Negroni Talks #40 Decency By Design

Decency By Design What does it mean to be an ethical architect? Is it about the way you run an architectural practice, the type of work you produce, the people you work for? They say that ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’ and whilst we’re seeing a growing trend of practices becoming B-Corps, does that mean you’re a ‘decent’ company? With the de-regulatory drive to relax the rules and make permitted development easier, the sheer scale of the Post Grenfell cladding crisis, along with recent headline-grabbing ‘scandals’ about the impact upon people having to live in mold and damp infested homes, we really have to think about what buildings are saying to the general public about contemporary standards and the role of the architect. When buildings start to kill people, something has gone terribly wrong with our sense of humanity. Is the architectural profession an ethically motivated defender of values, or complicit with those profiteering off our collective low standards of living? It seems that the powers that be are mostly interested in quick fixes by whatever means necessary, as envisioned by the political brainwave that empty offices and shops can be converted to help solve the national housing problem. The results could very well foster a new wave of rachman-esque modern-day slums, so what protections remain, and who are the guardians of them? There could be potential opportunities for sensitive and intelligent projects that could help reinvigorate cities, which might be achieved much quicker than going through the red tape of traditional approval processes. Could this be the time for architects to actively lead a movement to create innovative schemes that benefit the local community, or is it just another moment where they will remain a facilitator in the destruction of social value? Developers are always looking for the maximum return on their investments, but their architects should also try to promote decency within regeneration projects and help protect those most affected by changes to our built environments throughout the country. At this moment it remains unclear which way things will go, however, are there simple solutions that could fix several problematic issues in one fell swoop? Speakers: Rob Fiehn (chair) Alasdair Ben dixon, Collective Works Sanaa Shaikh, Native Studio Emma Osmundsen, Sixty Bricks Jerry Tate, Tate + Co amongst others….