitating the laments of her husband and friends.

 

As artists we are privy to yet another perspective I think. We, many of us anyway, did the schooling to become architects, some even did, but realized the lack of creative control within the arena. Or simply preferred the work we do now. Many Architects might make a good effort to retain their original design, but ultimately the "Value Engineering" of a developer, the one putting up the money, cuts away any of the more extravagant bits and forces the generic box (I should say that this is an often occurrence and not an always one here). It's a rare bird that is the building that was entirely designed by the mind of the architect.

 

Also, building designers are rarely used on a commercial level. At least in my experience. There is always an Arch Firm willing to take the commission and do what they are told.

 

I'm not writing a blog here, just off the cuff commenting, but I think this was not a clear minded perspective. Architects are great, hard-working people, sure, but the reality of design is that it begins with a romantic sales pitch, follows with a truly inspired search for a great design. Its folly is that it ends with a budget constraint that is often lower than originally told because of overruns on the construction end or some other aspect.

 

I think that our "starchiect" culture is largely born out of this process because, while even they must bow to their financial masters, they were often selected with a higher plane of trust and grandeur in mind. More often w see the full imagination of their architecture when there is likely one just as great if not better looming in the shadows of a developers end game of budget. The average firm (meaning the typical, not a sub-par firm) struggles for a foothold in the cutting room and is often brow-beaten to a point where the big picture and finer details are cut to shreds of their former self, if they still exist at all.

 

Great architecture always stands out. To everyone, involved in the industry or not. I do not believe that any institution promoting architecture is at fault for the beige boxes boxes staining our skylines rather it is the process of the build. If we get back to a time where the occupant of a building is the one hiring an architect we may see a rise in the end result resembling the prowess of its creator. The ego of ownership needs to regain power over the ego of salesmanship. People literally build what they think they can sell and what can be sold and what is beautiful are not, if ever, the same thing.

 

This is just my opinion by the way. I'm not suggesting that anyone should agree with me here.

[artmaknev]

Its true, most movies portray an architect as a rich, super important person that drives a Porsche.

 

The truth is, as she realized, architects make slightly more money than a Mcdonald's manager while working double time!

 

Its the passion! The love to design that drives a real architect, money is not a primary goal.

 

Now go to school and get that $100k student loan to get your arch degree!

Edited May 14, 2015 by artmaknev