Two books formed the basis of discussions on the idea of an architectural practice- Dana Cuff’s Architecture: the story of practice and Jeremy Till’s Architecture depends. These and other books help theorise architectural practice. The class discussions focussed on the gaps between architecture as imagined in design studios, and architecture as practised in offices.
Architectural education’s structuring of “projects” and the fraternity’s cultural notions keep the architect at the centre stage of design. However, in practice design takes shape through multiple people, contingencies, outside forces etc., creating a disparity - an architecture project is larger than the architect. How do architects negotiate with these complex paradoxes and nuances?
