COLUMN: Jacob Voorthuis Jacob Voorthuis is a publicist, speaker and lecturer at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He professes enthusiastically about philosophy, art history and architecture.
The subject I was supposed to respond to in my
within the discipline of architecture, which, in
are not approaching their task in the spirit of
column was the ‘the occasionally conflicting
his time, would have included the disciplines
their university-level professionalism. What we
relationship between what an architect wants,
of mechanical engineering, civil engineering,
do not want is compromise. Compromise is a
and what the structural engineer can achieve’.
military engineering, structural engineering,
situation in which no one is completely happy
That is an important subject and one that
building technology, industrial design,
and the intellectual challenge has not been met.
we should be able to be brief about. If such
architecture and urban planning. The structural
So rather than settling for compromise which is
a relationship does indeed end in conflict,
engineer, the systems engineer and the designer
often mistaken for wisdom, but is in fact a form
both parties should feel properly ashamed
of cities are, in his world, as much ‘architects’ as
of intellectual cowardice, let’s give real wisdom
of themselves. And with that we have said
the designer of houses and temples. I for one
a chance to have a go at this knotty issue. And
everything that should need to be said about
heartily agree with that notion and if we all did,
that wisdom should be given a chance to solve
it. The reason for both parties to feel ashamed
it would mean that anything we design needs to
our dilemma is in itself a wise decision as both
should after all be perfectly clear and obvious to
be sturdy enough for forthright and robust use,
‘wanting something’ and ‘being able to do
anyone with a modicum of wisdom.
useful enough for the purposes it is intended
something’ are the prime concerns for wisdom
and attractive both to use and to behold. Surely
to grapple with.
However, just in case there are a few doling
I am not saying anything new here. So when
creatures among the Chepos readership for
a structural engineer and an architect together
Wisdom is the knowledge of good means to
whom this isn’t the case, I shall rehearse the
face a challenge they should both be familiar
good ends and the ability to value both ends
argument in concise terms. Vitruvius imposed
with the criteria upon which their own work will
and means appropriately. The wise person
three criteria for good architecture: any instance
be judged by society.
knows to apply the right means to achieve
of architecture, he wrote, should be durable,
worthwhile ends and to value both the ends he
in other words it should be able to withstand
So what happens when a conflict arises such as
pursues and the means he employs to pursue
the use made of it under normal to reasonably
was described by my dear editor? The architect
them in relation to the greater issues of life
extreme conditions; it should be useful, at least
wants something and the structural engineer
and society. Now you might say, Jacob, that is
for the uses it is intended for, and it should
can’t deliver. We appear to have two options:
wonderful news, but not all of us are wise. Well,
be attractive both to use and to behold. After
either the architect should want something
that is precisely the reason for those who are not
all there is no need to spit people in the face
else or the structural design should do a bit
wise to feel shame and to begin to do something
with your public creations. Even for the most
more research. However, this should be the
about it. Wisdom is after all there to be had
radical, innovative and ambitious architecture
kind of situation any self-respecting architect
by anyone who wants it. That does need to be
we do not need to give an inch with regard
and structural engineer should relish. Problems
qualified. It is true that being a wise man is in
to these criteria. Furthermore they will do
like that are what innovation is all about! The
principle accessible to anyone capable of being
for anything that Vitruvius saw as included
arising of a conflict surely means that they
a man, and being a wise mother is accessible to
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COLUMN: JACOB VOORTHUIS