This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Residential Knowledge Community and Committee on the Environment .
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Today's posts have been amazing. I especially liked Lee Calisti's comments: "I don't buy the "heal thyself" mentality. I can't do it alone. AIA it's time to pony up."
So many other great discussion posts today. Looks like the Thanksgiving feast has helped bring deeper reflection on not only trying to define the problems we face, but on how we can best improve our industry and the profession. It is a multi-faceted problem; from my (limited) vantage point here is what I see are some of the top issues being raised:
- On the Educational front: Are too many architecture students being herded through...?
- On the Economic front: (Residential) Architects are a luxury many cannot afford...
- Public Relations standpoint: The AIA is being called on to further increase public education and awareness- and make information more accessible to the public- on the value of an architect.
- Sustainability: Some of us are allergic to the overly-used word "green" and are somewhat complacent about getting on the LEED AP certification band-wagon- despite the fact that we DO agree the environment is fragile and we need to reduce our carbon footprints. Is their a better way to adjudicate the LEED certification process?
- Basic Needs versus Wants- The Maslow Chart: For example, people in Haiti are suffering with inadequate housing and proper civil engineering infrastructure while competent U.S. architects are "shelved" on the sidelines due to lack of bank funding for projects. All this while corporate CEOs earn, on average, 7 million dollars per year. I'm not a socialist nor do I advocate a move toward that direction. However, if the Warren Buffets of this world are asking the U.S. federal government to increase their taxes, why not do it and then specify this money for the rebuilding of Haiti- by U.S. architects only. Maybe this is naive and mis-informed. I'm simply thinking out loud and brainstorming. If anyone has better ideas, please come forth and speak up. As Einstein said: "We cannot solve today's problems with yesterday's thinking."
- The need for increased collaboration among related professions to address the world's problems: Architects can seize this moment by collaborating with scientists, engineers, and governmental leaders (well, maybe leave the latter group out at first...so we can get something done!). A recent book titled: "The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems" (by Henry Petroski)- and the inspiration for this thread title- maintains that more engineers are needed; by the same token, I advocate that MORE ARCHITECTS are needed as well. We need to find a way to plug into this global conversation and LEAD THE WAY!
All of you who attended Al Gore's Keynote speech at the San Antonio AIA National Convention in 2007 might recall how he encouraged architects to take the lead in responding to these (specifically the global and sustainability-related) challenges.
Will architects take the lead? When? How?
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Tara Imani AIA
Principal
Tara Imani Designs, LLC
Houston TX
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