The Identity of the Architect: Culture and Communication(Architectural Design)

Today there are more tools for communication than ever before, yet very little in the way of reflection on how these are being used and even less on what exactly is being conveyed. This issue of AD looks at how architecture is communicated from a cultural perspective. Do the identities of practices or their business-driven branding and promotional efforts resonate with the critical acclaim many architects seek? Has slick image-led media coverage sold the profession short? How is it possible to convey the less visual and haptic qualities of architecture? Can architects be more creative in their communication efforts, making these joyous on their own terms as Le Corbusier did so memorably? Is there really a need to succumb to the world of corporate marketing processes and managerial business jargon?   The issue explores notions of editing and curating work in an age of data deluge, and discusses social media as a genuinely alternative space for communication rather than for just repurposing and regurgitating information relayed. The Identity of the Architect encourages the promotion of practices as an integral extension of the very culture they hope to engender through their work.  Contributors: Stephen Bayley, Caroline Cole, Adam Nathaniel Furman, Gabor Gallov, Jonathan Glancey, Justine Harvey, Owen Hopkins, Crispin Kelly, Jay Merrick, Robin Monotti, Juhani Pallasmaa, Vicky Richardson, Jenny Sabin, and Austin Williams. Featured architects: Ian Ritchie, BIG, MVRDV, IF_DO and Zaha Hadid Architects

Table of Contents:
Ch 1 Chapter Introduction Creating Worlds: How Identities Are Lost and Found Ch 2 Rise, Fall and Reinvention: The Architect's Shifting Identity Ch 3 Design for Sensory Reality: From Visuality to Existential Experience Ch 4 Slippery When Wet: The Corporate Language of Architecture Ch 5 A Hybrid Practice Model: Expert Differentiation Ch 6 The Man in the Concrete Mask: The Metamorphosis of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret Ch 7 Worldcraft: Building Worlds One Project at a Time Ch 8 Observations on Drawing: The Art of Architecture Ch 9 The Personal is Universal: On Aldo Rossi's Autobiography Ch 10 Working with Architects: From Process to Identity Ch 11 Exhibiting Architecture: Between the Profession and the Public Ch 12 Test Bed: Communication Through Product Design Ch 13 The Social Media Monster: Dangers and Thrills Only Partially Glimpsed Ch 14 China's Global Introspection: Managing Critical Thinking Ch 15 New Architecture of the South Pacific: How the Maori Worldview is Changing New Zealand's Built Environment Ch 16 Figure Heads: Leadership and Succession in Architectural Practice Ch 17 'They've Lost It' – A Balancing Act: MVRDV and the Language of Marketing Ch 18 The Image of Architects: From the Explicit to the Inexplicit Ch 19 Holding On to Our Principles: Why Manifestoes Matter Ch 20 The Public Role of the Architect: Architecture is the Medium – What is the Message? Ch 21 Counterpoint – The Selfie of an Architect

About the Author :
Laura Iloniemi hasworked with architects for over twenty years, advising them on how to lead and support their promotional efforts. Her clients are largely London based, but she has also worked with practices in Europe and the US. Her approach is curatorial, informed by her education in architectural theory and museology. She has collaborated on a number of exhibitions, books and symposia including the V&A’s ‘Sustaining Identity’ series. She has worked with celebrated practices, such as Cecil Balmond's Advanced Geometry Unit at Arup, Sauerbruch Hutton and Donald Insall Associates. She has spoken internationally and contributed to a number of magazines on the topic of architectural communications and PR.