As architects, we are planning the future of our country every day. All the decisions which are taken in an architect’s office turns out to stand as a concrete evidence to this fact as these decisions gives rise to a new architectural feature. The architect is shaping the future of every country by not only creating spaces but also by creating lifestyles.
But practically, the actions of architects are getting more and more influenced by "developers". More and more sick buildings are being created everyday. Malls which are just duplicates of each other are being transplanted from one place to another.
The concept of green building has nearly turned out to become a business for the big players (developers and "fat chickens"). The main motive of architects has become to achieve "green rating points" so that their building can sell well. It is common to see that most of the so called "green buildings" are glass buildings which need air conditioning to function.
In terms of innovation, architects are getting very lazy. Most of the architect’s office is a "copy-paste" center rather than a center for new and fresh design ideas. Architects are getting too busy copying the styles from the architectural magazines inspite of taking inspirations from them.
Architecture is being treated more like a "business" than a dream profession. Architect’s are running into the business mind-set and are mass producing buildings. An architectural project, in an architecture office can be compared to "coca cola" in "coca cola factory". There are just too much similarities in all of them. And they are getting produced in a very fast rate. Also, the use of modern architectural softwares like revit has made it worse.
By saying this, I do not intend to complain about whats going on in "our industry". I am just a bit disappointed, because I feel that it will surely make it hard for the young architects to see the real architecture (which is not copying and pasting).
Also, I don’t say that all architect’s offices are like these. There are some people who have chosen the hard path which leads not only in the discovery of architecture but also of human being. I think that the true power to tackle with the sad situation of architecture in our country is in the unity. The unity of "good", to wipe out the "bad"…
Anyways, what are your views on this?