Looking at discussions on here it seems as though there is an invisible line where once crossed magically will transform a project from simply existing as a building into a work of Architecture. I feel that any structure no matter how big or small can be considered architecture. Whether it's thousands of square feet of convention center, a parking garage or a single family home, they all impact the lives of those that use them and as a result need the talents of an Architect. I think the difficulty when it comes to single family housing is that in a lot of states an Architect is not needed and can be completed by a structural engineer or contractor.
The AIA has just released the AIA Message Book, "The Architect's Voice: Advocating for our Profession", that describes the discussion that we as Architects can have with our communities. In addition to not being snobby and the engagement of our communities is the need to show what
the value and benefits of teaming up with an Architect are and what we can bring to the table.
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Todd Brautigam, AIA, NCARB
Project Manager
EV&A Architects, Inc.
Las Vegas, NV
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-29-2017 19:29
From: Daniel Guich
Subject: Residential Architecture for the Middle Class?
We need to stop being snobby and start engaging with people. We need to convey to our potential clients that we are a resource and are here to guide and engage them through the design process.
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Daniel Guich, LEED AP, CDT
San Francisco, CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-29-2017 19:26
From: Daniel Guich
Subject: Residential Architecture for the Middle Class?
I agree with Bryan. We need to stop
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Daniel Guich, LEED AP, CDT
San Francisco, CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-28-2017 17:40
From: Brian Penschow
Subject: Residential Architecture for the Middle Class?
I agree with Jerry. I would add that as architects we also have to stop being snobby about buildings. During an Outreach event sponsored by my local AIA chapter we had a quiz for kids about architecture and the last question was, "What is your favorite buding?" The answers that were most popular were the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, and "my house." If we want to continue to captivate the public as a profession we need to be less snobby about what we do and more engaging.
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Brian Penschow AIA
Owner
the ARCHITECTS, DPC
Lincroft NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-27-2017 17:49
From: Jerome Eben
Subject: Residential Architecture for the Middle Class?
Yolanda: simple answer to what you posted: Every building should require an architect!
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Jerome Eben FAIA
Principal
Jerome Leslie Eben, Architect and Planner
West Orange NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2017 16:02
From: Yolanda Lettieri
Subject: Residential Architecture for the Middle Class?
I have spent a good portion of my career designing homes for the Middle Class, that is, "production housing". I have also been a member of the AIA since 2003. These two sectors of the world of architecture have never really met. In fact, AIA members have informally shared with me that production housing is considered a kind of "evil" in architecture, that is, that it isn't actually architecture, and that it's just another widget for people to consume and throw away in 20 years or less. I spent most of my childhood living in badly maintained apartments in an inflated housing market in the San Francisco Bay Area, where, although my family was considered part of the Middle Class, could not afford a house near my parents' jobs. We finally found a home, built by the famous homebuilder Kaufman & Broad, aka KB Home, about 50 miles from where we were living. As a child, I had already become enamored with architecture: sweeping skyscrapers, bridges, and beautiful things. But to me, nothing was more beautiful than a place to call Home. Through KB's brochure home plans, I learned about architecture - the correct placement of doors and windows, architectural styles, privacy for bedrooms and publicly allocating family and kitchen spaces. I decided that I wanted to design and build homes for people like me: those who weren't rich, and didn't want to live poor.
My question to you is this: how do we as architects reconcile the market-driven architectural style seen in production housing (and elsewhere) with what we consider to be "true" architecture? How do we engage our communities to see things the way we "see" them? Are there other ways in which architects are detached from the community, or reality, for that matter?
A penny for your thoughts!
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Yolanda Lettieri AIA
Principal
YSL Architecture
Hawthorne CA
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