A dear friend of mine wanted to become an author. He sought out a university that had a highly regarded writing program, applied and was accepted.
The first semester in this program he had the privilege of participating in a workshop with a well-known and respected author. One foggy morning he ran into this author on a bridge and was able to engage in a private conversation.
He asked the elderly gentleman what he thought of the program. With a dismissive grumble and hint of distain he replied, “It’s too much about reading and writing.” This response confused my friend and his bewildered look prompted further explanation. “Look,” he said, “anyone can learn how to write. The tragedy is once you have learned to write, you realize you have nothing to say.”
The internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry calls this the “then what?”
After you have done all the things that are required — following building codes, demonstrating sensitivity to the surroundings, delivering a project on time and within budget, meeting the needs of your client and the community — what does the architect bring to the table? Architecture is not the same as a building — it is the art of building. We have an enormous number of buildings in this world. Architecture, however, requires a “then what?”