We do not CREATE the work. I believe we, in fact, are DISCOVERERS”
– Glenn Murcutt
As one goes beyond the real world, the built environment, it will be realized that not everything can be learned in school. School teaches us the principles in order to prepare us in applying and translating those principles into results and experiences when we are already in the field of practice. But how can one achieve an experience without involvement? As a student, it is important to gain knowledge and experience. It may be scary yet exciting to face new things but it also uplifts the spirit when knowledge and skills are shared and when one becomes productive and helpful even in the humblest way possible. That brings joy, boosts self-confidence and leads to involvement.
As I entered ConcipioTektura, my second day was already challenging. I was sent for site exposure. It was not a typical AutoCAD task or a 3D model- task for an apprentice like me in my first few days but an exposure, that is meeting the client for a new project. It was really overwhelming and brought butterfly to my stomach.
The very first important thing which Architect Eric told me before starting a meeting, was to remember that we, architects/ architecture students had been studying hard in order to achieve our field, so, time and effort to ourselves have great value. Our time is precious, it is not free like free designs or other stuffs, because we work hard to achieve our goals, to become architects. And although, others will say that they can also design structures and even the ordinary people can design buildings, can plan and share ideas and opinions about the buildings, WE, architects know beyond that… It is not just about the design, but considering every aspect of the building and the things that will be affected by it or its consequence. Fee is not about gaining money or payment but the worth of what we are doing, our passion, and the well-being of the people who will use the building. It can be compared to a doctor giving consultation to his patient, sharing and giving consultation to a sick person, or an attorney giving advice and guidance to his client for justice. It affects, leaves a mark and a legacy that the world can appreciate or criticize through generations.
My initial idea of the site visit was more of measuring and observing. I was prepared to measure the furniture in the site which they will use once relocated. However, I was surprised that it was also a meeting, a one-on-one conversation with the client, an architect-client interaction. It was a rare opportunity because it was not a usual experience encountered by most apprentices. I observed what the meeting looks like and how the conversation done between the client and the architect.
As the meeting started, I observed that it was not like a usual CEO meeting which I often see in movies or read in books, where one will present to a head, show his ideas and defend his point.It was a casual meeting where after making a connection to the client, they talked comfortably, gave the client chances to say anything and everything about what he wants or and his limitations on the project. With that, we learned the scope of the project, the design, which is based on the client’s needs and requirements. We had a glimpse of the personality of the client and even discovered the range of his knowledge about our job.It was not just learning the type of building and placing the areas and structures inside it. We must remember that in every built structure was a story and we need to know and understand the whole story in order to develop a successful and more desired design that will satisfy and benefit the client and the users. It is not just about researching the desired spaces and then applying what the internet says because the main source of what the structure is all about and how it will be created is the client. It is not just about designing, but learning something not just from our professors, but learning from other people, learning from the client how the people and the structure will flow, the type of building and the needed type of facilities, how people will use it and, why the need to build the structure and, etc.
As one listens and observes the flow of conversation, one must take down notes and jot the important details of the meeting. One should take the opportunity to do what is needed while in the client’s site like measuring and estimating. Then as the project goes on, those specific details will serve as guide in formulating better designs that can adapt to this modern lifestyle.
Meeting the client is important because one can already build impressions about the client, his personality or if he or she is seriously looking for the design or not.
“Never talk to a client about architecture. Talk to him about his children. That is simply good politics. He will not understand what you have to say about architecture most of the time. An architect of ability should be able to tell a client what he wants. Most of the time a client never knows what he wants”
– Ludwig Mies can der Rohe
So here are the important things one needs to remember:
- Always bring and ready your notebook/paper and pen
- Listen carefully and pay attention to the conversation
- Always take down notes, especially the important details
- Take photos of the site, because it will be needed as guide, especially if there’s installations and necessary changes and specifications
- Always bring measuring equipments to measure the necessary areas and furniture needed
- And lastly, do not forget to observe and learn
After all those things, one can already be the architect, the designer, interpreting the client’s wants and needs in its simplest form for the client to understand how one came up and formulated the design. The architect should be able to discuss the design to his client, and even share better ideas if needed. The goal is not just to produce, deliver and satisfy the client but to benefit everyone who will be affected by the structure and its design. That is why, it is important to be knowledgeable enough on the field and its scope. It is also important to be honest and develop a good communication with the client and with everyone involved.
“I think that probably the most important thing about our education was that it taught us
to question those things we thought we knew.”
– Thabo Mbeki