The Generalist Architectural Practice of the 21st Century

The architectural practice of the 21st century will continue to face a variety of design problems within a world of constant motion and conflict. It will be required to continuously evolve in order to meet the needs of the communities it serves. In order to flourish, this practice must employ the tools of the generalist architect; a professional who is able to avoid the lull and coziness of becoming a specialist or one whose ability to solve a problem is limited by the constraints of one’s own job description. The generalist understands the complexity of a given problem and has the ability to call upon a number of resources in order to solve it. They will create an architectural practice new to these times, but not unlike that of practices long ago.

The generalist is the master builder, a term that architects are fond of calling themselves, warranted or not. The profession and the academy have allowed themselves to become segregated and fitted snugly into their own intellectual silos. The architect. The civil engineer. The landscape architect. The urban planner. These individuals have grown apart and as they have the design solutions provided to the public become increasingly disjointed and devoid of great vision and passion. This disconnect can be seen in the development of our communities assembled as a patchwork of unrelated individual projects.

To remedy this disconnect, issues that the architect faces must be seen alongside each other, not separately. The generalist architect understands that environmental issues are not exclusive from transportation issues which are not exclusive from building issues. The world is becoming increasingly connected through a network of technology. The architect must reflect this in their own practice. They must be able to understand and implement a variety of solutions that are informed by a number of different sources from a broad, diverse background. Open discussion and debate which encourage ideas to cross over professional boundaries must continuously occur within the practice, not outside it. This scheme is currently hindered by the specialized consultant whose goal to fulfill an individual agenda hinders the creation of a thorough comprehensive solution.

The generalist architect has the ability to call upon a number of resources. The resources are available via a broad and increasingly open education. This education should be built upon the understanding of history and tradition that is geared towards enabling a brighter future, rather than viewed as a way in which to hinder it. The thirst for innovation will always exist, but the need for understanding and enlightenment through precedence is an absolute must.

The architectural practice of the 21st century, above all, will be civic minded. The public will benefit from the cohesiveness of the built work and its interconnectivity amidst all facets of daily life. The practice will thrive with the creation of new, more comprehensive work. It will stand proudly amidst the communities they work in – celebrating their victories and supporting them during times of trial.