The work of an architect is oriented to changing the environments and creating new objects and buildings which should reflect the needs of the community. From this point, the main benefits of the work as a professional in architecture are the inability to imagine, create, and develop buildings and constructions which are necessary for the definite environment and can meet the community’s interests (Solomon 2008).
Thus, the work is beneficial when an architect is open-minded and flexible about the professional approach (Macmahon 2001). However, there are such challenges as the necessity to follow strictly technical standards, to focus on innovation to respond to the global trends, the lack of the financial support to realize all the project’s details, and the opposition between standardization and creativity in the building process.
Contemporary Issues in the Filed of Architecture that Affect Working Conditions and Job Satisfaction
Modern architecture is developed according to the principles of sustainability and innovation which can, on the one hand, limit the architect’s opportunities, and, on the other hand, provide a lot of possibilities for development (Goad 2005). Today, it is important to overcome such issues as shifting the focus from urbanism along with the intense standardization (Eldemery 2009). The concentration on extremes complicates the architect’s working conditions. Job satisfaction can be affected with references to the necessity to find the balance in work with innovative technologies and provision of eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to meet the client’s and community’s needs (Atkins 2008).
The Interviewee
Ann Stone is an architect who is working in the field as a professional and researcher for 7 years. Ms. Stone cooperated with the Australian institutes and funds to develop architecture in the country and worked on projects to stimulate women’s participation in the profession.
The Reason for Choice
The architect was chosen based on the projects done and on the social activity. It is important to see an architect as a professional who feels responsible for the community’s development. Thus, the process of building and changing the environment affects the public’s life intensively. This statement is relevant to public and private projects. In her work, Ann Stone focuses on the clients’ interests, but she also tries to plan and construct the building which can become part of the natural environments without destroying them significantly according to the principles of sustainability.
The Process to Find the Interviewee
It was necessary to focus on the architectural reports provided in the media to find the architect and contact her through the personal website.
Questions
- Why did you become interested in architecture?
- My uncle is an architect. I remember my family often came to his place. There were many large sheets of paper called ‘drawings’ and ‘schemes’. I wanted to add some details to these unclear ‘schemes’. Later, I became interested in paper models of buildings discovered on the uncle’s tables which were going to become real buildings in the streets of our city. I became interested in the process of how those white paper models could become real buildings in the familiar streets.
- What difficulties did you experience while working on your first project?
- I worried about the client’s reaction to the final variant of the real house because during the project’s development there were a lot of corrections and changes made. I was losing confidence with every correction.
- What principles can you determine as the most significant for you about the professional activities?
- It is important to follow the client’s desires, style, ideas of sustainability and remember that a house should be stable as your position as an architect.
- Do you prefer to work with public projects or private clients?
- Private projects are more interesting for me because the process of building a house for a person is the creation of an individual world. It is significant to reflect all the aspects of the client’s personality and lifestyle in stone and glass.
- How can you define your role as an architect in the community?
- I work to find the balance between stone buildings and natural landscapes. All the designed buildings should not break the natural beauty of the territory.
- What projects or buildings influenced your vision as an architect? What patterns do you follow?
- I like the forms designed by John Hejduk. His Wall House II influenced my vision of architecture as art. Today, I try to create buildings similar to art pieces.
- Much attention is paid today to the conflict of standardization and innovation in the field of architecture. Do you agree that the conflict exists?
- The conflict exists, and it is more obvious during the age of technological progress. I use the opportunities provided by technologies to improve the field of architecture, to construct the buildings of the future.
- What is the most difficult stage in planning and building the object?
- It is a stage of depicting the idea from your head on a sheet of paper with focusing on technological aspects of the further construction. It is difficult to reject the ideas which seem to be wonderful, but rather complicated to realize in the real life.
- What is the source of your inspiration?
- I prefer to examine such interesting projects as CCTV Building in Beijing. However, the source of my everyday inspiration is natural objects such as rocks and ravines.
- What is more important in the work of an architect: technical expertise or creativity?
- I follow the combination of technical expertise and creativity. This is the essence of architecture.
References
Atkins, J 2008, Managing project risk: best practices for architects and related professionals, John Wiley & Sons, USA.
Eldemery, I 2009, ‘Globalization challenges in architecture’, Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, vol. 26 no. 4, 56-69.
Goad, P 2005, New directions in Australian architecture, Periplus, Australia.
Macmahon, B 2001, The architecture of East Australia, Edition Axel Menges, Australia.
Solomon, N 2008, Architecture: celebrating the past, designing the future, Visual Reference Publications, USA.