It is interesting to note that the practice of architecture is not grounded on notions of equality like the professions of law and medicine. A doctor can’t refuse to care for an injured patient and if someone is accused of a crime and can’t afford legal council a lawyer is appointed to them. There is no such obligation for an architect who generally serves an affluent clientele.
As Eugene Kemmer from the University of Kansas points out, the design professions have historically aligned themselves with the power structure and as a result adopted their values and perspectives. When architects do serve those with less means they usually do so at arm’s-length, through a social service agency. In these cases they rarely come face to face with the individuals who must live and work in the environments they design.
While teaching at LSU and living in Baton Rouge I recall a controversy surrounding the removal of slave quarters from a plantation that was a popular tourist destination. The tour focused on the grandeur of the big house and the sophisticated, glamorous lifestyle that it supported. The meager shelters that housed the slaves, who in this case built, maintained and operated the big house, detracted from the picturesque impression that was being made.
Eventually, the slave quarters were returned and the narrative adjusted. How often do we ignore or downplay the systems that supports and underpin an affluent lifestyle?
Unfortunately this affluent predisposition has distorted the way we present and understand architecture. Architecture is portrayed primarily as a sequence of palaces, monuments and artifices of industry. There is very little attention given to the structures that accommodate everyday life. The study of everyday environments has largely been left to the fields of anthropology and archaeology. In a liberal democratic capitalistic society this bias is not healthy, nor is it sustainable for any profession. There are several earnest individuals attempting to right the ship, but moving forward architects must redouble their efforts and focus on ways the profession can become more relevant to the majority of our citizens.