๐ From Vision to Action: Pushing Boundaries
How architects hold the tension of being the expert who provides answers and the novice who asks questions
For our final podcast episode, we convened a town hall in the architecture school library to ask current students about living their environmental and social justice values at work. We invited Ava, Melonee and Leah, our guests in episodes 2, 3, and 4 to join us. Our conversation blossomed into an exploration of the bridge between visionary, hopeful ideas and the practicality of problem solving. They shared their thoughts about preventing burnout while pushing boundaries.
There was so much great material that we split episode 6 into two parts. Part 1, available today, focuses on finding a firm that respects and matches your values, and on asking tough questions that challenge the status quo. Part 2 gets into the ways our current students and recent graduates are building hope, seeing themselves as part of a movement (or not), and the gift of a good conversation to seed powerful ideas.ย
The conversations we've had throughout our inaugural season have reminded me of the power of asking questions and especially of listening. Mentors, students and new graduates all have perspectives and insights to add to the mix. As the kooky, brilliant architect Bucky Fuller said, โOn spaceship earth, there are no passengers, only crew.โ A listener recently asked what drew us to architecture. To introduce our final podcast episode, Vicenza and I each weighed in.
I've always loved puzzles and patterns, drawing and mathโthe usual suspects. I was just out of grad school when I first learned how my beloved chosen profession and the building industry at large were damaging the environment, wasting energy and resources. I was also excited about the pioneering architects leading the way to repair the damage. They cut through our professionโs tension between the expert providing answers and the novice raising questions. They asked, why are we doing it this way? Do we have to keep doing it this way? Could we do it a different way?ย
Since Vincenzaโs dad was in construction, she grew up running around with her siblings on construction sites. (No, they didnโt wear hardhats, Mom.) Architecture seemed like a natural fit, though her attraction also stemmed from the realization that buildings are something of a necessary evil. Materials are mined, milled, fabricated, transported, assembled, and all these steps require extraction and energy at best, exploitation and damage at worst. Sheโs driven to learn how to design buildings and be part of the movement to make buildings better for people and better for the earth.
When I was in school, we didn't think about climate resilience or energy efficiency. Many of us had the privilege of considering social justice in superficial ways, if at all. We did study precedent, recognizing our cultural responsibility in the continuum of history, but architecture was taught mostly as an art form. While technical requirements were introduced in school, I didnโt tackle them in depth until I was working as an apprentice in a firm.ย
As Iโve come to practice architecture, and as Vincenza understands it already, the best thing about it is juggling the art and the tectonics and the science of it, all at the same time. As she can attest, when you add in climate resilience and social justice, itโs a lot for young people to grapple with from jump.
Yes, it's a profession with a lot of moving parts and much to learn. On reflection, I learned some of it more sequentially. Since my environmental awareness came later, I was able to layer it on top of a solid foundation of the art and technics of architecture. In a sense, I learned by solving for x, then y, then z. Young architects today have to solve for x and y and z, all at once.
And we mustnโt forget about beauty and the power of great design to uplift the human spirit. While a building might now be expected to restore a damaged site, generate its own energy, collect rainwater, maybe even provide habitat for other species, it must still be a welcoming place animated by daylight that frames eye-catching views. The 1st century BCE Roman engineer and architect, Vitruvius, said it well in his treatise: firmness, commodity, and delight. Some things never change.
Thanks for reading, listening, and sharing. And special thanks for your questions and comments. Weโre in the early planning stages of season 2 and we love hearing from you.ย
This project is supported by a Faculty-Student Research Award from the Graduate School, University of Maryland, as well as grants from the Universityโs Sustainability Fund and the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation.