The beginning of the new year is always a time for resolutions. The time when we make deals with ourselves to do better. Usually after a period of reflection and self examination, sometimes with the suggestions of friends and loved ones, we decide on those things we need to do to improve. These resolutions are supposed to be long term changes in habits that are intended to correct past faults and to prevent such things from happening again in the future.
Unfortunately, most of us fail in some or all of our new year resolutions. Habits are hard to change and the inertia of the past makes it difficult to realize our best intentions. Most people who make resolutions, fail to keep them. It's like those people who make a resolution to get in shape every year. They join a health club, and for the first couple of weeks they go and work out. There are crowds at all the fitness machines and treadmills. But by the summer comes around, the crowds are gone. As a whole, we are just not that into change, we can do it for a while, but the old habits return. The fact is, the weight of tradition and past ways of doing things catch up with us.
It would nice to come up with a similar list of resolutions of what we should change in the buildings around us. In many ways a list of resolutions for architecture would go through the same process that we use to come up with our own list. Some time should be taken to reflect on what has been done, and how it got to be that way. We have to ask ourselves questions about what is so important to us about the houses we live in and the buildings we work and shop and play in. What can be changed in the way we build our buildings in the long term that will make them better, and in what ways. Are these changes even realistic? We would also have to resign ourselves that, like a lot of resolutions, some of them won't be achieved.
In any case, I submit the following the list of resolutions that I think architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and building trades and professionals of all kinds, and the public should strive to accept and to put into practice for the next year and beyond.
Be respectful. Let's face it, nobody likes an eyesore. We have all seen the latest trend of tearing down old houses and building monstrosities which overwhelm the existing neighborhood. These "McMansions" came about as a result of the housing boom, but the phenomenon is not limited to houses. It also occurs when a chain store decides to build a building which represents their corporate identity, however the new building clashes with the existing storefronts in town. Let's try to be respectful to the existing scale and feeling of the areas in which we build.
Be different. The last thing anyone wants to see is the same building, strip mall, or house repeated with no diversity for miles. It may be comforting to know that your favorite drugstore or fast food restaurant is easily identifiable when you need it, but the same colors and shapes repeated again and again leads to a blandness. It is this sameness which is a common criticism of suburbs. Not just in the repeated proliferation of strip malls, but also in the types of housing. Let's mix it up. Not every house needs a gabled roof, and not every commercial building needs to look like it was built at the turn of the last century.
Be accessible. I don't just mean accessible for those with disabilities. That is required by law. But to follow the true spirit of the legislation in creating buildings that are universal in their approach to usability. I realize that square footage is a valuable commodity, but that shouldn't require that buildings get designed to the minimums. Architects have a duty not only to the client paying for the building, but also to the public who ultimately has to inhabit it. Let's remember that successful buildings and public spaces are the ones that public decides are successful by actually using them.
Be sustainable. We do live in a world of limited, and shrinking, resources. The buildings we live and work in are the largest single source of greenhouse gases, responsible for nearly half of all emissions. We have a responsibility to ourselves and later generations to change the way we build and operate buildings to reduce our impact on the world. The goal is to build buildings which have zero negative footprint on the environment. This is not a dream. The technologies exist, or have existed, what is missing is the real imperative or incentives to pursue their acceptance. We are still constructing our buildings using methods and technologies that are woefully inefficient. We can do better. Let's take the step towards insuring our future today.
Certainly this is a short list of resolutions. I'm sure there are more that could be added to the list, but it's always better to start small. The resolutions are also stated simply. There is broad latitude within each resolution to do a little or a lot. Even doing small things will go a long way towards improving our built environment.
My hope is that a few people out there will take these goals as part of their new year resolutions. Some of these offer significant challenges to our current way of doing things. Hopefully, unlike most of our own resolution to lose weight, these will be resolutions that we keep. Not only will we be better, but our communities will be the real beneficiaries.
