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| Wednesday, 25 February 2004 |
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Architecture in infrastructure The Archwatch (Daily News/SLIA Building and Housing Advisory Forum) at
its bi-weekly meeting last week, chaired by co-chairman Architect Veranjan
Kurukulasuriya decided, that in keeping with the major Architectural event
taking place in Colombo today - opening of the Architect 2004, annual
sessions and Members and Trade Exhibition at the BMICH on the theme
'Architect in Built-infrastructure Development' to devote this page to
draw attention of the public to the significance of the theme, and the
aptitudes and qualities required for a competent architect.
The message in full published in the SLIA annual sessions invitation pack reads: It is undeniable that Architecture by its very nature is an intrinsic accompaniment to all development activities. In as much as developments initiate and promote architectural activities, development itself is catalyst-driven and architecture is an essential component of such supportive facilities meaningfully referred to as infrastructure. Often however, the role of architecture as a major component of infrastructure is either forgotten, ignored or misunderstood. If transportation facilities such as roads and railways, communication facilities and the provision of other services such as electricity, water supply and sewerage are considered as infrastructure, it is not merely the road surfaces, railway lines, communication networks or laying of pipes that form such infrastructure. Transportation requires facility buildings such as airports, railway stations, bus and coach stations and their workshops, administrative buildings and a whole range of other buildings to make them work. At the same time, roads and streets are used also by pedestrians, vendors and other people, and therefore the design and development of streets and transport related facilities cannot be simply 'engineered'. Similarly, communication systems, generation and distribution of electricity, water supply and management of sewer systems etc. require well-planned buildings and spaces to ensure that they meet the needs of the envisaged futures and create environments that will incite and facilitate subsequent development. Thus the role of the Architect in Infrastructure Development is undeniably a central one although until recently, scanty attention has been paid to initiate and promote such architecture. Great architecture across the globe comprises such constructions as Archt. Santiago Calatravas bridges and Sir Norman Fosters Airport Buildings to name just a few. It is undeniable that the architects have a role to play in determining the forms and shapes of whatever is built and the SLIA is keen that the nation understands and recognises this inherent role and responsibility of the architects. Who is cut out to be an architect? The rare professional Those with an artistic and a biased mind are the ones who are best suited for the profession because those (according to Architect Vidura Sri Nammuni, presently the head of the Architectural Department of the Katubedde campus) are the right aptitudes to be an architect. Architect Nammuni writing in 1999 on the subject of 'The Chartered Architect and his Community' says: Young men and women who aspire to become architects are required, the world over, to be tested for aptitude, underlines the special attributes that are prerequisites for education in architecture at tertiary level.
One popular test to discern this early, is apparently one that is a popular party game with children - to guess accurately the contents of a tray with a variety of objects. The winner, according to the rules of the game, is the one who remembers the most number of items - a scientific one, according to the theory the writer is referring to! Apparently the more artistic person forgets more and, sees less, the more he observes. He apparently remembers only what has relevance to him or the task, and then the commonality between those the pattern. Why this is important is that it is the ability to discern a broader pattern in a situation, that is the beginning of architecture. Once discerned, the architect's job is to fit the building into the pattern - one of the glaring differences between building and architecture. The training of the architects is simply a matter of reinforcing and broad-basing this orientation. This way of thinking Architectural education is teaching the student with this aptitude, the many patterns that are available (physical, socio-cultural, functional and philosophical) and the many techniques that are there. The techniques involve discerning such patterns, how one may respond to them, and, of expressing the response in terms of 'brick and mortar'. Architectural skill thus becomes more than the sum of skill, knowledge and aptitude but also that of mastery of a series of techniques that can only be learnt theoretically, systematically and then, confirmed through practice. Creating something out of nothing One such technique is that of 'Design'. Although the term is widely and loosely used in contemporary times to describe any activity one wishes to glorify, in tradition, it means 'Creating' - making, out of virtually nothing. The Sanskrit term 'Nirmana' is self explanatory. Design, architectural design, enables the architect to define the kind of place one needs - whether city, town, street or house - in terms of the many 'patterns' referred to earlier, so that planning and engineering professionals may proceed to help achieve this vision. Planning and engineering activity is thus given a goal, a framework, a vision to evaluate the different options available, to ensure the creation of the right kind of place for human habitation. Well-planned and engineered but sadly flawed When unfortunately this does not happen, which is frequently, in communities which has failed to differentiate between these related professions, we obtain cities, towns, streets and buildings that are well-planned, well engineered but sadly, flawed. Such products are flawed due to absence of design, and therefore the absence of a soul, an identity, and are without the power to bind men, history and the place to its users. Mundane skills have a goal to achieve Design skill enables the architect to bridge the gaps in information, take intuitive leaps and predict what ought to happen, so that other more mundane skills have a goal to achieve. This is probably why design skill was equated to creativity, and creativity to divinity - temporary of course, but available to the artist, frequently and at will. This is also probably why Carl Jung and his followers describe creativity (and therefore design) as activity emanating from the Collective Unconscious - God within. One constituent of architectural education thus is a constant attempt at learning and individualising a design process. Such design processes are universal and, at the same time individualistic, and gives the student the mechanism of triggering his creative impulses, the transcendence to his divinity, and therefore, the innovations and the creation of what is fitting and relevant. This is the difference between planning and engineering processes and that of the process of architectural design - and therefore the difference between architecturally designed cities and buildings as against those that are engineered and/or planned. Free thinking To accomplish the above, the architect must be free to think, unencumbered and geared to discern and respond to a set of needs of a situation - client, place, function. The 'needs' will come in the form of a series of 'wants' as expressed in the Brief given by the client, so that the architect responds to the 'needs' as interpreted by him and not to instructions. Responds to needs, not instructions This is in keeping with the meaning of professionalism as understood in contemporary times - that a professional is not instructed, and does not act in response to instructions, but rather, in response to a set of needs he himself has discerned. This is why the Master Architect Louis Kohn has said, 'The first thing you do when you receive a commission, is to take it and change it and make it your own'. One cannot create otherwise. That is also why another Master Architect, Le Cobusier says, 'There is no art without emotion, no emotion without passion'. Architecture cannot eventuate in the absence of passion, the passion of a creator, and no one can develop passion unless he is responding to a problem of his own-making - one which is an interpretation of another's needs. Professional architect is no trader This is also why the architect is truly a professional and cannot make profits - he is enjoying himself and also claims 'ownership' to the product. The building or the city is his as well! This is where the professional architect differs from the trader and the technician whose products, once they are 'given' in consideration of money (or substitute), is gone for ever. No contract but a commission Not so with architecture (and indeed any artistic product) and thus why the understanding between the client and architect is a commission, rather than a contract; why the Chartered Architect, a member of the SLIA, charges a mandatory fee (which has no profit component) but is pre calculated to recompensate proper service; why the Chartered Architect's service and its standard of performance and integrity of delivery, are guaranteed through a strictly administered code of professional conduct, and efficient mechanism of monitoring and of implementation, and a commitment to updating of knowledge and skill base. It is all this that makes the Chartered Architect a rare professional. ################## Daily News - SLIA Architectural Advisory Forum The Daily News, together with the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, invite you to forward in writing, your specific questions for advice, with regard to Building Design and Construction, relating to housing and other buildings, accompanied by supporting plans, sketches, partial drawings etc. to; Archt. Rehan Tilakaratna - Chairman, Board of Architectural Publication, SLIA Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, 120/7 Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7 and a copy to Mr. Edward Arambewala - Co-ordinator, Arch Watch Daily News, Lake House, Colombo 1. The Advisory Forum Comprises Architects Rehan Tilakaratna FIA (SL) Chairman Prasanna Silva, FIA (SL) Ranjan Nadesapillai FIA (SL) Vasantha de Silva FIA (SL) Viranjan Kurukulasuriya AIA (SL) (co-chairman) and Prasanna Kulatilake AIA (SL). The Daily News/SLIA Architectural Housing and Building Advisory Forum wish to thank all those readers who wrote to us commending the re-commencement of this page. We also had a number of letters from the public asking for advice on a variety of housing problems. We will be answering them in future issues. ################## Re. your housing problem Mrs. A. M. Lakshmi Janaki of Mihindupura, Battaramulla: Re. your housing problem for which you have sought our advice by letter of January 2, 2004. Architect S. Vivekanathan, for whom your problem was referred to wants the following details to sort out your problem. Please send us those details at your earliest. 1. Present house plan indicating internal measurement of rooms kitchen, bathroom, toilet etc. 2. Present measurement of site, indicating north point; width of the entrance and position from either edge of the boundary. 3. Present position of the foundation which is seen outside the ground. 4. External measurement of the house (outer edge dimensions of length and breadths). 5. Present eave height from ground level. 6. Details of veranda in the house if any. 7. Details of trusses (king post / queen post) and their position above walls. 8. Problematic present central wall and whether any truss is kept above it. 9. Present position of well, water tank if any, in relation to kitchen. |
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"Architecture is an essential component of infrastructure. However
the role of architecture as a major component of infrastructure is either
forgotten, ignored or misunderstood."
Contrary to popular belief it is neither high IQ (A-Level marks?) nor
the ability to draw, that makes an aspirant eligible to study
architecture. Studies overseas have in fact shown that it is not those who
get 'straight A's who later succeed' in architecture, but rather, those
who do very well in certain subjects and do badly in others. The
conclusion arrived at, by many educators, on the basis of such studies is
that the aptitude required is that of an artistic mind - one which is
quick to develop bias.
