The text comes from A&B 7-8/22.
In our #YoungArchitects series, we ask young architects questions about the conditions for practicing the profession and the problems facing architecture graduates right out of college.
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Entitlements - why are young architects reluctant to obtain them?
It seems to me that the reasons depend on the context. It's possible that it's due to the difficult requirements that are placed on young designers, not necessarily a lack of desire. There are countries where entitlements are relatively easy to obtain, and the quality of architecture does not suffer (the Netherlands), and countries where the requirements for entitlements are very strict (the United States), and architecture does not necessarily benefit from this. I obtained my first license in 2013 in the Netherlands, three years after graduation, after two years of professional practice and without exams. Was I fully prepared for the profession then? Probably not! Would I have made every effort to ensure that the project I signed was reliable and in accordance with the construction law? Certainly! Awareness of responsibility for the project and the safety of its users, are paramount for me and further mobilize when signing the project with my own name.
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Conditions of practice for young people
I believe the outlook is broad, but the role and way of working of an architect is currently undergoing a major transformation. The model of the architect genius and the old-architect (the masculine type is not accidental here) is thankfully becoming a thing of the past. In the face of the climate crisis, we are not just asking: "How to build?" but also: "Should we build?". The type of spaces being designed is also changing - there is growing interest in residential development, public space and architecture of concern in the broadest sense. We are increasingly thinking about design practice locally rather than globally. Young architects are the initiators of projects and play different roles in them, not passively waiting for a dream client. For those who are creative and open to change, this is a huge opportunity!
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Easier start in the profession, that is?
Young designers should support each other in their development and share experiences, developing new models of design practice. My office runs a minicoworking space in New York, where we share space with five other young offices and individuals from the creative industry. The opportunity to exchange experiences, design and business advice, and share resources (model makers, printers, books and coffee) are very valuable to our office. As an academic, I also try to support my students by sharing my own experiences, recommendations or directly inviting them to practice in the office. I really like the initiatives I've observed recently among young Polish designers - the Design Cooperative initiated by the girls from Miastopracownia as part of the Wesitval of Architecture, POKA, or Prolog Open Architectural Corrections initiated by the PROLOG studio, or the active participation of young members in local SARP chapters. Of course, systemic changes and a shift in investor thinking are also needed. By this I mean increasing confidence in the skills of young designers and facilitating access to projects by creating a competition and bidding system that invests in a new generation of architects. Such changes, with success, were introduced a dozen years ago by France, Belgium and Norway. Their aftermath is not only thriving design offices, but also a change in architectural discourse and, most importantly, informed design.
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