Looking back in a time of rapid change

Looking back in a time of rapid change

Part 1 - Architects

The world is going through a period of rapid change. The construction industry is feeling the effects and while disruption can change things for the better it can be challenging. The industry is dealing with daily issues of rising material costs, material shortages and long consent delays.

The recent Easter and ANZAC weekend breaks has allow me time to breath. I spent some of the break sorting out my library of architecture magazines and came across the July/August 1995 edition of Architecture New Zealand. I started work as a Architecture Graduate in December 1990 and over that time there has been considerable change.

The image above shows a rather dapper architect wearing a suite with patterned tie clutching a large mobile phone in one hand and a roll of drawings in the other. We tend to dress more casually these days, our phones became tiny before increasing in size as we used them for far more than making just a phone call and we often carry a laptop to show clients our designs. We still give clients drawings but I bet the ones in this guys hands were printed on an ammonia printer and those of my generation will know joys of using one of them.

Apart from being amused by what seems now to be a dated image I loved the advert heading, "Good design starts with a phone call". Back in 1995 it was almost that simple, how things have changed.

Look out for the next part of this storey where I discuss further areas of change in the Architecture Profession.