Has Architecture Become "Soulless?"
Synchronize creativity and practicality, and you’ll find architecture amenable to a real people. Evolution reminiscent of the reason for p2p lending. Whether referring to a structure purchased, or how innovative it was financed, consumers have little remaining tolerance for form without function. This is why the world of crowdfinance rose in popularity so quickly. Dependable function in a form people could appreciate. Awards in architecture should start to reflect the same achievement of prioritizing connection to people.
As more real estate design industry consumers focus on sustainability, usability, affordability and connection to nature, the value placed solely on the signature of an architect or "starchitect" is losing ground. Have architects become so focused on artistic statement that they are oblivious to the very world they should be serving? Delving beyond the artistic surface, to the realistic application of art-in-function provides the platform for designing-with-depth.
Related Article: Tiny Homes Make a Big Difference
Make it Right
I’ll never forget the article I read about contemporary architecture and the MAKE IT RIGHT campaign to rebuild New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. 13 top architectural designers/firms were enlisted to make bold statements in their design of prototypes. Prefabbed structures were designed, some with little to no regard for the future inhabitants, nor the climate in which they live. Truly odd. When did the importance of architectural style begin to outweigh the consumer's need for function and sustainability?
When feedback was sought from the flood survivors who stood to inhabit the housing, one response stands out in my mind. “What’s with the flat roofs — you know it rains a lot here, right?”
Is this Starchitecture? Watch this video or read How to Rebuild Architecture.
The Disconnect
Style & beauty, are glaringly obvious components required to create amiable & inspiring environments. But, how beauty is defined, continues to evolve. Style must evolve with it. The demand for Romanesque accoutrements is fading, while the use of the light and nature prevails. The placement of structure to land can serve to showcase a structure alone, or the human needs fulfilled. The evolution of architecture should encompass the beauty defined by a structure's ability to showcase the inhabitants and frame nature. Architects who are intent on defining beauty for others by their famous signature alone, may find themselves in a precarious position.
"These structures lack an authentic connection to nature and the very cultures in which they exist. This, in turn, leaves us feeling disconnected, isolated and longing for true connections to each other and our communities." explains Travis Price in a recent Huffington Post interview.
There's Hope
click to enlargeStephen Bingler and Martin Pederson asked: “The question is, at what point does architecture’s potential to improve human life become lost because of the inability to connect with actual humans?” This sounds eerily similar to the inadequacies of traditional lending. We, in real estate crowdfunding bridge the divide between consumers and lending. Architecture is powerful, and can provide a similar bridge. The balance of form and function as defined by the needs of our community & peers. What an opportunity! Architects and other consumer driven artists who meld their own style with client needs, without sacrificing artistic integrity, will bear creations that stand the test of evolving tastes.
Tell us where you stand. Would you hire a famous starchitect, and proudly inhabit one of his/her signature homes, no matter how it turned out?
