Architecture and Labor

    In the Ted Talk, Deamer describes work aphasia, and what it is like to be in the architectural career. She explains that architects tend to doubt their work, and whether it should actually count as work. This is mainly due to the existing structure of the career. As architecture does not create an end product, it creates a design of the product, the work of an architect does not seem like it is real, as a physical product is not produced. It seems to be too creative. This produces self doubt in architects' minds. Deamer argues that even art raised its standards, and it's seen as a work.. hence being called a "work of art"- and architects must strive to do the same.

    Design work having little to no risk, reward, and control can leave the architects in a state of mental limbo. Feeling not accomplished in their personal career as no physical product is created by their hand, but being a part of the process keeps the notion of producing something intact. For the most part, this creates a "simulacra of a yet known reality." For the majority of the time, we are designing things that are not yet existent, or may never exist in the future. 

    Having expectations of working as many hours as possible to finish for deadlines, only for the work to disappear into the void, can have many negative mental effects on a person. I know I personally have experienced extreme burnout. Semester after semester of putting a massive amount of mental effort into creating my best project yet - all for it to end and be forgotten once the next semester starts- can be close to feeling grief. This is what is meant by creating a "model unhealthy citizen."

    Deamer states that "architecture does not have activism in its DNA." Artists have fought to prove their art is work that has monetary value. Why should we come to accept that our figurative work is not? There is a lot that we can learn from art, as the architecture culture. Artists do not suffer with work aphasia. Their work can be seen as a performance of social awareness in order to prove that they self identify as a worker. It is only Wright for architects to fight for their own works of art, as artists, as laborers, as workers.

    Building information modeling has transformed architectural practices by taking the triad of the architect, the client and constructor, and transforming it into a wide web of professionals with specific knowledge on what is necessary for the project. In this case, each participant becomes a designer, and is capable of producing work alongside the client. For the most part, it has created paths for architects where their work is tangible. This is an easy way to get out of the mind set that architects only produce drawings as a work of fiction, and actually interact with their work on a daily basis.