A 2nd take on social issues and archi.

Sern Hong: "Something for all to ponder upon. This was what came to my mind as I was travelling around in Europe for the past 2 weeks. 'What I find interesting is about the topic of how powerful an architect can get and how fearful is an architect in trying to be politically correct in his visions. Also, architects for eons have been talking about "social engagement" but in reality, how successful is it? The ones holding the power to change are the developers and politicians. While architects are boosting their ego in their so-called conferences to 'change the world', the rest of the world are moving on. Maybe the response of architects to these proposals are too small to be noticed and probably all just talk.' "

Joshua: "Let me give a different perspective to that. I think we need to define for ourselves what we mean when we say we want to change things around us. Due to our training and the things we are involved in outside of architecture, many of us tend to be more socially conscious. However, social issues are more complex than we think they are. Some of these social issues are better handled by specialists form other professions. Some of these issues require years of research and understanding into the matter before a credible solution can be found. I’m doing my design thesis on an Autistic school. I wanted to explore how the built environment can better encourage and stimulate those who don’t learn the normal way, to learn better. But I realize that is not even possible to do within an 8 month thesis. After finding out more and visiting other autistic schools, I began to appreciate a little more why some people will say that the physical building does not matter as much as the heartware. Not that I agree totally with that statement therefore. But I think we cannot be too naïve in what we are trying to do also. My conclusion is really that the way to go is through collaborations. Getting people from other disciplines involved in the making of spaces will give us different perspectives on the matter. Maybe even a clearer perspective. The question really is, Are we ready to share that space with others? Are we ready to say that we don’t have all the answers? Are we ready to put aside our ideals (which might not be accurate in the first place) to accept others’ views so that we can find a better solution together?”

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Extracted this from my friend's email. Perhaps a 2nd take on this issue.