Tall shadows of Tall Ideals
Tall Ideals
Humanity has survived millennia, because it has always been in pursuit of shadows cast by tall ideals that define our fundamental values and ethics. These values enable us to continually inhabit our beautiful planet.
In academia, we examine and learn ways in which, we can help impact and extend the health of our living planet positively. Young architects, who transit from academia to the profession, face an uninformed public arena that challenges our assumptions about the market. Factors like economics, public policy, and market dynamics are new hurdles that we encounter in the real world of building. Although, we recognize a huge potential for change, but it seems frustratingly slow.
Today, Architecture stands at the crossroads of yet another renaissance. Man’s quest and thirst of consumption has begun to have a negative impact on our natural world and its health. Several reasons are to blame for this state of affairs; however, market forces and public policy, which shape demand in the quality of architectural services and applications, have driven our profession to where it stands today. Energy shortages, accumulation of waste, and expanding footprint of land-use have compelled us to investigate new strategies.
Sustainability is one such movement. Although, it is in a nascent stage in the housing sector could gather steam if young architects participate to translate it with from the drawing boards to the market. If each of us acts as a link between the ideal and the real world, then change is not only inevitable but will be faster than expected.
The market will not change unless we make a conscious effort to help it to change. Architects cannot take on the role of an overbearing patron who autocratically creates and presents choices. Instead, we have to participate in our society to start a grassroots awareness, leading to a market that is persuaded and encouraged to follow the same tall ideals that we aspire to achieve. Architects need to talk, discuss, and engage the public in its own domain by taking the discourse out of our boardrooms and bring it back to our respective communities.
To this end, I found the outlet to my engagement with the public by attending community discussions on housing, environment, and buildings. The local chapter of green building council that meets monthly serves as a platform to interact with my community. I believe the hours I spend beyond my regular work commitment in a community discourse can help gather a momentum for change. I have used such forums to raise awareness in my community of the importance of issues affecting our built environment. I have been a facilitator for my community in the capacity of providing information and a large knowledge base gathered from various sources to help assist their exploration into alternatives not readily presented by the market.
Architecture is a mirror of our culture. The built environment will speak of our values and ideals. If we are leave tall ideals beneath whose shade our future generations will follow, we will need to create examples. Young architects will have to change the market’s perspective of building as a recyclable commodity through a grassroots campaign. Like as our ancestors, young graduates too have to reorganize ourselves to the to address the problems and needs of our time. It follows that the blame should rest with our generation of architects and designers; if we fail to translate the vision and ideals we were taught to the markets we serve. We should be youthful when we dream of the possibilities and derive energy from our youth. The goal is to empower, envision our communities to realize the change that will enable us to continue to live on this planet.
Humanity has survived millennia, because it has always been in pursuit of shadows cast by tall ideals that define our fundamental values and ethics. These values enable us to continually inhabit our beautiful planet.
In academia, we examine and learn ways in which, we can help impact and extend the health of our living planet positively. Young architects, who transit from academia to the profession, face an uninformed public arena that challenges our assumptions about the market. Factors like economics, public policy, and market dynamics are new hurdles that we encounter in the real world of building. Although, we recognize a huge potential for change, but it seems frustratingly slow.
Today, Architecture stands at the crossroads of yet another renaissance. Man’s quest and thirst of consumption has begun to have a negative impact on our natural world and its health. Several reasons are to blame for this state of affairs; however, market forces and public policy, which shape demand in the quality of architectural services and applications, have driven our profession to where it stands today. Energy shortages, accumulation of waste, and expanding footprint of land-use have compelled us to investigate new strategies.
Sustainability is one such movement. Although, it is in a nascent stage in the housing sector could gather steam if young architects participate to translate it with from the drawing boards to the market. If each of us acts as a link between the ideal and the real world, then change is not only inevitable but will be faster than expected.
The market will not change unless we make a conscious effort to help it to change. Architects cannot take on the role of an overbearing patron who autocratically creates and presents choices. Instead, we have to participate in our society to start a grassroots awareness, leading to a market that is persuaded and encouraged to follow the same tall ideals that we aspire to achieve. Architects need to talk, discuss, and engage the public in its own domain by taking the discourse out of our boardrooms and bring it back to our respective communities.
To this end, I found the outlet to my engagement with the public by attending community discussions on housing, environment, and buildings. The local chapter of green building council that meets monthly serves as a platform to interact with my community. I believe the hours I spend beyond my regular work commitment in a community discourse can help gather a momentum for change. I have used such forums to raise awareness in my community of the importance of issues affecting our built environment. I have been a facilitator for my community in the capacity of providing information and a large knowledge base gathered from various sources to help assist their exploration into alternatives not readily presented by the market.
Architecture is a mirror of our culture. The built environment will speak of our values and ideals. If we are leave tall ideals beneath whose shade our future generations will follow, we will need to create examples. Young architects will have to change the market’s perspective of building as a recyclable commodity through a grassroots campaign. Like as our ancestors, young graduates too have to reorganize ourselves to the to address the problems and needs of our time. It follows that the blame should rest with our generation of architects and designers; if we fail to translate the vision and ideals we were taught to the markets we serve. We should be youthful when we dream of the possibilities and derive energy from our youth. The goal is to empower, envision our communities to realize the change that will enable us to continue to live on this planet.
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