Q. You’re an established industrial designer. Why the focus now on building design?
A. I’ve always taken a great interest in real estate; in fact, if I had more capital, I’d probably be developing a lot more projects myself. There’s also money to be made in real estate — much more than one can as a designer. [...]
Q. But you’re not a licensed architect.
A. I am doing 11 buildings in the world, but I don’t have a stamp as an architect and I wasn’t educated as an architect.
— nytimes.com
That was entertaining. Karim Rashid comes across like a party guest who showed up a decade too late. I love how Marino's questions uncover layer upon layer of contradiction and naïveté that he claims not to possess.
" I think we’re in the midst of a movement right now — a design driven by the digital age."
Talk about blazing trails...
he may be an asshat but he is right on several points. not familiar with his work. darkman is also correct that a designer is a designer. an "architect" is a designer. imo there are only 3 distinctions in the creative fields...
1. makers
2. designers
3 engineers
each of these 3 are useless as isolated fields...you must understand all 3 even if you are an expert in only 1.
Good for him. I say go for it. Afterall, it's not like many starchitects think any more about personal structure and function than he seems too. Are people annoyed that others are entering our sacred realm, but being less tragic about it? And how many times have archtiects ventured into industrial design. Right now it's like an anything goes atmosphere at this level of architecture. This is what you get.
"I have to say, and I don’t mean this in a pejorative way, that architecture, in a sense the more pedestrian architecture, is generally quite simple compared to industrial design. In other words, it’s far more sophisticated to do something like a mobile phone than it is to do an average building."
"What interests me is to think more about the human experience at an anthropometric level: how we sit in space, how we enjoy the space. Rather than look at architecture more objectified or a style of a building, look at it how we’re using it and experiencing it. I guess because I’m a product designer, that’s the way I think."
"I think we’re in the midst of a movement right now — a design driven by the digital age."
Maybe he should talk less about money and wear black. Besides that, what's not to like?
All 94 Comments
Ready... set... go!
And he's got the goofy glasses, which is really all you need...
That was entertaining. Karim Rashid comes across like a party guest who showed up a decade too late. I love how Marino's questions uncover layer upon layer of contradiction and naïveté that he claims not to possess.
" I think we’re in the midst of a movement right now — a design driven by the digital age."
Talk about blazing trails...
He's an ideas guy with a team of real architects behind him. Anyone can do fun things when family money covers the bills. You can also buy his vacuums in the sale section of your local wall-mart.
asshat
Designers can design anything. But we'll see if the results are any good.
His comments about digital architecture are revealing--prepare for his signature curvy and neon colorful forms. My eyes are hurting already.
What would be surprising is if he came through with an understated steel aethetic.... Haha jk.
On the other hand his quote about building as object vs using space is actually what I wish were happening more--at least in the media.
Plastic fantastic. Specializes in giving Industrial Designers a bad name.
Barf².
he may be an asshat but he is right on several points. not familiar with his work. darkman is also correct that a designer is a designer. an "architect" is a designer. imo there are only 3 distinctions in the creative fields...
1. makers
2. designers
3 engineers
each of these 3 are useless as isolated fields...you must understand all 3 even if you are an expert in only 1.
Licensed Architects are dime a dozen. You can hire and fire.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, not "liscensed" both in Atlantic top 100 Americans of all time. Nuff said.
The greatest trick AIA played was convincing the world it existed. That and keeping poor minorities and women out of the game.
What is this AIA?
"I have to say, and I don’t mean this in a pejorative way, that architecture, in a sense the more pedestrian architecture, is generally quite simple compared to industrial design. In other words, it’s far more sophisticated to do something like a mobile phone than it is to do an average building."
My favorite quote from this asshole.
My question to him is this; how sophisticated is it to design something that lasts as long as my cell phone contract with Sprint? Talking to this douchebag about architecture, is like talking to Ted Cruz about the merits of Net Neutrality.
Every single object of his that I come across, I treat like a Dyson vacuum, yawn mother fucker, yawn.
Oh, wearing white, or pink, as a means of not wearing a uniform, is a means by which you wear a uniform, dope. Fucking, busboy.
Ouch. Nothing riles up a bunch of serious-minded architects than a pretty boy who gets to design silly things.
I had one of his O chairs in my college apartment. Not the most uncomfortable cheap plastic chair I've ever owned. At least it injected a cheerful hot orange glow into the interminable winter gloom.
^Mies wasn't able to get licensed in NY either - that's why Philip Johnson got to be AOR for the Seagrams. Really if you've got a client who'll pay for it, who wouldn't want to get an AOR to do all the difficult stuff. That's where the most of the trouble happens anyway, and it's kind of boring yet easy to screw up.
hes essentially doing what any architect does when they design in a foreign country or a different state. who cares. if it sucks the worst that can happen is we will make fun of it on archinect which is A-OK in my opinion.
Good for him. I say go for it. Afterall, it's not like many starchitects think any more about personal structure and function than he seems too. Are people annoyed that others are entering our sacred realm, but being less tragic about it? And how many times have archtiects ventured into industrial design. Right now it's like an anything goes atmosphere at this level of architecture. This is what you get.
"I have to say, and I don’t mean this in a pejorative way, that architecture, in a sense the more pedestrian architecture, is generally quite simple compared to industrial design. In other words, it’s far more sophisticated to do something like a mobile phone than it is to do an average building."
"What interests me is to think more about the human experience at an anthropometric level: how we sit in space, how we enjoy the space. Rather than look at architecture more objectified or a style of a building, look at it how we’re using it and experiencing it. I guess because I’m a product designer, that’s the way I think."
"I think we’re in the midst of a movement right now — a design driven by the digital age."
Maybe he should talk less about money and wear black. Besides that, what's not to like?
Are those the ID version of Johnson's (really Wright's) architect glasses?
There is little that is worse than a bunch of serious-minded architects.
I can't figure you schizoids out. Hate hand drawings, hate Gehry, hate AIA, hate NCARB, hate Jiminez Lai, hate WOTB features, hate computers, but oh no, don't you hate on this ass-hat. Perhaps you found the wrong site, maybe you meant to hang out at the Architectural Digest site, and rub elbows with Thomas Kinkaid, Ted Turner and Peter Max.
I like Jiminez Lai's stuff.
I can't figure you schizoids out.
hand drawings - love
gehry - meh
aia - meh
ncarb - hate
jimenez lai - like
wotb - love
computers - like
this ass-hat - meh
*hope this helps
I generally like most architecture--even the stuff of Jimenez Lai's stuff is interesting. And I'm willing to give this guy a chance at least.
Mostly I dislike the medias representation of architecture and the institutions and beurocracies that run it. But that's mostly because I've worked with all of the above and find them all occupied by PR people and moneyed interests.
I think it's strange that Rashid is interviewed before he even made anything. Elsewhere Graves Portland building is the debate du jour on the Twitter for reasons that it's colorful facade reads on a computer screen. Meanwhile the MoMA has another incoherent show about "cities" think everyone's priorities are messed up.
jla-x, what's wotb?
I have a strange feeling I'll face-palm when I figure it out.
Why be an architect when you can be a designer? This guy has something figured out.
Non Sequiter, it's the "working outside the box' series.
Betadiene, you need to be a hater to be an architect.
Speaking as an industrial designer, this guy is simply the perpetuation of bad product. No hate, just disgust for his product line. If he wants to do architecture, as an industrial designer he was probably better trained than most architecture students.
As for his comments about development, it's pretty clear where his heart is. From one industrial designer to another, that's an epic fail.
^Sadly Thomas Kinkade is dead and has been for a while. NCARB is the only thing on your list I dislike. The rest fall on a scale between interesting and nice.
I was a bit dismissive earlier - actually I like Karim's work for the most part. It's cute and fluent in its own language. His persona doesn't appeal to me though so I try to dissociate the two. Does he talk to his brother about architecture? It would interesting to see some discussion on practice and design methodology between the two of them.
His Facebook page says he is an Architect too, with a capital A. Once again, the selective reinforcement of the law is bewildering.
Enforcement, not reinforcement. Oops.
I bet he is invited as a keynote speaker by the AIA.... While they tell *everybody else* that's not famous to get their credits
^ With the message being ...
Why get licensed?
At least I earned the credential of "Software Architect" a long time ago. Yeah, why get licensed? What's the point, the licensing law probably would be repealed over the next 100 years.
Software architect is the equivalent of subway calling it's staff sandwich architects.
Richard, I wasn't aware that Software Architect was a licensed profession let alone an accredited degree. But I do like the new-found brevity of your more recent posts.
Well, it can be. Depending on what state you are in. Sometimes the title is "Software Engineer". Anyway, all it takes to make a profession a licensed profession is bribery. It did for AIA those 100+ years ago.
Non Sequitur,
Sure if you want to say that but subway architects and licensed architects have one thing in common..... pay level. Software architects/developers get paid a considerable sum of money.
http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/software-architect-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm
and
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/architects.htm
Software developers pay can vary a bit more than indicated in the BLS and mostly that is from salaries of employees not pay of business owner.
Richard, not where I practice since even interns earn a living wage here. I'm compensated above the average you link to.
software architects make a hell of alot more than building architects and generally have a better quality workplace with greater upward mobility.
and no, they do not have to be licensed. that would be completely insane.
^ mostly true but it's not a fair comparison.
Anyway, all it takes to make a profession a licensed profession is bribery.
Citation, please.
Non Sequitur,
I was joking a little bit with regards to pay level of an architect being equal to the pay level of a Subway "sandwich architect". Okay.
As for pay level, it is not uncommon for pay levels to be a tad higher than what is indicated. In the video games software development, experienced software architects becomes "Technical Directors" and the pay levels can get into the over $200K and that isn't even at the corporate executive tier which would be listed in BLS and such as CEO and similar type jobs because the role moves away from software development to business development and the pay level can be well into the $250K and higher.
Those of us that are business owners of software development companies, the pay isn't documented under BLS and similar places because we don't necessarily document a salary or wage but the dividends would provide an income to live on which can be a healthy chunk of change. Sometimes, there is a "salary" with stock dividends as benefits on top of the base salary. In the 1980s, it wasn't unheard of software sales bringing in on the orders of over $25 Million resulting in pay of over $250K back in the 1980s. That's like 25+ years ago.
Donna,
Go interview George M. Post and other AIA members back in 1900-1930s.
Bribery was quite common and rampant. Remember, it was the era of gangster like Al Capone and others and other government corruption.
It's easy to get politicians to pass laws you want passed if you bribe them with campaign donations and support and their other objectives.
SSDD
As a formally trained industrial designer who worked a few years in the field before pursuing architecture, I can say that no designer takes this guy seriously - but he's laughing all the way to the bank. Who gives a shit? I'd ride those coattails, too, just like the team he surrounds himself with.
Before my alma mater gave the guy a fucking honorary doctorate, one of our profs gave us a great lesson about Karim and success: "the first thing Karim did after leaving school, was hire a publicist." Genius. He's still a fucking douche, though.
Apparently being a douchebag is essential for a particular kind of success.
Those glasses look like he Pinched them off of poor ole dead Elvis Presley.
since most skyscrapers resemble industrial designed shavers, dildos, deodorant sticks, i say go for it.
So is anyone who draws a building without having passed the AREs an "unlicensed architect"? Maybe everyone who's downloaded SketchUp and tried to model their own home? Every kid who drew up plans for a tree fort? This is the kind of thing I find infuriating about NCARB and the AIA - all they care about is skimming their dues and fees off the top of our profession, rather than protecting our collective professional image and brand. All we are is boiled down to whether or not we have a stamp.
I could care less about how many generically contemporary buildings this guy 'designs' (that's what they'll be), but I'll add this: an actual architect will have to oversee all his projects and do all the post squiggly line sketch work. He'll doodle a concept and spend the rest of the project picking finishes and having dinner with the client.
He'll doodle a concept and spend the rest of the project picking finishes and having dinner with the client.
You sound jealous.
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.