Small Architecture Case Study

The future of the small architecture practice

Is the architecture practice as we know it having a turning point?
How will practices be in the nearly future? Will be small and medium sized practices sustainable?

Nowadays it is clear that the profession is undergoing a significant change: the high competence between colleagues, the small amount of projects and contracts, underpaid or even unpaid jobs, the specialization of a firm or to be multifunctional, the new technologies and BIM, the called ‘super-architects’ and the unknown local firms…
To be local or global, to form multidisciplinary teams and collaborations: are they items that foster the change or are they changes themselves?
Is not in fact a major change in the architecture
Because of this rapidly and continuously changing, it is considered of relevance to spot first some of the main factors that have triggered the current situation to highlight after the characteristics and skills in higher demand :
- Economic issues:
Since 2007, the whole Europe/World is immersed in an economic recession (see Fig.1 and 2) within a direct consequence of/in the construction sector due to the property boom. Lots of housing units were built up in few years, which have resulted not only in low-quality housing units at very high sale prices but also in that many dormitory neighborhoods/ towns have ended up as 'ghost neighborhoods/tows'; people cannot effort to buy their own houses or even a large amount of buildings were unfinished leaving lots of five-storey concrete sculptures across the European landscape.
This construction sector's behavior have a direct influence in the next issue:
- Social
Before the s.XXI, the architect was a figure very well positioned in the society, faced as an artist but also a crafts handyman; it was a figure of respectful professionalism, with a wide range of knowledge in Arts, History and Techniques.
However, today it is hard to give you space in the society as an architect, as it seems we are positioned at society's eyes as charging disproportionate honoraries and/or fees or even being 'on the gravy train'.
How should we change that social image? And how could we help society's needs as architects were doing in the past times?
Definitely turning in more social - community oriented practices - where not only we could develop philanthropic projects or helping in developing countries but also helping small communities from where we work - more than commercial or iconic and expensive constructions to earn fast money or being well-known.
" "Does the architect have a future?"
If the question already contains a dangerous dose of hopelessness, is also a clear sign of self-criticism. This, which for many can be considered counterproductive, for others it may be the beginning of a healthier reformulation of the connections between architecture and