Name : Asa Darmatriaji, Matrikel Nummer: 4053184

Architecture of 21st Century

Rethinking of architecture content and architect’s role in everyday life

The inescapable worlds of digital age on the 21st century is moving rapidly nowadays tending and force
everyone to at least link and connected to the wireless world in everyday life, everywhere in part of the
world. With the advent of computer technology, it makes design more accessible to everyone and it
brought us to redefine the process of design, it readjusts us toward an instant city rather than physical
development. In architecture field, the emergent software’s that are capable to give flexibility for
architects to shape their architecture in more advance way, its tending to drive all the emerging
architects take a longer route within their design process in the computerization based thought and the
unavoidable aspect which lead them toward minimum consideration to what in fact happened in the
everyday life. In Field Conditions, Stan Allen wrote that “Form matters, but not so much the forms of
things as the forms between things” and Allen pleads that architecture that is both a product of and a
response to the modern-day daily activities and act upon it. Presumably architecture has to focus in
larger pictures that exemplify the surrounding vigor characteristics.

The direct translation of a term, fold, this term taken from Gilles Deuleuze’s book Le Pli, which
characterized most of architects in the last decade, for example the work of Massimiliano Fuksas, New
Milan Trade Fair, which demonstrating an undulating roof that in some parts turn to be a wall and even
turned to be floor or it is a continuation of roof shape that covering 1300m length and 32m wide. It blurs
the definition of floor, wall, roof which is in a way promoting what Greg Lynn called smooth architecture
both visual and mathematic sense to what Lynn’s belief it is a composition of disparate elements that is
relative to the discerning chef. By observing the intention to what Lynn’s interested with the
architecture that exploits connections between elements instead of emphasizing contradictions, for
instance his well known works, blob wall, 2008, it exemplifies mixed technique of automobile,
aeronautic which was never brought to architecture before, this collaboration between architecture
industry and automobile industry brought a proximity to whatever architects wanted to do, these days it
is possible in terms of form by having a digital fabrication processes, the only limitation that is still
appear as the boundary is the economic value toward its production. Another example, In appearance
of hardware such as laser cuter, CNC milling machine, 3d printing, it gives a new mixture in terms of
production time for the rapid prototyping, despite that by having these new possibilities it leads an
architect profession into several questions, is an architect also a sculptor? Is now an architect can design
everything, include automobile? Is interior designer will be replaced by architects or even vice versa? Is
architect as profession still valid within this energetic digital age? Relating to few questions that are
mentioned as follow, it is a condition where the availability of the information and flexibility through
internet, particularly in terms of architecture field should not be trapped in the adulation which created
by the cyber space world which diluted the perception, perceivability for what architecture should be in
the future. In this decade, architecture as an event space or pavilion space, architecture toward advance
production system, computer mere as a tool for architects, smooth architecture as an alternative
transformation and also curving away from deconstructivism. But it should not move into something
that fixated to the cosmetic as Jeffrey Kipnis argue to what Herzog de Meuron typified on their work
that often high consideration on details, eye catching materials and stunning facades compare to
attention of radical experiments to what is needed to be observed in terms of context and content.
Nevertheless, Kipnis said that it was a brilliant thought leading to a voluptuous observation of their
cosmetic techniques.

If we take a look to what Rem Koolhaas is trying to do in this decade, is bringing architecture not mere
as a representational object or form of symbolism, with his own distinct way which Robert Somol and
Sarah Whiting find that architecture should be an adaptive synthesis of many contingencies, rather than
isolating a singular autonomy, and in a way it must be a force and effect which apodictically taking into
consideration all aspects of material, program, atmosphere, form, technologies, economies, and etc.
Quote from Delirious New York "a social condenser generating and intensifying desirable forms of
human intercourse." (Koolhaas, 1978), here he found that the programmes inside The Downtown
Athletic Club is the desire of what people “needs”, It is a skyscraper, in New York. Its exterior is not quite
different from any other skyscraper around it, while its interior stores a health club. It also has a golf
course on the 7th floor, a swimming pool on the 12th floor, a garden on the 17th floor and boxing-,
squash-, handball- and billiards facilities are spread around. Next to all the sport theme programmes are
restaurants and bedrooms all over the building. Having understand from a clear example that Rem
Koolhaas brought up, what people “desired”? It might be the suitable understanding from this decade
they desired all their basic necessities and maybe their extravagant necessities.

While in the other hand a major theme that often being mentioned at anytime about green architecture,
which is totally opposite to what Eduardo Souto de Moura beliefs “for me architecture is a global issue
there is no ecological architecture, no intelligent architecture, no fascist architecture, and no sustainable
architecture – there is only good and bad architecture. There are always problems we must not neglect;
for example energy, resources, costs, social aspects – one must always pay attention to all these!” here I
underlined there is only a good and bad architecture, it is a clear manifesto which run against what
people called green architecture which intend to bring the perceiveability to what is already exist such
as a “green” building will use as little energy as possible and will make the most of the embodied energy
required to build it. For instance, Norman Foster projects that often use the way of passive cooling and
heating ideas, Ken Yeang with bringing in more lights toward mid-rise and high rise building, where it is
naturally has to be done far away before the term of “green” being conveyed to all architects and public,
term green has less concern than all the real facts of “power” within the society which runs all the major
industries, businesses, functions, and etc, in comparison to some extent rethinking how to make our
house exert so much effort to make it “green”, a lot of architects we could find, they are misleading in
action of making it green, for instance, by having a green roof that minimize the heat surface gain,
creepers or climbers facades, and all approaches are eventually it is serving the purpose of making a
minimum heat from direct sun, by naming it ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ which intentionally creates a lot of
less real consideration to what is out there, for example, ‘global economy crisis’, ‘a lot of jobless people
and even more recently’, and many other problems which addresses so many professions to rethink
what are their support to the society within this 21st century.
In response to what Robert Somol and Sarah Whiting, in their essay’s ‘Notes Around The Doppler Effect
and other Moods of Modernism’, their concern in regards of projective architecture which mainly
describes about the architect profession with their analysis and synthesis about economic, socio-
cultural, civic politics, it will still stand as the proposition as an architect which engage the economic,
socio-cultural, civic politics, in how design may effect on those notions, they are not expert nor trying to
be an expert in other fields. It is relevant to deal with the complexity of the world of global influences;
the peculiar behavior in a good and positive influence of an architect’s role is needed, as the world is
leading toward so many dreams, sometimes an unpredictable nor noticeable. Whatever enroll world of
many cities, which inevitably related to ‘power’ that reign or justify major implications of a city, in this
manner architect’s role nowadays should addresses, encompasses, a lot of small impact movement
which hopefully might be able to give a good and large impact on all notions. It was an uneasy job or
profession as an architect, which majorly they are limited to all access to the government apparatus that
play the important role in generating a new policy, law, and regulations. For example, as we know
Jakarta, currently it has several problems which being main concern for the government due to
unrefined condition both physical and non-physical aspects and it needed to be solved soon. For
example, Jakarta has lead several problems which are insufficient Public Park, inequality of public
transportation system, irrational location of residential relative to the city centre as main activities for
most of the city inhabitants, the urgency of farming and cultivation centre to tackle the imbalance
greenery areas which are lacking is needed, degradation of land which caused flood in some parts of
Jakarta. According to this several problems what can architects do due to many predicaments
happened? Pertaining to this question it is a modest way to relook what and where is the architect as a
profession stand, ideally they might be able to proposed something, for example, Jakarta is one of the
liveliest, densest, and most diverse metropolitan city in the world, which yet is still not able to balance
the dynamic and rapid growth in all aspects, it has abundant area of slum which sometimes contrast
what are being present in the major road, a lot of urban kampong are nestled in between main central
business district, Jalan Sudirman. This kind of similar condition has been main concern for development
countries worldwide, but if we sniff around kampong, you will find out that how intelligent they are in
terms of using their space. Within a 60-90cm wide or a very narrow alley they are able to do a lot of
activities like small kiosk, cooking, kids playing, playing music in their tiny terrace in front of the alley,
washing motorbike, and many other daily activities. I presumed many of modern houses failing to
provide and nurture the space to be active and livable space in Jakarta. Having described the potential
of urban kampong in Jakarta, it drives a new consideration, of how to alleviate the inherent quality of
kampong, is a new challenge in development countries, it is a stimulation of rethinking how the city
might work within the range of small change with big impact proposition, rather than thinking how to
develop more into mega infrastructures as the city itself tending to lack of power to balance the organic
and also sporadic growth, to rethink of to what is needed for architect or urbanist nowadays, it is
suitable to think in smaller scale of problems in major city, without losing the grasp of what is lacking for
concern in the architecture of everyday.

It maybe dreams for all of architects to be famous, to be cool, to be hot, and many other amazing term
that could described best for most of young architects and the predecessors of starchitects, but it is rare
to find an architect who is or who are able to engage realities in local specific context, Whiting and
Somol’s proposed. One may suggest it is the time for reflexivity architecture, nowadays, to rethink and
questioned to what extent in everyday life an architect plays its role. The real fact to what we seen the
excessive admiration of an architect of their built form often mislead the role of an architect in the real
life. A lot of European and American practices are migrating to Asia, especially China, and South East
Asia where they often demonstrate again the same way of praising built form, cosmetics, beautification,
not more than eventual development, for example a lot of famous architects built up in Shanghai for
two major events in 2010, Olympics and World Expo, furthermore after that what will they have with all
the glorious architects built form? In fact it is becoming one of most visited city in the world lately, but
what will happened in the future of the city itself, it is still a big question mark. In some extent, Roemer
Van Toorn’s, argued in his essays, No More Dreams? The Passion for Reality in recent Dutch Architecture
and its Limitations, to what Robert Somol and Sarah Whiting, which he felt its failure of “addiction to
reality”, he gives a clear argument of what is successful in the contemporary society are popular culture,
including hedonism, luxury, and etc. It needs to be a ‘proactive’ non-linear cooperation from many
different professions, it has to work from top-down and also bottom-up strategies if it is possible,
utopian dreams is still necessary to prevail in such manner, it is one way to go beyond the status quo not
as it has to be built but still looking further into deeper thinking and understanding about what dream of
utopias all about as Van Toorn’s mentioned. In a way role of architects were challenged to rethink in
depth and deeper meaning to what extent the ideas of a proposal will have a stand point and should be
developed, what is the ground thinking of a single project that could give an impact to the society. A
proposal has to be peculiar, excessive, immoderate, and it has to be able to self criticize and re-criticize
of itself; it is an inclined to what the practice yielding in relation to what is needed in the market, and
what is in fact, it is all unavoidable.

Re-linking back to what digital architecture world has brought to nowadays practice and education, the
expensive building, difficult construction processes, it at least has brought the way of architects and
structural engineer work together has been elevated to a new shift, where long time ago structural
engineer only proposed for mere the structural strength and other necessaries ordinary work, but with
the new linkage of software, Rhino with grasshopper, it gives the possibility to certain extent, in
structural engineer office they are shifted to rethink and designed the structure together with the
architect as the ease of migrating the works from what architects are proposing for their design, and in a
way architects are designing the structural elements. It is not to mention that digital architecture has a
lot of good impact and as well in the other hands it also brought a new dimension of how architecture
students and architects work. It is much faster, easier; more consciousness to digital processes which in
the same time it was more fragile work of a student or an architect, to really relook back to what has
been proceeded in a project, in which manner the project should be looked at. It is seriously
unavoidable world which demands a faster output, which blatantly was not only to see what architect’s
is failing to do but in the same time the appreciation of the public to an architect’s role should be
questioned.
Conclusion
Arrived in this 21st century which I found it’s abundant of complexity that come from inside and outside
architectural fields, that needs to be reconsidered meticulously for architects are how the grasp root
thinking for particular projects nowadays in the extensive observations with all ease from the advance
technologies development without disobeying all the real aspects of designing for society, and it has to
be balanced with the consideration to what architecture or built form that is done could provide in
dynamic society with dreams, projective, engage with reality, consideration of the ‘desire’, and not to
abandoned but to rethink and react to what are already successful out there, reflexivity, critical thought
within the right specific context. The dynamic world which is mostly abused with the flowery offers
should be encountered with small scale considerations but with big impact, with methods of alteration,
modification, partly demolition or fully demolition, and nurture the society.

The impact of special effects is more real than its original image; the existence of unlimited surveillance
camera became inevitable almost everywhere in a big city as the act toward securing in 24hrs time in
every part of the city. It is unavoidable it is how we could negotiate and deal with this rapid
development of technologies, we as an architect should not be blundered into the world of where is the
real and where is the unreal world, as in fact, a computer which start to have a life because of the users
everywhere start to be bounded with the unreal world, which give a plenty possibilities through every
kind of aspects observations, valid or not valid is no longer the importance. It is important to endeavor
and the self consciousness of how an architect or an architecture student think, from the beginning up
to the final decision to summarize a sharp attention to all the analysis and the synthesis processes.

Carefully and high cautious attention to all notions that preceding event or even the new notions of
events should be main negotiations to what all questions of what are architects role in the society on
21st century? There are plenty brain teaser for architects to address and also to encompass within a
modest way, not making a shorter route but to distinct the distinctive questions and what architects
should struggle against with, to consciously conclude for short or long period problems, and exercise
more to what has been pleaded that could bring in positive way toward a new shift which not blatantly
over exploiting all the beautifications and cosmetics as the first notion of thinking but more into rigorous
and conscious to at least appear and address or even more radically questioned and react upon the
normative status quo, which continuously exert an effort to find the best or even the ordinary
conclusion.