tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942458087666977269.post316906931566401159..comments2024-02-05T06:32:20.199+00:00Comments on entschwindet und vergeht: 'British' High TechMurphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11658628800390775081noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942458087666977269.post-6669978816136053672010-01-14T23:56:40.857+00:002010-01-14T23:56:40.857+00:00As an American architect living in London, I parti...As an American architect living in London, I particularly appreciated this post- especially now that I have had the opportunity to work under the hideous conditions you describe in the second to last paragraph. Design and build contracts and PFI are the scariest outgrowth of the desire for efficiency that exists- the client never gets the building they really wanted in the first place and the architect basically is a drawing-assembler for the contractor. These programs take the American idea of efficiency and turn it into policy instead of architecture (in a particularly bureaucratic British way, I have to add). I've watched the value engineering begin (with gusto) before our project has even finished being designed and the contract basically forbids the us from talking directly to the client. Bizarre, coming from the US where an AIA contract defines the architect as the client's representative. I am shocked at the sort of things the RIBA has allowed to happen- you are completely right that the architect has been reduced to "exterior designer," as long as you only use yellow brick and two window types on the entire project (if you're lucky you might get throw in a few cheery-coloured doors).Markasaurushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15066340136990177687noreply@blogger.com