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How successful is contemporary architectural practice at engaging the general
public? Do architects have a responsibility to do so? What roles can young
professionals play in communicating the value of architecture and design? How
might the public understanding of architects and architecture change as a result?
The ArchVoices Essay Competition encourages, promotes, and rewards critical
thinking and writing--two traditionally under-emphasized areas of architectural
education and training. Interns, non-registered architects, current graduate
students in architecture, undergraduate students in their final year of
architecture school, and other architecture school graduates are eligible to
participate.
For more information on the ArchVoices Essay competition, visit the
competition web site at
http://www.archvoices.org/competition/
First and Second Prize
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"Engaging the Everyday"
An essay by Hannah Teicher - Vancouver, BC
"If carefully crafted design were to infiltrate large and small pieces of the
built fabric, popping up in the ageing subdivision, the gas station, and the freeway
off-ramp, the architectural profession might find itself operating on a scale
unprecedented in North America. Architects have no absolute responsibility to engage
the general public, but in so doing they might first and foremost fulfill a
responsibility to themselves, addressing an innate desire to expand their opportunity
to practice. Architects espousing vastly divergent ideologies might be able to
commonly support an architectural version of the Hippocratic Oath, which charges
thoughtful design with supplanting rudimentary building to the greatest extent
possible."
"Foundations of Understanding"
An essay by Melissa Woehr - Boston, MA
"An image that greatly disturbed me recently appeared in my email inbox. Forcing
itself against the borders of the snapshot was a 'stunning Tudor-inspired colonial
with contemporary flair,' which my cousin hoped to purchase. The house was a suburban
McMansion in all its hyper-scaled and ornamented glory. What I saw in the realtor's
photo was a green lawn that would leach poison down the asphalt cul-de-sac, a
stranded mother with only her SUV and miles of highway to connect her to the outside
world, and a cut-and-paste mishap of a facade. I lamented the loss of another family
member to the dark side. I shared the picture, its flamboyant caption, and giggles of
agony with my coworkers. I avoided writing to my dear cousin."
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Honorable Mentions
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"A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party"
An essay by Sevra Davis - London, UK
Creativity will not survive, let alone flourish, in a vacuum. Creativity thrives
on experimentation and multiplicity. Architects, who rely on creativity and
innovation for their spirit, must commit themselves to a design process that values
public engagement. The next generation of architects will not subscribe to the cult
of the individual, but to the vigor of collaboration; and the next generation of the
public will add value and insight to new forms and ideas in architecture. Expanded
knowledge and public engagement will not be the end of architecture, but its future.
"Listening to Learn, Learning to Lead"
An essay by Crystal Bowman - Leachville, AR
We must learn to talk to our clients in a language that communicates our passion
and enthusiasm for affecting lasting change in our own communities. We must also learn
to listen carefully to what our clients are really saying without injecting our own
preconceptions. Only when our clients know we understand and respect what they are
telling us, can we open up a dialogue that will give us an opportunity to demonstrate
our ability to meet their needs and expectations.
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Essay Group 1
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"Don’t Just Settle for Utopia: Making the Case for the Common Good"
An essay by Adam Hermanson - Henderson, CO
"In Civic Defense – Enriching Architecture"
An essay by Aimee Goodwin - Woonsocket, RI
"Value and Relevance"
An essay by Alex Gilliam - Charlottesville, VA
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Essay Group 2
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"Everything in order tends to disorder, the role of architecture in the process of cause and effect"
An essay by Ana Maria Lopez - Los Angeles, CA
"Reality Architecture"
An essay by David Barry - San Jose, CA
"What is Architecture?"
An essay by Dwight Yee - Pittsburgh, PA
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Essay Group 3
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"Using a Michael Graves Toilet Brush (A Design Aware General Public)"
An essay by Gavin Myers - Ashburn, VA
"What does an architect want to be?"
An essay by Jennifer Hendrich - Richmond, VA
"Bridging the Disconnect: Realigning the practice of architecture with worldly concerns"
An essay by Sanjit Roy - Baltimore, MD
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Essay Group 4
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"Architecture and Citizenship"
An essay by Scott Cryer - Charlotte, NC
"Challenging Assumptions"
An essay by Steven Feast - Perth, Australia
"Band-Aids and Bomb Shelters: questioning the everydayness of architecture"
An essay by Zachary Benedict - Muncie, IN
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Committee Discussion
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Discussion and analysis of the 2005 ArchVoices Essay Competition by
members of the competition planning committee.
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