The Modern Architect-Technologist and Strategist - Essay Example

The modern architect-technologist and strategist “I saw a fantastic, almost mystic rising up in the mist ,”says Le Corbusier describing the skyline of New York in his book, “When Cathedrals were white” .He was admiring the handiwork of architects who wrought this wonder that is the skyline of New York. He goes on to describe the dark side of the vision,”…..then the ship moves forward and the apparition is transformed into an image of incredible brutality and savagery”. The role of the architect has changed through the years- from the architect of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries whose primary concern was to make profit, the modern architect has changed into a socially and environmentally responsible individual. The architect is a person who is responsible for the planning, designing and overseenin construction of a building.Traditionally considered an elitist, with little thought for the poorer sections of the community, the architect’s role has undergone a sea change now with housing development projects proliferating in both the urban and rural sectors and strict governmental guidelines. An architect now is often required to make decisions is the interest of the safety and well being of the society, especially so while designing a housing project. The modern architect is a technologist, environmentalist as well as a strategist. With the increase in housing pressure , there are massive housing projections for the next twenty years in U.K. Property development is a process that involves changing or enhancing the land to produce buildings for occupation. It is a complex activity involving various agencies and using scarce resources. The architect plays a crucial role in the housing development process with tremendous responsibilities and key relationship with the other actors. While executing his responsibilities, he has to take into account various factors ranging from the needs of the occupier to the possible objections from the local people which can cause delays or even result in the abandonment of the project. As the architect is primarily a technologist who also contributes to the business strategy, he uses his expertise in the technical field to define the technical strategy of the development project. He should prepare design briefs for all the residential allocations, without forgetting optimum quality. In their book, “Property Development”, David Cadman and Rosalyn Topping divide the main stages of the development process into nine main parts. These are Initiation, Evaluation, Acquisition, Design and costing, Permission, Commitment. Implementation and Disposal. (Cadman and Topping 2) The role of the architect hinges on understanding the requirements of the various actors besides formulating a design which meets their different requirements.He makes sure that the developers are able to realize their goals and the end product is compliant with the agreed plan. According to Cadman, “Property development is more than bricks and mortar” (Cadman and Topping 2 ) It involves sustainable residential development with good design which can be used by all sections of the populace including the children and the elderly and disabled. Architects should make such internal designs that meets the needs of the residents as well as the visitors. The architect needs to understand the building and operational codes and ensure that his design conforms to them. He must not omit any necessary requirement , and his design must be well thought out and unambiguous. He must be knowledgeable about the various methods followed by the builders to build the housing project, so that he can give the occupier the best possible result within the cost. The main actors in a housing development project are the land owner, the financial institutions, the building contractors, and the objectors . One of the main jobs of the architect is to communicate with the principle actors and make them understand his vision. The principle actors need to know how the project meets their requirements, and it is the job of the architect to represent his architecture to the satisfaction of all the actors. He must be able to discuss the functional aspects of the design and the financial implications. He should design briefs for all the major residential allocations in which the site characteristics should be mentioned. The site characteristics may lead to housing design policy. A well designed project takes the local environment into account. According to Carmona,”A good scheme will produce buildings that are well designed for their purpose and for their surroundings.”(Carmona 328) The architect must never compromise on quality. Carmona talks of “Quality thresholds” in the book “Housing design and quality”.According to the author, there are three quality thresholds for the housing project, the Basic threshold being the first where the development conforms to the policy guidelines.The second is the Intermediate threshold, which has superior characteristics and adds value to the project The third is the Optimum threshold, which meets a range of environmental and other criteria, producing a sustainable development.. It is incumbent on the architect to aim for high quality design which respects local environment. Since it is the architect who sees the’ big picture’, he must communicate his vision to the other actors. To the developer, he is a consultant who makes them understand the architecture and its value, and the various factors influencing it. He interacts with the land owner so that the latter understands the project and its value. The architect interacts with the surveyors and building accountants who advise the developers on the costs and associated costs of the project. Another actor is the estate agent who negotiates with the occupier. The last category of actors is the Objector, who may be an amateur or a professional group at local or national level. Since most of the houses are owner occupied, the owners want to protect their residential amenities and property values. According to Guy and others, “In many instances, this will lead to preference to restrict or prevent new housing development”.(Guy, Henneberry&Bramley ,229) The second type of objectors are well organized permanent bodies. They are usually thepeople interested in protecting the local environment and heritage. The architect must present a picture of the project which addresses their concerns and allays their fears. A good design takes into account all the environmental and related factors and enhances the value of the land. Although architects differ in their view of a good result, on the whole, they concur on quality and good design strategies which offer economic and environmental dividends to the builder as well as the occupier. Being the one who understands the ‘big picture’. The architect plays a pivotal role in housing development process. The modern architect acts as a responsible link between the developer and the various actors in a housing project. The role of the architect as a technologist and environmentalist having been accepted universally now, he has grown beyond his elitist image of the last century. Works cited Blythe A and Worthington J (2001) Managing the Brief for better Design, Spon,London Cadman D and Topping R (1991) Property development Spon, London Carmona M (2001) Housing Design Quality : Through Policy Guidance and Review Routledge , London Guy,S. Henneberry,J and Bramley,G (2005) Urban Properties, Spaces and Spaces and the Property Business in Buck ,N. Gordon,J. Turok I (eds) Changing cities: Rethinking Urban Compititiveness, Cohesion and Governance Palgrave Macmillan, London Le Corbusier (1947) reprint 1964 When the Cathedrals were White McGraw Hill, New York Read More