one of the most annoying trends to come out of the combination pandemic-housing crises around the country has to be the advent of the ‘citizen____(architect, planner, landscape architect).’
i thought the retired boomers were annoying with their nimbyism, but now you have these gen-x’ers with a little money and too much free time playing architect and wasting peoples time and causing mass confusion.
Maybe its just a continuation of the trend toward mass scope creep and professional overreach. It doesnt matter if it’s your job, Im doing both, because im faster at computers than you, talk louder, and know the right people. Whatever happened to professional courtesy and respect? So maybe you can do the other guys job—do you think the framer starts throwing the plumbing in because he was there first? Im really sick of competing for my own job with everyone, every day.
I'm usually up for griping about the state of the industry but I have to say that whatever you're experiencing does not seem to be what I am experiencing. Sure there are novice owner/builder types, and sometimes I give (or sell) them advice so they don't get too lost. Often clients have developed their own floor plans, which is a good starting point for a conversation about process and balancing priorities. But the market for designers who can design houses and renovations (and who actually understand how to design houses and renovations, and actually take on responsibility instead of making excuses and delegating everything to others) is the hottest it's been in my 25-year career.
Echoing Wood Guy... I could use a few examples of whatever it is you're complaining about because I honestly have no clue what you're complaining about.
I think this "citizen architect" is an offshoot of the greater distrust of experts. The term Armchair (insert profession) comes to mind. In Chicago the NIMBYs love to say that a traffic study done by trained, experienced (20 years+) traffic engineers, hired by the city not the developer, could not possibly know what they were doing when evaluating a new building with 200 parking spot garage and the minimal impact they projected for a 4 lane road. There is a general disdain for technical expertise on the fringes of US politics on both the left and right especially if it conflicts with their emotionally derived beliefs that what they want is what is correct and all other evidence to the contrary is false. The rise of fake news is the beginning of the end of professionalism and the value of expertise.
Citizen architects
one of the most annoying trends to come out of the combination pandemic-housing crises around the country has to be the advent of the ‘citizen____(architect, planner, landscape architect).’
i thought the retired boomers were annoying with their nimbyism, but now you have these gen-x’ers with a little money and too much free time playing architect and wasting peoples time and causing mass confusion.
Maybe its just a continuation of the trend toward mass scope creep and professional overreach. It doesnt matter if it’s your job, Im doing both, because im faster at computers than you, talk louder, and know the right people. Whatever happened to professional courtesy and respect? So maybe you can do the other guys job—do you think the framer starts throwing the plumbing in because he was there first? Im really sick of competing for my own job with everyone, every day.
Mitch, baby, if you're loosing so much work because of a bunch of genX laymen, perhaps you're just not that good at your job.
Courtesy and respect, LOL. What planet do you think you live on?
Money is the be-all and end-all. If you don't belive me just ask anyone with a pile of it.
As Frank Zappa said: you can kneel down or you can bend over.
Love a little jealousy on a Sunday.
I'm usually up for griping about the state of the industry but I have to say that whatever you're experiencing does not seem to be what I am experiencing. Sure there are novice owner/builder types, and sometimes I give (or sell) them advice so they don't get too lost. Often clients have developed their own floor plans, which is a good starting point for a conversation about process and balancing priorities. But the market for designers who can design houses and renovations (and who actually understand how to design houses and renovations, and actually take on responsibility instead of making excuses and delegating everything to others) is the hottest it's been in my 25-year career.
Echoing Wood Guy... I could use a few examples of whatever it is you're complaining about because I honestly have no clue what you're complaining about.
I think this "citizen architect" is an offshoot of the greater distrust of experts. The term Armchair (insert profession) comes to mind. In Chicago the NIMBYs love to say that a traffic study done by trained, experienced (20 years+) traffic engineers, hired by the city not the developer, could not possibly know what they were doing when evaluating a new building with 200 parking spot garage and the minimal impact they projected for a 4 lane road. There is a general disdain for technical expertise on the fringes of US politics on both the left and right especially if it conflicts with their emotionally derived beliefs that what they want is what is correct and all other evidence to the contrary is false. The rise of fake news is the beginning of the end of professionalism and the value of expertise.
Over and OUT
Peter N
A lot of distrust for experts comes from their repeated failures.
Most prostitutes are expert, and most "experts" are prostitutes.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.