[Question] What is your greatest challenge when designing...

[ml]

Hi,

I am working on a writing project where I am trying to address the following question...

As an architect, what is your greatest challenge when designing architecture?

Any insight you can give me about what you have experienced or seen others experience would be very helpful.

Many Thanks

[nanrehvasconez]

The most chalenging thing is to make a remarkable building with the usually skimp budget dictated by the investors' greed

[lekizz]

To be honest that sounds quite confused/confusing. I s this a survey? Do you mean you are writing an essay discussing "What are the greatest challenges faced by architects when designing architecture?"

Do you mean fully qualified architects? Do you plan to cover architects in all locations? All types of architecture from bus shelters to General Hospitals? All types of designing from concept to construction detail?

What is the purpose/aim of your writing project?

[ml]

I'm interested in innovative architectural design --- and I'm trying to get a handle on what "pains" architects the most as you strive to achieve "great" architecture. (what is your biggest challenge)

Yes, this might involve factors like a tight budget, client opinions, occupant needs, coming up with something "new" with each project you design, trying to be true to your design as it goes through "approval" processes or even staying up-to-date with latest emerging technologies, materials, etc.

This question could apply to many different building types and to architects in all sorts of locations. Basically, if you have input that springs to mind and you are involved in the architectural design process, then I would love to hear it. (if you have challenges involving something more specific, like hospital design -- I would to hear that too.)

The general purpose/aim of my writing/research project is to find ways to help architects overcome some of these challenges...

[lekizz]

To be frank, you are an architect yourself so you will know quite well what issues/obstacles architects face.

And you will also know what constitutes a research project and what constitutes a plug for a website

Nice website by the way, well done, I'll take a closer look!!

[ml]

I guess you might be right -- I should just stick with what I know ... I agree that I have a good grasp on the various issues architects face.

Just thought I would ask others to get my thinking "outside-of-the-box". (I really am working on a separate writing project (not trying to spam...I promise)

PS - thanks for your nice comment about my site

[nanrehvasconez]

If you have a complex architectural project beyond your field and experience, you should start hiring consultants in the field were you are not competen and/or familiar, they will complement your knowledge and fill the voids and experience that you may be laking.

Every profession is the same, MDs as general practitioners will hire "reffer" to specialists to prescrive within field thar not familiar to their practice.

Carpenters that do framing, usualy will hire carpenters that are expertes in heavy timber construction and roof layout, stair builders, finish carpenters, cabinet makers, etc. etc.

[solidred]

The great myth is that architects work as lone creators and that what they can - or can't - achieve in architecture is within their grasp, if only they learn how to get it right. The reality comes down to a much more general human dilemma: 'fight or fate', we could call it. Does one stick one's heels in at a certain point in life's experience and say 'I now know enough of what I'm doing to with authority tell you what to do' [fight] or say 'how can I enrich my understanding of this situation such as it already is so as to usefully operate alongside it?' [fate].
Which path you take comes down more to personality type rather than wisdom. I think. Which makes me sound unsure. Which is what I am. Because thinking is an ongoing process, never complete...

[innova+e]

solidred makes some good points. I also think you should step back and (think) about what will make a design successfull rather than great. Time will determine the 'greatness' of your work, but I feel that if you aim to simply Acheive, architecture, rather than exceeding boundaries in design measures, you'll arrive at an honesty, or truth in your your own abilities and subsequent work.

Surrounding yourself with the right professionals to acheive this architectural success is key. Sure, Roark wanted to stand alone against the world, but in reality, those who attempted similar practice, while successful in constructing the tenents of the paradigm of modernism, ultimately had to convince their mothers to let them design a house for them in order to get the initial press. This to say that by looking to acheive Great architecture, or invent a style, or whatever, might cause you much headache in the end, as architecture is a team effort and should be approached as such.

[Fabdesigno]

Some of architects will have to face self constrains which might be from their own ideas, culture, lack of experience and confidence, the way they problem solve stuff, their ideas of analogy and that sort of stuff.

[WalkerARCHITECTS]

The truth is that architecture is simply the articulation of light and surface to purpose. Finding the best expression within a system of constraints of that purpose is the journey of an artist who travels in a world filled with merchants, upon whom he depends, for the opportunity to work, to live, and create a more desirable future state. So to get the opportunity for just one great project is the quest of a lifetime.

From time to time and for reasons quite obscure, the market for architectural services fades and with it the opportunity to create a more desirable future state, to live and of course to work for a living, all are accordingly reduced in proportion to market and with that production of substantial obscurity for the architect.

We live to work and are successful in proportion to the significance of the work. The greatest challenge for me is simply having work adequate to sustain my practice and support myself, of such a quality that I can find professional success as well. Architecture at present seems to be more of an addiction than a profession. I do love it, I must have it, but it is increasingly in short supply to the extent that I am losing money rather than making money. The difficulty is not the work but rather getting enough of it.

In the United States the law allows persons without qualification by education, experience, or examination, to set up shop as providers of Building Design services. Almost 80 percent of the building permits are issued to those persons not licensed by any State. Architect must compete for work, in the bulk of the market place, against those least qualified while being held under law to a higher standard of practice. So far as I know, such destruction of the professions capacity to compete in the market place is clearly not in the best interest of the nation seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of our cities. The law as interpreted in most States is not in the nations best interest and reveals some hypocrisy. If the nation is serious about reducing the carbon impact on global climate it seems imperative to empower those with the greatest design intelligence rather than those with the least. What they are doing is the polar opposite.

Just getting a project and compensation adequate to sustain the practice is difficult enough without competing for price with literally any idiot or their grandmother and a 100 dollars worth of software. That really is the big challenge.

[djswan]

oh brother , I'll stick to helping those with the least design intelligence, apparently the vast majority according to others. That's a challenge...and then I would like to strip architects of thier professional status, until order is established. I hold accountants in higher professional status than I do architects, they stick to principles.

[cousinbirgco]

ouch!

[solidred]

djswan... I think you'll find the 'least' intelligent is quite as rare as the 'most' intelligent. The vast majority lies in between.
Touche

[djswan]

I'm running for least intelligent designs ever, seeing how I want to be the opposite of most architects. I'll throw in some money to help buy me a trophy inscribed with "No Brainer Design 1st place." It's crowded at the top, this would be the least challenging and perhaps most profitable.