Re: Re: The Building Boom Is Over!

Blaming Architects alone for the health of Irish architecture is like blaming Doctors for fat people.

There’s a reason that architects design and developers build the crap that we have – people want them. That is the depressing truth. If people didn’t want the crappy legoland housing estates, if people said “nope, I’m not going to buy that” then you can bet your ass that we’d have a much finer architectural stock. I have dozens of friends whose greatest aspiration is to live in a box with a bit of grass outside. I have friends who have built houses on sites without even considering what the surrounding landscape has to offer. I once suggested to my sister that before finalising the locations for the windows on her extension, that she give 15 minutes to just sitting outside and checking what could be viewed from each spot. Think she did it?

I can name architectural practices who I think have provided leadership – ODOS, Boyd Cody, Tom de Paor – who in my opinion have built really well considered infill houses. Has the entire profession provided leadership? No. But has every teacher? Every engineer? Every doctor? Of course they haven’t. Not everybody is an original thinker – that’s why they call it original thinking.

The boom may well be over but until we take some element of personal responsibility for our choices – instead of blaming everybody else – then we’re just going to end up making the same mistakes again the next time an upturn comes along. 🙁