Bruce Mau
I don’t care about your problems, because they are not real problems. They are luxury problems. You have the luxury of cynicism. The people in Malawi suffering and dying from infections that could be prevented have never heard the word ‘corporatist.’ They have real problems, and they know one thing: They need solutions now. At scale.
That’s Bruce Mau speaking, in a recent article for Architect magazine. Taken out of context it might seem a little harsh, but Mau has a point. I came across the article courtesy of Jody Brown, who is now quite well known on a national level for his blog, Coffee with an Architect. This wasn’t my first introduction to Mau’s philosophy on design, in fact I was introduced to his Incomplete Manifesto during my Sophomore year swing studio into Graphic Design.
There his been a lot of self-pity around the architectural community in the last few years, and some would argue that it’s justified. Folks in nearly every corner of the building industry, regardless of the particular sector, have experienced a huge downturn in both dollars and built projects. Just speaking for myself, I can count at least half a dozen projects that our very small firm lost to the credit crunch and ensuing destruction of the Great Recession.
But Mau is right. We, as architects in America, have some of the most fantastic and far reaching opportunities to change the world of any human beings ever living on the planet. With role models like Samuel Mockbee and Bryan Bell, it seems impossible to practice in our day and age without taking into consideration the endless opportunities to help humanity in the practice of Architecture.
For more information on Mockbee’s work check out the Rural Studio Film, as well as the books Rural Studio and Proceed and Be Bold. I also recommend checking out the SEED Network (Social Economic and Environmental Design) and Structures for Inclusion for more information on Bryan Bell’s work.