Grex Dwellings Conference

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Grex Dwellings Item 42: Work of an Architect ?
Entered by greycell on Mon Jan 27 11:30:22 UTC 2003:

don't know exactly about the other contries, well not to go as far let me tell
you all about my own country. in india most of the people employ architects to
draft the plan of their house just for the sake of getting permissions and no
objection certificates from town planning authorities. and when u evaluate the
general human thinking about work of an architect then they will say.....just
the one who can draw straight or curvilinear lines in some arrrangement can be
called as architect being an architecture student this kind of feeling hurts me
a lot, cause we have to study five years not just to attach that word
"architect" to our names but to evaluate the human needs and desing space for
them accordingly. so let me see how u all percieve about architects work. and
get the clear overall picture

regards
mukesh

9 responses total.

#1 of 9 by scott on Mon Jan 27 14:02:16 2003:

Hi, Mukesh, welcome to Grex.

Architects are used in most parts of the world because the legal ("building
code") requirements are complicated.  Getting the right number of electrical
outlets, where the pipes go, etc.

Right now in the US it seems that the main work of architects for the home
is to build a house which looks big but is as cheap as possible.  So the style
is (my opinion) pretty bad, and those houses will need a lot of repairs in
the future.  But it is what sells these days.

#2 of 9 by keesan on Mon Jan 27 16:09:33 2003:

We designed, drew up, and are building our own house.  First I talked to one
architect who did not listen to us and wanted to know how we entertained and
where to put the fireplace and the decorative staircase.  Then another one
offered to draw up our plans.  I told him we wanted a cube and he added a
second small cube to it so that bathroom would be bigger.  (also the plumbing
would probably freeze).  Then we got out a lot of books from the library and
drew our own plans.   Our plans were approved.  The inspectors are helpful.
I think here people do not usually pay architects for their plans, they buy
plans that they select from a catalog, all of which are in the style which
is currenly fashionable (like Scott says, they are all large).  The current
fashion is to have a lot of dormers sticking out of the house on the side that
faces the road, and the most expensive-looking windows on that side, and the
most expensive looking siding (brick - the back is plastic), and to have at
least one room that is twice the usable height.  I think this goes along with
the fashion for cars which are much taller and larger than useful.  Americans
have the money to be wasteful like this.

What does a typical Indian village or small-town house look like?

#3 of 9 by slynne on Mon Jan 27 17:17:52 2003:

I used to think I would like to be an architect. Then I took a drafting 
class and decided I didnt like it.

#4 of 9 by keesan on Tue Jan 28 02:26:07 2003:

Jim wanted to be an architect.  He liked the drafting aspect but did not want
to be a salesman, or work with people who wanted to be fashionable and to
impress their neighbors.  Jim is still drafting.

#5 of 9 by slynne on Tue Jan 28 19:42:51 2003:

I would love to sell my work and would have no problem working with 
people who wanted to be fashionable and who wanted to impress their 
neighbors. I didnt like the drafting. I am the anti-Jim. haha.

#6 of 9 by greycell on Sat Feb 1 05:57:23 2003:

I will no more call such fellows architect who just give already drafted plans
to their clients. I would rather call them fool. Architect should never do that
way. He should first investigate about the requirements of the dwellers and
then only should design home for them. If he fails in doing that and just
copies any already drafted plan then he is no more an "Architect". He is just
another fellow in the lobby of this construction industry.

So all u please don't consider them architect who follow this ridiculous path.

regards
mukesh
:)

#7 of 9 by n8nxf on Thu Feb 13 14:00:53 2003:

Right on!

#8 of 9 by ball on Wed Sep 20 03:44:53 2006:

I've heard it said that even people using 'off the peg' plans can
benefit from the insight of a decent architect.  Does anyone have any
thoughts on this?

                                                  I still want a dome.

#9 of 9 by mary on Wed Sep 20 11:01:55 2006:

Not sure if this fits here but I find it very nice that the
Katrina Cottages are going to be available for kit contruction,
delivered to your lot, for those who might otherwise be 
priced out of the housing market.  What a wonderful idea.

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