It's up to individual architects to support or not support "Occupy Wall Street" or any other "protest". It's not the AIA's responsiblity to take a position on this issue. These protesters may be a mixed bag of left leaning socialists wanting the 1% to "pay their fair share" or right leaning libertarians wanting to "End the Fed" and everything in between. My hunch is most of them are looking to Government to exercise its power and confiscate the 1%'s money for "economic justice". Even if that were to happen, it's not going to improve the residential architecture market. Residential Architecture (Design + Build) is a bubble that has burst and is not going to be re-inflated any time soon. Austerity is the new Chic and this is reflected in the marketplace. Looking for a bogeyman and scapegoating "the rich" isn't going to change this. Houses as investments are a bygone thing and the glut of houses for sale and in foreclosure will have to be absorbed before we see any future growth. I've been designing houses for 25 years and am slowly coming to the conclusion that the road ahead is going to be rough with limited clients and limited fees....this is the new reality. -------------------------------------------
Scott Meland AIA
Meland Architects
Grand Forks ND
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