Two nights ago, we had a guest over for dinner. Loukas Kalisperis is a very accomplished architect and professor, and is affiliated with the Cyprus Institute as it develops. Note: The CyI is only two years, and already they have millions of Euros of grant funding coming in for projects they’re conducting. They are expanding at a rate so fast that by the time I return next year, I will probably not even recognize this campus (which is on the site of a Technical University).
There were a few conversations that I had with Prof. Kalisperis that I found particularly interesting. Most of it revolved around the values of architects and their clients. We were talking about Cyprus and Greek islands that have allowed development to ruin any history that existed in the place, making it a tourist site while throwing the archeological remains to the wayside. His response to me was that an architects job description is, “half a cheap psychologist and half an educator.” As crude as this sounds I think he is right on. Usually a client will come to an architect with a general list of things they want, and the architect is expected to place them in some sort of a container. But the thought process is not robotic… There is designing that happens by taking these needs and arranging them in a way that the architect thinks would be best for the client and adds or subtracts things that are (un)necessary. His phrase lends itself to the architect’s duty to listen, analyze the client’s thoughts, and then explain to them why they make the decisions they do but also advise them on issues that the architect believes would be better for them, the community, or the world (climate change). It’s not about persuading the client to do what the architect wants to build… Rather, it’s the architect’s duty to explain things that the client possibly didn’t consider to improve the design or the quality of life after the design becomes a building.
There’s a saying that goes, “Engineers know a lot about one thing, while Architects know a little about a lot of things.” The way I’ve looked at my architectural education is as a lesson in the humanities. It is required (though not always enforced) that architects are well versed in history, the sciences, politics, and society (local, national, and international issues). They have to be able to converse with both the specialists (engineers) and the common man (client) elaborating the same ideas on different levels.
I’m not trying to put architects on a pedestal, but I feel very fortunate to be doing what I’m doing. I find it specifically useful when I can come home for winter or summer break and have an in depth talk with my mom about marketing and efficiency standards for Kohler standards and then talk to my dad about environmental consciousness within our community and at Cardinal.
NOTE: This may be my last post for a few days. I'm starting to feel the pressure of the research build and as much as I love keeping you all informed, I unfortunately am only here for a short amount of time. Keep checking back however, as I may just make smaller posts with photos to keep you updated.
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