The clash between the architecture field and the fast globalisation

Nowadays, globalisation, technologies and innovations are moving forward extremely fast. In contrast to this phenomenon, it is safe to say that the architecture field continues to be old fashion and a traditional institution. So how can architecture be as futuristic as the fast-moving world of today?

Architecture practices are functioning in the same way as 100 years ago and are still led by a majority of white men who have acquired experience throughout many, many years of practice as an architect/designer/draftsman. Their main focus is still to design the most significant building of their career which fits within their architectural “signature”.

Now, how can this old fashioned field design buildings which will host a globalisation movement?

Between the moment the architect sketches the first idea of the project until the opening of the building to its users, 5 to 10 years can pass by. This means that the vision we have is only visible to the world years after our first projection. Therefore, the role of the architect should be to envision the world 10 to 20 years ahead of its time. We need to work on pushing forward innovative design and its process in order to create a project which in 10 years time will be a real innovation.

As Bjarke Ingels explains in the podcast “Time Sensitive”, being a good architect should not be about having a “Signature Architecture” since that will reflect a style from the past, present and future without truly progressing or even adapting to new contexts (social, economical, cultural).

But having a “Signature Vision” is to challenge and solve social issues through architecture according to our own vision of the world.

Most architects like to stay within their comfort zone with there well-known network and environment. However, not only this is a threat in case of a crisis, but it also is an obstacle to architecture participating and contributing to the future the world-changing innovations. As Bjarke says, since the world is changing really fast, we as architects need to be the “challengers of the future”.

What are the skills to have in order to become a challenger of the future?

A design can be extremely successful to solve a social issue in a specific environment, but taken into a different context it can be a true failure. For instance, a housing typology made in NewYork, which aims to reactivate the street level and bring back community atmosphere in each neighbourhood has a great social impact on the population. However, if the same design strategy is applied in Rotterdam for instance, where culturally speaking the individuals rather gather with friends and family behind closed doors, the design becomes a failure. That is why it is important for the architect to have the knowledge and the understanding of the real social context and its future development as well as having the skills to adapt to innovation and culture which make today’s globalisation.