Committee on Design

Ian Ellingham's comments are spot on in terms of the degree of difficulty in achieving high performance design, and the research he cites is dearly needed in our field. But many architects are achieving architecture which provides value on most of these criteria.
It is true however that many do not and as Alain De Botton so appropriately stated in his Architecture of Happiness  "To care deeply about a field that achieves so little, and yet consumes so many of our resources, forces us to admit to a disturbing, even degrading lack of aspiration."
The value of a design approach to solving issues of multi-stakeholders and conflicting values has clearly not escaped the attention of business leaders as evidenced by Roger Martin's work at the Rotman school of Management at the University of Toronto (and his two books The Opposable Mind and The Design of Business), The existence of the Stanford Design School, and Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind:Why Right Brains will Rule the Future.
To find examples of value delivered through architecture is possible through scouring such programs as the AIA/Business Week awards  (some but not all of the awardees) a few of the winners in the Aga Khan awards program, and most of the projects described in Change Design; Conversations about Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool ( by my firm NBBJ).
When a design partnership is created with a client it is ussually possible to find reasonable metrics of success.

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James Jonassen FAIA
Seattle WA
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Well stated. Thank you, Jim.

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Peter Greaves AIA
Peter David Greaves AIA
Seattle WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2015 20:46
From: James Jonassen
Subject: Re: Purpose and Value

Ian Ellingham's comments are spot on in terms of the degree of difficulty in achieving high performance design, and the research he cites is dearly needed in our field. But many architects are achieving architecture which provides value on most of these criteria.
It is true however that many do not and as Alain De Botton so appropriately stated in his Architecture of Happiness  "To care deeply about a field that achieves so little, and yet consumes so many of our resources, forces us to admit to a disturbing, even degrading lack of aspiration."
The value of a design approach to solving issues of multi-stakeholders and conflicting values has clearly not escaped the attention of business leaders as evidenced by Roger Martin's work at the Rotman school of Management at the University of Toronto (and his two books The Opposable Mind and The Design of Business), The existence of the Stanford Design School, and Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind:Why Right Brains will Rule the Future.
To find examples of value delivered through architecture is possible through scouring such programs as the AIA/Business Week awards  (some but not all of the awardees) a few of the winners in the Aga Khan awards program, and most of the projects described in Change Design; Conversations about Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool ( by my firm NBBJ).
When a design partnership is created with a client it is ussually possible to find reasonable metrics of success.

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James Jonassen FAIA
Seattle WA
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I appreciated the invaluable reference Mr. Jonassen provided in his note. It makes the point that architecture includes practice aspiration and professional aspiration. I believe Alain de Botton was referring to professional aspiration in the quote Mr. Jonassen provided.

"...as Alain De Botton so appropriately stated in his Architecture of Happiness 'To care deeply about a field that achieves so little, and yet consumes so many of our resources, forces us to admit to a disturbing, even degrading lack of aspiration.'"

Aspiration implies a goal. When these goals are limited to practice improvement, achievement and advantage the conversation reveals a lack of aspiration beyond the immediate objective. This limits the public perception of value. There is a greater role available if the profession chooses to look beyond practice and project.

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Walter Hosack
Author
Walter M. Hosack
Dublin OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-17-2015 20:46
From: James Jonassen
Subject: Re: Purpose and Value

Ian Ellingham's comments are spot on in terms of the degree of difficulty in achieving high performance design, and the research he cites is dearly needed in our field. But many architects are achieving architecture which provides value on most of these criteria.
It is true however that many do not and as Alain De Botton so appropriately stated in his Architecture of Happiness  "To care deeply about a field that achieves so little, and yet consumes so many of our resources, forces us to admit to a disturbing, even degrading lack of aspiration."
The value of a design approach to solving issues of multi-stakeholders and conflicting values has clearly not escaped the attention of business leaders as evidenced by Roger Martin's work at the Rotman school of Management at the University of Toronto (and his two books The Opposable Mind and The Design of Business), The existence of the Stanford Design School, and Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind:Why Right Brains will Rule the Future.
To find examples of value delivered through architecture is possible through scouring such programs as the AIA/Business Week awards  (some but not all of the awardees) a few of the winners in the Aga Khan awards program, and most of the projects described in Change Design; Conversations about Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool ( by my firm NBBJ).
When a design partnership is created with a client it is ussually possible to find reasonable metrics of success.

-------------------------------------------
James Jonassen FAIA
Seattle WA
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