DESIGNERS WILL BECOME “MUTAGENS”

Architects and designers worldwide are confronted with a very interesting choice. We could say that our profession is in between ‘utopia and oblivion.’ It will be oblivion if we continue focusing on minor aesthetic problems. However, it might turn into utopia if we are able to tackle the major societal challenges of our time, starting from the issues of equity.

In order to achieve the latter, we require a different approach. I would argue for a paradigm shift from the ego-fueled visions of architecture of the 20th century to a collaborative, inclusive, network-driven process inspired by 21st-century, digital-driven trends such as crowd-sourcing, open access, and mass customization. I think the architects and designers today are well placed to play an orchestrating role, what we could define as a ‘choral’ one: being the ones who can coordinate several voices, harmonizing them into a better ensemble.

“Designers should become what, in biology, is referred to as ‘mutagen’–an agent that produces mutations in the artificial world. Interaction among disciplines and people is crucial.”