Abstract

We typically think of Architecture as a process of design, one where the creative impetus is in the hands of the person drawing the plans and elevations which dictate the form and function of each project. This “watchmaker” is responsible for coding our built environment, which in turns leads to the diversity of the spaces we see around us. In many ways, the decisions made by an architect – the spectacle of the façade, the flow of the interior, and the materials used can be viewed as the DNA of our cities, our homes. In biology, our genes are inherited from our progenitors, and similarly, each generation of Architects bears the traits of the generation before, their ideologies passed on. But missing from this model is the context and the environment into which the building is laid. No building can exist in isolation to any other, and no building is engaged with solely by the Architect. By the time the final brick has been laid, there are typically a multitude of changes and alterations which the building has been subjected to; from the work of electricians and plumbers to the discrepancies that become evident in the existing drawings, to the whims of the client, the distance between the intended form and the realised form begins to widen. Then the doors are opened and humans begin to inhabit these spaces, adding fixtures, breaking things, and generally just behaving unpredictably. Add to the equation weather and geological changes and over a relatively short time, the building can become as unrecognisable as a cousin you met once when you were five who has been living in Australia and now looks more like a badly worn leather satchel than the pale dark-haired girl you remembered. These changes form the second part of the story of how a building can be given life.

In biology, we are in the midst of a seismic revolution, where scientists are beginning for the first time to understand the magnitude of the role that epigenetics play in defining our physical make-up. Not only do environmental conditions influence the tiniest interactions between cells in our bodies and create the template for each successive generation, they are also responsible for literally altering our DNA, even as we live and breathe. This feedback loop is just beginning to be understood, where DNA influences behaviour, which influences our environment, which in turn influences our DNA. The same is true of our buildings, and the Architects who design them. As with every other major scientific discovery, and every other shift in our understanding of the fundamental properties of the universe, the work of designers will be carried along in the wake of these discoveries, and their work impacted profoundly.

Here, you are invited to take part in realising a designed form, adding your own particular brand of chaos to the mix, and together working to create something spectacular.

Benjamin Davis