Curiosity: A Guide for Architects

I Y C S R T U I O A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS ANDREAS LEONIDOU

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PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 3 2018/19

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MANCHESTER SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

CURIO

A GUIDE FOR This guide has been written in conjunction with the requirements of the Professional Studies 3 course, of the MArch Architecture degree at the Manchester School of Architecture.

December 2018 Name: Andreas Leonidou Student Number: 17102819 Course: Professional Studies 3 2018/19 Degree: MArch Architecture Year 6 PS3 Groupwork: Group L Proto-Practice:

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contents be like harry 8 introduction 10

PART 1 - CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS CHAPTER 1 - THE QUEST what is curiosity? 12 types 14 dimensions 18 information gap 21 why be intellectually curious

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CHAPTER 2 - FADING home 24 curiosity vs knowledge

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the incurious graduate

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1920s are the new 2010s

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the vision 32 double-edged sword 34 perception 36 fast knowledge 38

CHAPTER 3 - FUTURE-PROOF strategies 40 [1] hire

for curiosity 42

[2] bring

back the cabinets

[3] drop

the vision 46

[4]

model inquisitiveness

[5] be [6]

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like paul 48

be a child 52

[7] 10%

wonder 54

[8] encounter

your curiosity

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the curiosity matrix

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types of curious architects

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conclusion 60

PART 2 REFLECTION groupwork 64 individual work 65 my next steps 66 swot analysis 67 on professional studies 3

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bibliography 70

PART 1

CURIOSITY:

A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

be like harry Harry Potter can be the solution of issues pressing the architectural profession. Hang on; this is not a joke.

From the beginning of the Harry Potter series, Harry is gripped by a powerful urge to explore and find out more. He does this by observing interesting events, uncover his environment and immerse himself in complex phenomena. He sees Hogwarts not merely a school, but a puzzle. These are all considered manifestations of curiosity according to psychologists Engel and Levin (2007).

being locked in a closet by the Dursleys for close, perilous, encounters with HeWho-Must-Not-Be-Named. However, his curiosity benefits him in being smart, and a good listener and problemsolver. Nearly all the excitement and entertainment from the Harry Potter series occurs just because of Harry’s urge to find out more. The series is essentially the tale of a boy’s journey to satisfy his curiosity, which is essentially the invisible backbone of the story, the same way curiosity is for children during their first years.

Harry’s curiosity has been both a blessing and a curse throughout his time in Hogwarts. Right from the start, his curiosity got him into trouble, from

Hang on...

...what does architecture have anything to do with this?

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introduction Architects should be more like Harry. They need to be if they are to survive and remain relevant in a challenging and uncertain environment.

Architects and the architectural profession in general needs encourage the nurturing and cultivation of curiosity to allow themselves to propel forward.

From the way we live and work, curiosity has the potential to restructure our society.

Moreover, architects are at risk of losing their curiosity, their desire for deep learning and exploration, that holds power to transform and adapt our built environment in a changing world. Curiosity (Fig.01) could not be more pertinent today when in one hand we hold a stagnant construction industry and an undefined future on the other. Such a culture will provide clarity, answers and encourage architects to step out of their comfort zone and reestablish their relevance in the field.

What you are reading now is the first guide connecting curiosity to the profession of architecture. This is a guide that the architecture profession does not, yet, know it needs. The guide is divided into three chapters, each with a different aim and approach. In the first chapter, an understanding of curiosity is stimulated, its importance and urgency are raised. Following this, some of the issues threatening the architectural profession and the role of the architects are highlighted within the second chapter, which is responded to be proposed solutions and strategies of implementing curiosity.

Curiosity, if cultivated well, has the power and potential to reinvent the field of architecture and propel architects into the future.

“In our day of lives, curiosity is the main driver to deeper thinking. An itch you want to scratch. A buzz you get when you figure something out�

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-Michael Balle

Fig.01 Not Curiosity, Nasa’s Mars Rover, but equally awesome

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CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

what is curiosity?

Since Charles Darwin, we have created an understanding that we, humans, share the same basic drives of food, sex and shelter with our primate relatives. However, we possess a fourth, far more intelligent drive, curiosity (Fig.02). It is what motivated the first humans to get down from the trees, venture out of the forests, light up a fire and create a language to satisfy their social needs. Curiosity is unique to humans, as it is only us-as far as we know-who wonder our very own existence. As Starkey (2017:online) puts it very well, “curiosity is the knowledge emotion”.

CHAPTER 1 THE QUEST

excursions, taking diversions, and impulsive left turns. Pursuing this drive will eventually bring one into conflict with the status quo at some point, as Galileo, Charles Darwin and Steve Jobs could have confirmed.

Curiosity, in neuroscience, psychological and social terms, is much more complicated than we think it is. It is an emotion, deeply connected with our memories and personalities. We usually associate curiosity with children, but that is only a small part of it.

Curiosity is an emotionally engaging process, that begins with questioning. It disregards the approved paths and prefers going on unplanned

‘curiosity’ is derived from the Latin word ‘curiosus’ meaning careful or dilligent -12-

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Fig.02 We are similar to our primates but not quite

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CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

types DIVERSIVE

EMPATHIC

There are three distinct types of curiosity (Fig.03)t, with the first one being the diversive curiosity. This is the transient interest in something novel.

The ‘everyday’ and effortless curiosity.

Children vibrate with it. It powers their unceasing explorations, and that insatiable drive to learn, try and figure things out. Children, of age three to five, ask on average 40,000 questions (Leslie, 2015). However limited, diversive curiosity is carried throughout adulthood, encouraging us to attain new information and explore places and people, in the form of travel, reading and ‘clickbaiting’. “Just as it [diversive curiosity] made us peer into rock pools as children, as adults it makes us refresh twitter streams,” (Leslie, 2015:103).

Another form is empathic curiosity. It is the real interest in understanding the dispositions and minds of people, including those very different from us. “Diversive curiosity might make you wonder what a person does for a living; empathic curiosity makes you wonder why they do it,” (Tartakovsky, 2015:online). This form of curiosity became popular in the eighteenth century, with its focal point being the city where the phenomenon of ‘strangers’-and associated speculation of identity-was becoming ever popular.

“By its nature, the metropolis provides what otherwise could be given only by travelling; namely, the strange,” (Jacobs, 1961:276). It is when one meets a new person, without bias or preconception, that one shows empathy and curiosity towards them. It gives way for compassion to take place, and for people to connect on a deeper level.

“Curiosity is subordinaton in its purest form” -14-

-Vladimir Nabokov

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EPISTEMIC The third form, epistemic curiosity is “what happens when diversive curiosity grows up,� (Leslie, 2014:online).

This is the deeper, more disciplined and effortful type of curiosity and quest for knowledge. This form of curiosity is the life-long expedition for learning and knowledge. Unlike diversive curiosity, it does not merely formulate in the desire to seek answers, but most importantly the exploration of questions. It enables us to build upon our knowledge base and generate connections between

what we already know, usually leading to discovery and innovation. Examples of this are most of the great inventions of humanity, from the light bulb to the internet. These were possible because of people pursuing their epistemic curiosity (Starkey, 2017). Epistemic people move in a virtuous circle of knowledge (Fig. 04). Leslie (2015) argued that the more epistemically people know, the more they realise they do not know and therefore the more they need to know.

Fig.04 Epistemic Curiosity is a cyclical cognitive process

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THE MORE YOU REALISE YOU DO NOT KNOW

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

THE MORE YOU WANT TO KNOW

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THE MORE YOU KNOW

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

EPISTEMIC DISCIPLINED EFFORTFUL

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LONG TERM REWARDS

LEADING TO INNOVATION

DEEP

EXPLORE A QUESTION MOST INVENTIONS OF HUMANITY

CULTIVATED

CONTEMPLATION DILLIGENCE SOCIAL WONDER

EXTROVERSY

LOVE

HUMILITY

INTER IN ARGUM

COMPASSION

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Fig.03 The three types of curiosity

DIVERSIVE SHORT TERM REWARS

IMPULSIVE

THE EVERYDAY DESIRE FOR INFORMATION

EFFORTLESS

TRAVEL

ENDLESS SOCIAL MEDIA SCROLL

ATHIC

SOCIAL INTEREST

HUMILITY

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PLACING YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES

CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

NOVELTY

INTEREST IN OTHERS’ CONVERSATIONS

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dimensions Since the 1950s curiosity has been considered and focus of interest for psychologists and other social scientists. The studies presented on this page (Fig.05) are fundamental in our understanding of curiosity as a cognitive process, a desire, a joy but also a risk.

1954

1965

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DANIEL BERLYNE

MARVIN ZUCKERMAN

EDWARD DECI

GEO LOEWE

One of the first psychologists to offer a comprehensive model of curiosity.

Berlyne argued that humans seek the sweet spot between two awkard and uncomfortable states: understimulation (diversive curiosity) and overstimulation (specific curiosity).

He spent fifty years, beinning at the early sixties, studying humans’ sensation seeking and their willingness to take on risks in order to receive intense and novel experiences.

He argued that curiosity is a reflection of humans’ intrinsic motivation to pursue challenges and the novel, and exercise thier capacity for learning and exploration.

He stated that we use this motivation to develope positive experiences, not merely to avodi discomfort.

He deve ‘Informa Theor argu curio stimu human they re lack d know This ge feel uncertai motivate fill in the the m inform

Fig.05 A brief historic of scientific research and study on curiosity -18-

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2018

ORGE ENSTEIN

BRITTA RENNER

PAUL SILVIA

TODD KASHDAN

eloped the ation Gap ry’ which ues that osity is ulated in ns, when ealise they desired wledge. enerates a ling of inty which es them to e gap with missing mation.

She was the first to study the social aspect of curiosity, focusing on humans’ interest in how other humans behave, think and feel.

He studied humans’ eagerness and capacity to accept anxiety, stress and doubt related to the novel.

The critical studies and research presented before this year led Kashdan to the development of the revolutionary and forward-looking ‘Curiosity Dimensions’, presented on the next page.

CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

2012

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2006

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CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

dimensions Kashdan et al. (2018), psychologists at George Mason University, argued that viewing curiosity as a monolithic trait is not sufficient enough to comprehend how it drives fulfilment and success in work and life.

For this reason, they have synthesised key and essential research on curiosity, such as the ones presented on the previous diagram, which led them to the formulation of ‘The Five-Dimensional Model of Curiosity’ (Fig.06). Interestingly, Kashdan et al. (2018), ask ‘How are you curious?’ Instead of ‘How curious are you?’. Their work is critical as, for the first time, it enables us to showcase that curiosity happens in all of us, at multiple extents. It is not about what dimension or type of curious we are, as we are all curious in all dimensions, but on different levels. In Chapter 3, the 5DC has been adapted into a way to quantify the dimensions for architects within their workplace. This takes the form of a scoring matrix which aims to inform architects of their level of curiosity within each dimension. This can prompt them to better understand their scope and relevance, and formulate questions that challenge the way their practice and profession functions.

DEPRIVATON SENSITIVITY

STRESS TOLERANCE

SOCIAL CURIOSITY

THRILL SEEKING

JOYOUS EXPLORATION

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Fig.06 The Five Dimensions of curiosity

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information gap

THE INFORMATION GAP

WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW

CURIOSITY

Fig.07 The Information Gap

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

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WHAT WE KNOW

argued that curiosity is a product of that information gap, meaning that we need to know little about something to want to learn more. This is a straightforward concept, but a powerful one.

Curiosity is a product of what we already know, our background knowledge and memories. It improves our capability and capacity for learning, through stimulating our brains’ reward system (Bushak, 2014).

CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

In the early 90s, Loewestein (1994), developed the ‘Information Gap Theory of Curiosity’ and argued that curiosity is simple, as it comes when we feel that there is a gap between what we know and what we do not know (Fig.07).

“This gap has emotional consequences: it feels like a mental itch, a mosquito bite on the brain,” (Lehrer, 2010:online).

We feel the need to scratch that itch, and to do so we seek out our desire for learning. Moreover, Leslie (2015)

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 1: THE QUEST

why be intellectually curious?

In our complex and ever-changing society, curiosity is more important, and at the same time more rewarding as it has ever been. Technology is rapidly replacing routine work (Fig.08).

Intellectually curious people are people who capable of learning throughout their career, of asking the right questions, of adapting and collaborating with different disciplines. These people are only interested in non-routine work and are therefore going to excel and do better. Leslie (2015) argued that the

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intellectually curious are the ones most likely to make creative connections between multiple fields, of the kind that leads to new ideas, therefore making them the ones best suited to work within multi-disciplinary teams.

The next chapter focuses on raising some of the challenges that architects and the architectural profession are facing, while also highlighting issues associated with curiosity itself.

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Fig.08 Employment vs Occupations EMPLOYMENT SHARE vs OCCUPATIONS

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CHAPTER 2 FADING

home As explained earlier, curiosity is a deeply social quality, embedded in our subconscious behaviours from the beginning of our lives. We wonder about other people and constantly seek out knowledge that other people have that we do not, simply by asking.

Babies point to things, and children ask questions to retrieve this information and fuel their desire and need for

knowledge. If these intimate queries are being ignored, then children are eventually going to stop questioning.

It is a two-way process (Fig.09). Leslie (2015) argued that this dynamic process is carried across the span of our lives from home, to school, to work.

The way and if our childhood questions were answered is directly connected to our adulthood interests

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N IO T ES PARENT

BABY

Fig.09 Nurturing and cultivating curiosity is a two-way process

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curiosity vs knowledge As we grow older, it appears that we become less active explorers of our mental worlds. We tend to rely on the knowledge we have acquired so far to see us through the rest of our journey. We stop prioritising learning for learning’s sake and instead focus on learning the things we must know (Vehovsky, 2016). This is not solely our fault, but also the fault of the education system. “You put your hand up in class not to ask questions as much as you are there to answer them, and I think that is where it starts to change as the education system starts to push us through these particular roots,” (Starkey, 2017:online). What the education system does well is to teach us how to undertake the appropriate tasks

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required to perform well in jobs of our choice. However, it does not teach us how to learn.

Isaac Morehouse (2017), the founder and CEO of Praxis, an apprenticeship program that renders degrees irrelevant for careers, interestingly stated that curiosity encourages action, whereas knowledge kills it (Fig.10). He argued that educational institutes make students answer questions, pre-determined as ‘good’ and ‘stimulating’, under the threat of punishment, which usually comes in the form of grades. They reward ‘correctly’ answered questions, and treat other explorations as distracting, disobedient and wasteful.

This approach is evident in the case of

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Fig.10 Nurturing and cultivating curiosity is a two-way process

ACTION

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“De-school your mind, then begin to ask questions” -Isaac Morehouse

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architectural education, which adopts a rigid hierarchical structure, even though it encourages creativity and abstract thinking. Its rigidness does not allow much room for students to explore, roam free and question its very foundations. Also, questioning and challenging of authority, in this case, would make one be labelled as a ‘rebel’ and be distanced from institutions.

Furthermore, to teach people how to be architects differs from teaching them how to be curious learners, and yet, as illustrated by intellectually curious, selftaught architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Tadao Ando, the people who make the best architects tend to be the most curious learners.

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 2: FADING

the incurious graduate Eventually, the architecture students graduate unaware of their incuriosity and enter a demanding environment, where their curiosity remains unnurtured, usually for the rest of their careers. As documented by research conducted by Gino (2018), a clear majority of professionals from a variety of sectors believe that they know all the things they need to know, therefore believing there is no need for further expansion of their knowledge base. The problem is that this mentality causes deep thinking and learning, values that can fundamentally change the way we do things, to be

obstructed. To feel the desire to close the information gap, one must be aware that there is a gap in the first place.

The issue here is that architects suffer from what psychologists refer to as ‘overconfidence effects’, by thinking they know more than they do. Generally, we, humans, are not very good at spotting our information gaps, and that inclines us in being less curious than we should be.

“Beyond the age of information is the age of choices”

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-Charles Eames

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1920s are the new 2010s Hyde (2018), leader of the Professional Studies 3 course at Manchester School of Architecture, has stated that the construction industry, and consequently the architecture profession, have remained stagnant over the past few decades, while other industries such as car manufacturing have evolved and progressed immensely. The reason why the car manufacturing industry is continuously advancing is that it is a machine of curiosity. Take Henry Ford as an example. In the early 1900s, he focused all his resources and efforts in creating a car for the masses by vastly reducing production costs. With the Ford Model T (Fig.11), he realised his goal in 1908.

The demand for that car in the market grew incredibly high, and by 1921 Ford was producing more than half of all passenger cars in the United States. In the late 1920s, the market was shifting as consumers wanted more variety in their cars. However, Ford remains fixated in improving and perfecting the Model T, which gave way for new companies such as General Motors

Fig.11 Ford Model T

to enter the market, fundamentally changing the industry and seizing the leading share of the market, through innovation and experimentation.

Ford was single-minded and stopped exploring. Unaware of it, the company slipped into incuriosity which had disastrous effects on the financial stability and operation of the company.

Ford of the late 1920s is the architecture practice of today.

While other professions within the unpredictable construction industry are experimenting and progressing, the architecture profession is enjoying its comfort zone, comfortably sitting along the peripheries, unable to influence.

Because of this inertia, architects are losing their relevance, they are earning less, and are concurrently seeing their role being marginalised (Hurst, 2017).

Less conventional professions have been ruthlessly stepping over the architects’ territory, grabbing their roles with any given chance, and architects have themselves to blame for their unwillingness to act (Fig.12). “Many in the profession are finding it difficult

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to leave behind the security blanket of past working traditions, while a few are simply choosing to pull it resolutely over their heads,” (Celanto, 2015:online).

Comparable to businesses across other sectors, architecture practices tend to seek efficiency to the detriment of exploration, with the latter usually being deemed as wasteful and counterproductive (Gino, 2018). Celanto (2015) stated that architects’ reluctance in engaging with technological innovations invites their extinction,

and to avoid becoming obsolete, they need to increase the demand for their skills through embracing developing technologies that inspire and satisfy clients’ needs. However, the issue of the architects’ fading relevance is much greater for it to be resolved merely by ‘embracing emergent technologies’.

In a future without curiosity and the desire to explore, the same people will be doing the same things the same way because ‘that is how we have always done it.’ This is utterly tragic.

TODAY

FUTURE

WHAT REMAINS

?

INDESPENSABLE

SHEDDING OF ROLES

Fig.12 Architects’ role is marginalise and is dangerously losing its relevance

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QUESTION

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the vision The myriad of business management books is encouraging leaders of startups and companies to communicate their ‘vision’ from the outset. Most architects work in a similar way, worshipping their practice’s vision, which is at most cases obsolete. Visions are compiled as a method of promoting the practice’s approach, unique or not, and perhaps most importantly convey their way of approach in design and the associated quality standard. These are often very rigid practice policies which are enforced by partners and directors. There is very little-if any-review of this vision throughout time. The problem with the vision is that it imbues fear amongst

the employees. The fear of refraining from asking questions and challenge the vision and the practice’s status quo, which would make them seem incompetent and wasteful. This fear leads to incuriosity, and as I previously mentioned, incuriosity is contagious.

It spreads amongst architects causing them to be passive, around their work environment triggering inactivity and eventually leading to a vulnerable and weak architecture profession. Moreover, leaders guided by their practice’s vision tend to believe they are expected to deliver answers and solutions, not ask questions.

Example of a vision: “We aim succeed in business through the values of professionalism, collaborative spirit, focus on client service, and passion for excellence” -32-

[source: most architecture practices]

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double-edged sword Curiosity is usually perceived as a blessing and a valuable trait but has a dark side as well (Fig.13). There are risks associated with curiosity. Hsee and Ruan (2016), American psychologists, conducted a study on these adverse effects and stated that the same impulses and mental itches that drive the intellectually curious to formulate questions and learn, also lead them to

ADDICTION

BAD HABIT

DANGER

RISK

INNOVATION

DISCOVERY

EMPATHY

LEARNING

HAZARD

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expose themselves to aversive stimuli and other hazardous actions, such as electric shocks and the use of drugs, with no apparent benefits. We, humans, possess an inherent desire to tackle and resolve uncertainty, even if we expect negative consequences (Hsee and Ruan, 2016). However, the enrichment experienced by intellectually curious people usually outweighs the negative

Fig.13 The double-edged sword of curiosity

EXPLORATION

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risks (Svoboda, 2006). The dark side of curiosity reveals that exercising curiosity requires disciplines and care, especially in our age, the age of (mis)information and overstimulation.

Gino (2018) argued that although business leaders and employers portray curiosity and exploration as an attribute they seek in future employers, they frequently reject the freedom of creative thinking when presented with them. This seems partly reasonable, seeing that exercising curiosity involves challenging and questioning the status

quo and establishment, which, in its worst part, leads to violence and abuse.

However, determined questioning and challenging of current affairs usually bring about change. The issue is that people do not feel empowered to curious. A recent study involving three thousand employees from a broad range of industries, revealed that a mere 24% of the people feel curious within their job position on a regular basis, and a staggering 70% stated that they face barriers in asking any questions (Fig. 14).

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FACE BARRIERS IN ASKING QUESTIONS

Fig.14 On average only a quarter of all employees are feeling curious on a regular basis

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FEEL CURIOUS ON A REGULAR BASIS

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DID NOT RESPOND

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perception Curiosity is more complex and sophisticated than the perception of the public, from descriptions in business books to media coverage and people’s opinions (Fig.15).

The problem with our society in regards to intellectual curiosity is that we relate it with the lone scholars and eccentrics who tinker in their studies, occupied in esoterica, instead of associating it with entrepreneurialism, collaboration and innovation. We call people ‘curious’ when we mean ‘weird’.

We use the word ‘curiosity’ when we mean ‘interest’. Failure to acknowledge the meaning and identity of curiosity might well be one of humanity’s most significant missed opportunities.The public perception of curiosity does not reflect reality, and it is time we became aware of this, and develop a more thorough understanding that leads to its cultivation.

“Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat. It gives us nine lives” -36-

-Anna Starkey

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CURIOSITY

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Fig.15 The public perception of curiosity (top) and the reality (bottom)

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QUESTS OF KNOWLEDGE

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fast knowledge In a fast-paced and ever-changing society the rewards of curiosity have never been higher. However, there is a large gap between the misguided public perception of curiosity and its reality. We tend to confuse the exercise of curiosity with ease of access to information and forget that true curiosity requires the exercise of effort. This happens without realising it, and it happens every day, to all of us. “We tend to focus on the goals of learning than valuing learning for itself,� (Leslie, 2014:online). Fast

knowledge, a by-product of the internet, is partly to blame. It comes in the form of bursts of knowledge needs which are relieved by quick answers (Fig.16).

Examples of these are Google and Wikipedia, platforms that made factual knowledge useless. They provide short answers that sooth mechanism that raised those questions in the first place, our curiosity. Fast knowledge is killing curiosity, preventing deeper exploration and questioning to take place (Fig.17).

Fig.16 An example of Google killing exploration and discovery

Fig.17 How modern design inspiration looks like, messy and unfocused [source: Archdaily, Pinterest, Dezeen]

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CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS / CHAPTER 3: FUTURE-PROOF

strategies

CHAPTER 3 FUTURE-PROOF

As previously demonstrated, curiosity is not as straightforward to adopt and manage as we think it is. It is a complex cognitive process of human behaviour.

Without a doubt, some people are born and raised able to nurture this process and naturally be more curious than others. However curiosity can be cultivated. Curiosity is also a mental muscle, and, just like any other muscle, it needs to be exercised.

these considerable benefits and truly re-invent themselves, they need to show a great deal of discipline, consistency.

Only when architects accept that their knowledge is finite, are going to be more apt to see that the world and industry around them are changing and that the future is already diverging from the present.

In the face of uncertainty and pressure, curiosity prompts inventive problem-solving, which in turn fortifies organisational resilience. “Curiosity, we all know, is the spark that can lead us to breakthrough innovation,” (Ignatius, 2018). It can improve decision-making as it reduces architects’ vulnerability to confirmation bias and stereotypes.

In short, curiosity enhances business performance. However, for architects and the architecture profession to reap

In this chapter, I present eight strategies that architects can use to foster and adopt curiosity within the architectural profession (Fig.18). These propositions respond to and attempt to resolve some of the issues described in the previous chapter. These will be in the form of a list of strategies, as to how architects can implement a curious culture within their practices and the architecture profession, and how themselves can be more curious in the face of uncertainty and doubt.

“It takes thought and effort to stop stifling curiosity and start fostering it”” -40-

-Franscesca Gino

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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ARCHITECTS ROLES

BEFORE

ARCHITECTS ATTAINED MORE ROLES CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ARCHITECTS ROLES

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ARCHITECTS’ ROLE IS MARGINALISED

Fig.18 The role of architects with and without curiosity

RECLAIMING RELEVANCE + ENGAGING WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES

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ARCHITECTS

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OTHER INDUSTRIES

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hire for curiosity The first point is for these leaders to recognise that most people perform their best not because they are specialists and savvy architects, but because their focused skill is supported by intellectual curiosity. Knowledge and deep skill specialisation and discipline are traits of curiosity. For this reason, architects and architecturally trained can be hired for the curiosity instead of their knowledge. Even though the knowledgeable architect performs specific tasks very well, she/he is generally less exciting to work with and have a lower capacity for innovation. The intellectually curious architect, on the other hand, is full of surprises. Be rest assured that this individual is going to be doing

his job, while constantly chasing her/ his curiosity, and coming up with new questions and ideas that benefit the architecture practice. “Nearly every entrepreneur will tell you that their early ignorance of the road ahead, coupled with insatiable curiosity, was a more powerful force than a mass of market knowledge,�

(Morehouse, 2017:online). Architectural practices can learn a thing or two from startups, because if knowledge drove innovation, then startups would mostly be created by aging and knowledgeable individuals. By hiring for curiosity, architects will never be so knowledgeable as to lose the naive optimism of new and exciting discoveries lurking around the corner.

hire inquisitive

hire fun

hire unconventional hire different

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hire curious

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bring back the cabinets Before Pinterest, before magazines and books with pretty pictures, there were the ‘Wunderkammer’. Wonder-rooms were cabinets of curiosities, popular in Renaissance Europe. Kings and aristocrats showcased their most precious objects in “tiny memory theatres,” as Dunne (2013) explains.

The most important aspect of Wunderkammer is that their owners used them as a tool to draw inspiration and stimulate their curiosity. One of the most famous Wunderkammers of the 1700s belonged to a Danish fellow unfortunately named Ole Worm (Fig.19). The architects Todd Williams and Billie Tsien have resurrected these

Fig.19 Ole Worm’s cabinet of curiosity [source: wikipedia.com]

cabinets, by inviting forty-two architects and designers to create their cabinets of curiosities and showcase them at the 2012 Venice Biennale. In the epoch of digital information-overload, stimulants and inspiration are virtually everywhere and nowhere; architects need to create their cabinets of curiosities (Fig. 20). It is without effort that one can stop learning and searching due to the actions being overwhelming. Raising that desire to explore through something physical holds something precious and dear, that not only stimulates thinking but brings people together to formulate ideas collaboratively.

Fig.20 Bring back the modest cabinets of exploration and inspiration

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drop the vision The vision of the architecture practice is counter-productive and is in part responsible for the desaturation of the architects’. It is time that they drop their precious vision (Fig 21). Even though visions play a vital role in the organisation and structuring of the architecture practice, and the promotion of its services, they are far too rigid, and we should get rid of them altogether.

By disposing of the vision, practices can allow room for curious enquiries and exploration. This affects the practice in

the long-term by empowering it to be more flexible and adaptable around shift and changes in the market and industry. By not being rigid in their very existence, architects can step out of their profession and use their capacity for learning to penetrate and impact other parallel professions, possibly reclaiming some of their lost roles and relevance.

VISION

CURIOSITY

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Fig.21 Visions are narrow-minded Drop them.

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model inquisitiveness

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Architects should encourage curiosity within their practices by being inquisitive themselves. One way to do this is simply by acknowledging that they do not know everything and that learning is an unceasing process and does not happen solely within the realms of architecture.

Most importantly, architects should acknowledge when they do not know the answer. This recognition illuminates the fact that the answer can be guided by the exploration of new novel possibilities-a process that generates a pulse of constant and ‘real’ innovation that brings with it adaptation and change.

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be like paul Paul Iddon, an architect and a managing director in a marketing company, gave a lecture on and marketing strategies and his own experience, at Manchester School of Architecture, as part of the Professional Studies 3 course in October 2018.

His presentation was absorbing and engaging, and this is not because he is a confident speaker He is not.

However, Paul is intellectually curious.

Paul’s cultivated curiosity has led him to a path of exploration, where after twenty-five years of being an architect, he decided to take the leap and discover the world of a new profession: marketing (Fig.22). To get to that point, it took Paul disciplined efforts and deep que`stioning of the

role of architects and profession’s relevance. Via his curiosity, he identified architecture’s ‘information gap’. Doing so, he has managed to create a new market altogether by working in parallel with the realms of architecture and marketing. Moreover, Paul’s trait of humility allowed him to have an open mind and accept that he does not know everything, and coupled with his curiosity and empathy, in understanding the world, set him on a quest for knowledge, experience and novelty.

Architects should be more like Paul.

They can be, and they need to be, now more than ever.

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ARCHITECTURE

Fig.22 Paul in action

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PAUL MARKETING

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Bonus figure: Curiosity is much more complex and expanding than we think it is.

It is made up of our memories, knowledge and experience, all of which

come together, piece by piece, to create the uniform desire for more,

for the new, the unexpected, the other.

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be a child Comes the point when many architects gain enough experience they accept the length and breadth of their knowledge and acknowledge that this is what they need to do their job and get paid. Therefore, they stop asking questions. For some people, this may work for now, but it will most probably not work into the future when faced against challenges and technology. In such a future they will not be doing their job nor getting paid. Architects need to consciously contemplate and formulate questions, similar to the eagerness in learning by children. However, they should not be naïve in asking questions, for the sake of asking them, but instead be critical, observant and disciplined with this process. By being inquisitive,

and immersing themselves in a curious culture, architects can remove their preconceptions and unconscious bias.

To live in such a culture is to be part of a more connected society. If architects, an architecturally-trained, start asking questions in the search for a better built environment, then they can begin to question aspects outside of their territory, something that can potentially lead to a more resilient society. Acting childish might well be the way for architects to grow up.

“We run this company [Google] on questions, not answers” -52-

-Eric Schmidt

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ANSWER

Fig.23 When looking for an answer, curious people find themselves exploring side territories that lead to new paths and questions

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QUESTION

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10% wonder To battle the very nature of stagnation and incuriosity, architects, specifically the leaders of architectural practices, can provide employees with the time to pursue personal interests and develop questions and deep queries. My recommendation is to conduct this process on a 10% basis (Fig. 23). That is 10% of architects’ total work hours, which for a 40 hour-week comes out to be 4 hours. That can be spread throughout the week, making this a daily activity, or it could be utilised in its entirety, say the whole Friday afternoon. Time devoted on personal side projects can lead to innovation and

performance improvement, which in turn gives architects space to learn and think deeply and critically. A practice that can then unlock their full potential, and place them in a position to be more open and empathetic to creative decision-making. The world most advanced market, the tech industry, has been implementing similar policies for a few years now (Subramanian, 2013). I believe the architecture profession can learn and adapt some of the processes that ‘tech giants’, such as Google, Amazon and Apple, adopt and innovate upon.

10% WONDER

90% WORK

PERSONAL INTERESTS

PROFESSIONAL TASKS

WONDER BENEFITS WORK

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Fig.23 Architects should have time and space, within the workplace, to pursue their own interests

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encounter your curiosity The architecture practice can become a place of exploration and knowledge, that is not forced, by cultivated and nurtured. Also, based on the 10% wonder, architects have clarity on what their curious traits, which can make them more focused and disciplined in the way they approach side projects and personal quests.

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The ‘Curiosity Matrix’ is based on the ‘Five Dimensions of Curiosity’ model

by Kashdan et al. (2018) but goes further into making it more specific, in this case being aimed at architects and the architectural profession.

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

The ‘Curiosity Matrix’, included on the next page, is a tool that enables architects to become aware of how they are curious. Using this tool ,Architects are, for the fist time, able to measure the level and intensity of their curiosity within the workplace, which can help them cultivate their curiosity, and be specific about the way to do it.

Because knowing truly the way one is curious, only then the full potential of the information gap can be unlocked.

Moreover, leaders in architecture practices can use this guide to better understand their employees’ desires and traits. They can theyn encourage the employees to bring their real everyday curious self at the office.

INSTRUCTIONS [A] Use the scale below to indicate the degree to which the following statements describe you, and place the number in the box next to the stamement.

[B] Calculate the average score for each dimensions.

[C] Determine the result and see whether you are Low, Medium or High on each dimension.

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the curiosity matrix

RESULT

L

<3.7

M

+/- 4.9

H

>6.0

Seeking to reduce gaps in knowledge.

Anxiety and tension are more notable than joy.

STATEMENT

DEPRIV SENSIT

SCORE

I perceive challenges as opportunities to learn and grow I ďŹ nd learning new information fascinating

JOYO EXPLOR

I enjoy learning about topics I am not familiar with I seek opportunities that challenge the way I am thinking about myself and the world I pursue work that allows me to think deeply about matters AVG.

RESULT

L

<3.0

M

+/- 4.4

H

>5.8

The desire to know about other people through observation, talking and listening to conversations.

SOC CURIO

SCORE

STATEMENT I ďŹ nd risk taking exhilirating Excitingly unpredictable are my ideal kind of friends

THR SEEK

I feel alive and excited when I am doing something new I prefer unplanned rather than planned adventures In my spare time, I like to do things that are scary and dangerous RESULT

L -56-

AVG.

>5.8

M

+/- 4.4

H

<3.1

The inclination to accept and harness anxiety and doubt associated with novelty.

STR TOLER

RILL KING

RESS RANCE

5

6

7

Completely Generally Mostly describes me describes me describes me

STATEMENT

SCORE

I spend hours working on a problem because I cannot rest without knowing the answer I get frustrated when I do not have all the information I need I find myself working relentlessly on problems that I feel must be resovled.

Deeply thinking about work-related problems can keep me up at night It frustrates me when I cannot figure out a problem, so I work even harder to solve it RESULT The desire to seek knowledge, and the successive pleasurable state of joy.

L

<4.1

AVG.

M

+/- 5.2

H

>6.3

STATEMENT

SCORE

I enjoy learning about the habits of my colleagues and clients I like listening to my colleagues’ conversations I like to observe and understand people’s behaviour When colleagues have an argument, I like to know what it is about I like to know what people are talking about when near me AVG.

RESULT The readiness to take on risks to obtain experiences that are intense, atypical and complex.

L

<2.6

M

+/- 3.9

H

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CIAL OSITY

4 Neutral

>5.2

STATEMENT

/

OUS RATION

1 2 3 Does not Barely Somewhat describe me describes me describes me

SCORE

The smallest doubt stops me from participating in new experiences Uncertain conditions generate stress that I cannot handle My lack of confidence make it hard for me to explore new ideas and innovate Not knowing whether a new experience is safe renders me unable to function The possibilty of being taken by surprise makes it very hard for me to concentrate AVG.

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VATON TIVITY

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types of curious architects

THE AVOIDER

Low on all dimensions, particularly Stress Tolerance

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THE PROBLEM SOLVER

High on Deprivation Sensitivty, medium on all others

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THE FASCINATED

High on all dimensions particularly Joyous Exploration

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High on Social Curiosity, medium to low on all others

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THE EMPATHIZER

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CONCLUSION The guide is divided into three chapters with the intention of encouraging further exploration to each of the topics discussed within them. By providing an outline of the dimensions and forms of curiosity and what makes humans curious, the reader is encouraged to question its very nature and create her/his understanding of curiosity’s impact on our lives. Additionally, urgency is raised by touching on a pressing matter; the marginalisation and desaturation of the role of architects that threatens its very existence. A matter that we should all be engaging with, as the future of our built environment is at stake.

Drastic measures are not always the right way when it comes to complex issues such as this one, and this is demonstrated by the ‘soft’ behavioural adaptations and propositions put forward within this guide. Architects must be like Harry. By engaging with their

intellectual curiosity and following our desire to fill our information gaps, architects can reinvent ourselves and jumpstart the architectural profession. However, for the curiosity strategy proposals to work, the architecture profession needs to embrace them collectively and adopt them within practice policies and professional codes of conduct.

Curiosity is an emotion. Curiosity is a muscle. Curiosity is a desire. Curiosity is absorbing. Curiosity is change.

Architects need to cultivate their curiosity if they are to survive if they are to endure and remain relevant.

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious” -Albert -60-

Einstein

Curiosity is a muscle, and just like all muscles it needs to be exercised

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PART 2

REFLECTION

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groupwork

SELF-APPRAISAL

Within the team that formed Ctrl+Alt, I attained multiple roles, with the most significant one being that of a leader.

Firstly, I realised that being a leader in such a large group is a tough job. I realised how critical collaboration is in the development of substantial outputs, such as the creation of a practice in this case. None of what we have done would ever be possible if it were not for efficient and effective group collaboration and communication.

However, more importantly, I learnt that it does not matter how competent the team members are, without adequate leadership and guidance, there will be chaos. Trying to balance my team members’ queries, make sure we are collaborating at our most efficient, while also conduct my part, has felt overwhelming at times. I managed to handle this role well, but I believe there is much more room for development, and leadership is an area I want to work on improving. Being a leader and an organiser, required me to be critical

and efficient with what is being said and done, however my feeling of not wanting to let people down or ‘hurt’ their feelings stopped me from acting in this manner at times. When it comes to working in practice, this is an essential skill and one that I want to master.

Also, I learnt that it might be hard and at times uncomfortable to motivate people within a team, yet very rewarding experience. Throughout the project, I was a good listener and observer, which proved to be of vital importance as I was able to distinguish the traits and skillset of each team member. This enabled me to develop a plan of work, dividing the team into small specialised sub-groups dedicated to working at different parts of the project. Although this worked well, what I learnt at the very end is that by exposing people to what they were good at, restrained them from getting out of their comfort zone and learn to develop new skills and knowledge.

Again, this is an aspect I will work on improving for the future.

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individual work

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REFLECTION

This is an aspect of the architecture profession that I did not know much about before the Professional Studies 3 course, and even though I have a better understanding now, there is still so much more complex matters to get engaged with. I aim to develop this part of my knowledge by engaging more closely with the profession and industry, especially after the Part 2 course.

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

What I am glad I did regarding the individual coursework, is that I started working on it very early on, even before we received instructions for it.

I had wanted to conduct research and critical work along the lines of curiosity in architecture for quite a while now, and I grabbed this opportunity the moment I saw it. This coursework has turned my interest into the trait of curiosity into a true passion. Through this, I learnt that following an interest or passion, such as this one, can lead to many surprises and explorations which could potentially affect your oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction and career path. This work has affected me immensely, and I will be looking for opportunities to continuing it in the future. Furthermore, I approached the individual coursework not merely through a personal desire, but also from an interest to learn about professional world of architecture and understand why and how the role of the architect is being diminished.

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my next steps During my year-out in practice, I worked at two medium-sized practices in the Netherlands. One of them was rigid and traditional and the other open and multi-disciplinary. I specifically chose two opposing approaches to expose myself to the diverse ways of doing things within the architecture field. I felt very uncomfortable and out of place at the traditional practice, almost to the point where I did not want to carry on with the Part 2. The second practice provided me with a new perspective on things can be done more efficiently and effectively while keeping the morale high and the work more interesting. Also, being exposed to other disciplined on a daily basis within the office was incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I gained varied knowledge, but most importantly I learn how much I do not know. I found my â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;information gapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and I will be looking to work at a practice of a similar way of approach.

Instead of getting a job at a practice here in Manchester, I decided to try working freelance during my studies, and that work extremely well.

I am working on mainly graphic design projects with clients from all over the world. It is a fantastic experience from which I learn a lot from. Continue working as a freelance after my graduation is definitely one of my options.

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On another note, is the first time I am expressing my thoughts and thinking on my work experience.

I have to say that it helps and puts everything in perspective. Perhaps the Professional Studies could run reflection sessions, where students are given the opportunity to talk and listen to each other. We do not do that as much as we should do.

Following my graduation, I would like to work in the UK, because I want to engage more with policy and regulations, and because I have to in order to get the Part 3, as I do not yet have UK experience. I understand that this goal could prove to be difficult to get due to the (possible) departure of the UK from the EU and the uncertainty that the Brexit environment brings. However, using my determination, commitment and curiosity, I am confident I will reach my goal.

Lastly, my long-term goal is to attempt and influence the architectural profession, and its peripheries, with the Curiosity Guide. I will begin by exploiting my connections with two architecture magazines, for which I worked as an Intern for, and share some the thinking that went in this guide, with the world. An ambition of mine is to establish my own business which blurs the boundaries of architecture, and operates on the virtue of intellectual curiosity.

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swot analysis

WEAKNESSES

- Determinated and hard working

- Lack of experience

- Multi-disciplinary work experience

- Lack of industry knowledge

- Proactive and a good leader

- Average detailing skills

- Good time management skills

- Not engaging in debates

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

- Brexit uncertainty

- Diversify my skills

- Very competitive market

- Engage with other professions

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THREATS

REFLECTION

- Work outside of the UK

CURIOSITY: A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS

- Intellectually curious

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on professional studies 3 The Professional Studies 3 (PS3) course is a tremendous asset, regardless if we, the students, decided to follow a different trajectory. The diverse range and breadth of expertise and knowledge delivered has been astounding. This has been a pleasant surprise for me, as I was unsure as to what the course was about at the beginning of the academic year. It is fundamentally different from Professional Studies 1 and 2 that we undertook in Year 01 of the MArch Architecture. Those courses are design and research driven, whereas PS3 is business and industry driven. Furthermore, PS3 provides a great framework and understanding of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;outside worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, from the financial matters of practice to risks and party walls. It is all in there. The PS3 lectures are also an invaluable opportunity for students to engage with these matters and create connections between industry pioneers and leaders. Personally, the course made me interested in matters that

I considered to be dull and tedious.

Architecture is not merely about design, but also about how to run a successful and profitable business, and stay on top of pressing challenges within a vulnerable socioeconomic environment.

We, students, graduates and architects need to be more aware of such matters, educate ourselves and become exposed to them only by understanding where our place of belonging within this environment, we can make a change and propel ourselves and the profession into the future.

stay curious

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Ignatius, A. (2018) ‘Cultivate Curiosity.’ Harvard Business Review, p. 14.

Jacobs, J. (1961) The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House Inc. Jamieson, C. (2013) Future of Architects. London: RIBA. Kashdan, T. (2018) What Are the Five Dimensions of Curiosity? Psychology Today.

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