RECORD – AUGUST 2012

http://archrecord.construction.com/practice/2012/1208_practice.asp

I have been waiting for a long time to write about this topic: the current situation of  architects in Spain. I´d rather not say this, but it is  really outrageous, and particularly that of the professional associations of architects called in Spanish “ Colegios profesionales de arquitectos”. I wish I had written this long before, when I had the chance, because I am not used to complaining and to criticizing the situation of our professional careers as architects.

The writer of the article explained to us that  architects in Spain are going through a very bad situation after the collapse of the speculative building bubble and that situation has not changed from 2012 to nowadays. He stated that the architects are trying to adapt their situation to the  real needs but he didn´t suggest to us what we should do and particularly what  the professional associations of architects should do  and what they are doing; it leaves me cold. We are really in an emergency situation with more than 50% of unemployment, and the people who are working in general  are in a very bad situation. Therefore we can´t make up our mind whether to fight again this situation, alone or as a group. I think that the professional associations should have been converted in international employment agencies a while back and should look for architect jobs around the world, make contacts with another professional associations, export knowledge and create an international Spanish architect network with the new social media.

Nowadays it is a pity that a generation of architects has been lost and it´s time to emigrate for them if they want to work as architects; but it is not the same to look for a job alone as when an institution is helping you to find the best place  for you with the international connections between professional associations. Furthermore, I don´t understand the actual policy of the professional associations, where only a few architects with a name are giving talks about the philosophy of  architecture. Talks where only  a few people go   when the number of architects in the professional association of architects of Murcia is around three thousand. Besides, I think that the way to learn is working in the problems that a city or a building has, because each situation has its own needs and way to undertake  its problems. I think that an architect can learn to put into practice his knowledge by working in the needs of a city of India, working in the open spaces of Hong Kong, interior spaces in a single family house in Dubai or creating a new building in Wellington, New Zealand. We need an international view of the problems of urban design, building construction and civil engineering, and working each one depending of his needs.