What does it mean to be an architect today? What are the conditions for practicing this profession? In the series "The Architect's Profession" we address these two questions to Polish architects, and illustrate their statements with unrealized office projects. In today's installment of the series - Marek Łańcucki from the Gdansk studio MAARTE.
Marek Łańcucki
1 What does it mean to be an architect today?
I am an architect. What does that mean? In my professional realization, I am responsible for shaping space; the result of my work is a concrete building constructed - an object materially filling the existing space with content - and the surroundings of that building - the space of interaction of the new object with the existing context.
I am responsible for the consequences of my actions, from the operation of the studio, to the fulfillment of my client's goals, to the impact of the completed building on the community and the environment. When designing aesthetically, I influence the public's perception of beauty and space; when designing functionally and economically, I am responsible for order and proper use of available space.
Above all, it is important to show respect for the existing space and local culture, and humility to natural conditions. The architect's designs should combine the consistency of the idea and the quality of the workshop, and at the same time provide the possibility of realizing a beautiful, functional and economical building.
I have been an architect for almost twenty-three years and I like this profession very much.
2 What are the conditions for practicing as an architect?
There seems to be a bit of a contrast between the idea of the work of an architect that you get in architectural studies and the reality of professional work, especially running an architectural studio [laughs]. I value the freshness of the ideas of talented students and graduates, which is especially noticeable when juxtaposed with the everyday reality of meeting client guidelines, conducting multi-discipline coordination or dealing with official matters. Nevertheless, I always feel great satisfaction when all these activities lead to the realization of the building and its surroundings. This is the meaning of our work: to build.
The evaluation of the conditions of an architect's work can vary, depending on the extent to which we evaluate them. The social prestige of the profession is rated by architects as not high. What to do about it? Extremely important is the sense of value and responsibility in the architect, who (assuming, of course, that he or she has the right workshop and experience) is able to influence and direct the client's actions so that he or she can best achieve his or her goals. In this way, acting for the common good, the architect can build the image and prestige of the architectural profession.
Looking at the legal aspect, the conditions of work under the construction law sometimes vary - for example, in several neighboring cities within the same agglomeration there are sometimes different interpretations of the construction law. The architect must skillfully navigate through this thicket. Being an incorrigible optimist [laughs], I assess the current working conditions well.
Marek ŁAŃCUCKI
MAARTE
