Architecture Depends: Re-imagining the role of an Architect

The need for contingencies in the practical field has been highlighted and the fact that this aspect has been completely negated by the Modern movement has been brought forth. ‘Situated knowledge’, according to Till comes in handy while dealing with the world of contingencies. Moving towards a predetermined form, with blinders, not anticipating and often neglecting uncertainties in the professional field, is in fact a naïve approach. He views contingencies in the light of optimism and says that they are actually windows of opportunity for transformative changes in the building and opens doors to healthy interaction with the various professionals involved in the field. The work culture, thus in any office becomes healthy when hierarchies are broken and the architect is not the sole ‘Master builder’.

A different take on architecture by Till, is that ‘All Architecture is waste in transit’. He categorizes buildings into 2 categories of waste: The transient and the durable. The transient has a decreasing value and a finite life span while the Durable has increasing value and an infinite life span. One must respect this while building and make attempts to transform transient waste to durable. An example in India, are the Chettinad houses in Tamil Nadu that are being demolished due to lack of upkeep. But on the other hand, parts of it like the doors, windows etc. are salvaged and put to use in new constructions. One could argue that this method is what breaks the links of history by displacing them from the building they belonged to, but another take would be that it is a more sustainable approach and depreciating value of waste could be turned to an appreciating value.

In the last part of the book Till talks about the larger role of the architect and his/her responsibilities towards the society at large. The architect must not forget long term concerns in the bid to negotiate immediate problems be it financial or political. He/she must develop a larger world view and sensitivity to ecological and social needs of the society. Lastly, reiterating the fact that architecture is no longer an autonomous field, the architect must lose a position of absolute power and play the role of an integrator among the various professionals involved in the field.