Architecture Schools Are BROKEN - But A Renaissance Is On Its Way
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 28. 06. 2024
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In this video we dive into architectural education.
What architects learn in school largely influences what they will do later in the field. And as we all know, we face a crisis in our cities with buildings that are increasingly ugly, inhumane and alienating. The disconnect between what architects design and what our populations want, and our society needs, is an urgent issue.
In this video we look at how architectural education used to be, how it is now, what the problems are, but also look at hopeful developments that are taking place all over the world. Because a true renaissance is coming in architecture education, as multiple schools start teaching the lost arts of building again.
We hear stories of multiple students and visit universities in the US to see how we could move architecture towards a better future. Not only that
and as always weâd love to hear your opinions in the comments!
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đ Special thanks to:
Technical University of Vienna:
Naemi
Fidelis
Notre Dame University:
Stefanos Polyzoides
Richard Economakis
Julien Steil
Marianne Cusato
Samantha Salden
NTNU:
Branko Mitroviç
Jeppe Holter
Benedictine College:
John Haigh
Mary Leigh
Jon Patrick
Claire
Gabriel
Sabrina Rugg
All the students!
CUA
Lorenzo de Almeida
Mark Ferguson
Jason Montgomery
Timothy Smith
Jonathan Taylor
UVU
Paul Monson
Others
Eric Norin
Mieke Bosse
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Kennedy Library - Student Pier Project - CC BY-NC 2.0
Ernesto Bueno - Creative Commons Atribuição 3.0 Brasil
Gunnar Klack - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
TWINKA - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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This video is gold for me! I have long been looking for a school that taught classical architecture, had this existed two decades earlier I would have gone that way with my career.
đThe main problem is always cost. want to be as crazy as architectural design.
Construction and maintenance costs always add up to its beauty
Have you ever heard of "Tartaria" theory? I think you should make a video on the so called Qanon of Architecture. It is not the merits of the theory that are important but they way it has spread by feeding off the latent backlash against modernism. The public is so fed up with modernism at this point that they will entertain any nonsense that can possibly save them from the dystopian hell hole that is our modern built environment.
I agree with the concept of architectural "brainwashing", I've used this term before and it truly describes well the modern teaching process. Another problem is that cities are designed by the architects, and they don't manage well what's built and what's not, hence modern public spaces suck!
Yo make a video on indian architecture of its temple carvings and steeless and cementless construction style
I have been crying for another Renaissance in Architecture for years. So wonderful to see it happening. I dearly hope this goes "mainstream."
It's up to the new generation of architects! If they demand change, it can happen
@@the_aesthetic_citybeware us from thousands of museal copies of old styles. Do domething new! Dont be lazy and just copy! Find out the real reason people like old bulldings and create new styles from these basic pronciples!
Imagine if we called it a "Neorenaissance" Era in this search for regaining tradition.
@@adrienm1964 ? regaining tradition? no-thanks. We can do houses more beautiful but there is really no need to rectrate old styles.
@@matswessling6600 The original Renaissance architecture was a "rebirth" in interest of the Classical era. The Baroque continued on that theme, making it its own unique style. The Beaux Arts school freshened classical architecture once again to fit a new century. What they all have in common is the base understanding of the original Classical style, harkening back to ancient Greece and Rome, but tweaking it a little to fit the then contemporary time. We could do that again for the 21st century. But we have to first teach the basics: Proportion. The Classic Orders. Perspective. The importance of light and shadow...Play with the basics and make them relevant to today. But don't toss them out completely. They WORK. They can still work. Instead of "Neo-Renaissance" or "Renaissance Revival" (which the Victorians have already taken) I would prefer to call this movement something original.
I'm very glad to hear someone say it. It's infuriating how anti-common people a lot of the artistic academic world is. They keep forcing works into public spaces that people without an art history education can not appreciate because it hinges entirely on external context rather than the work itself being appealing.
Absolutely - the 'ivory tower' problem is a huge one and artists need to take this into account somehow.
I'm 72, and consider that much of my life has been compromised by the grotesque ugliness of contemporary architecture. It seems like a horrible joke, but The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health may be the epitome of outrageousness.
I don't know much about what The Lou Ruvo Center does, but suspect that much of it has to do with treatment of traumatic brain injury patients. It's dreadful that the building was designed as it was. However, as a TBI survivor, I can't help seeing the bleak humor in it.
In America, The National Civic Arts Society is fighting the good fight for a return of beauty to design. I urge everyone who reads this to go to their website.
President Trump had signed an executive order which authorized that in the future, government buildings were to be designed according to classical standards. Of course, Biden reversed this.
Is anyone surprised?
All of the academic world has become anti-common people not just the artistic side
Yes!đ
Very well said. To me, itâs not about doing away with concepts like âform follows functionâ, but about accepting that a buildingâs beauty - as appreciated by common people - is very much a function of a building. Iâm so glad that this new architectural movement seems to be gaining traction.
As an Architect myself, it's not the modernist designs that irks me. It's getting to that design mentality directly WITHOUT studying or even appreciating the classical designs. We should be masters of BOTH, it's never too late to study. Great video!
City and state government employees are the biggest problem. They approve and even require ugly modern buildings.
What I hate most about postmodern architecture is the hypocrisy, especially its terms like "false historical". With this false idea they impose a bad reconstruction of a part of the building, if they are not rebuilding it, they are ruining it.
The other term that I hate the most is historicism, but modern architects have been copying Bauhaus for more than 100 years. Modern architects contradict themselves, or are hypocrites, because when they imitate a style they are modern and original, but if an architect wants to build a building with a traditional design is treated as average.
The other problem is eclecticism, modern architects criticize eclectisism, but they have been mixing concepts of modern architecture, in themselves they are eclepticists, but when they do it it is fine, if an architect wants to mix concepts of human history they treat him as If you are doing something wrong.
The last point is that modern architecture goes against the concepts of the Bauhaus, since many buildings are useless, roofs that retain water, unnecessary shapes that increase the cost of the building, above all they are narcissistic because they design only for their own. ego, the monsters they create are just to draw attention to themselves that's fine.
These people are the ones who criticized and demonized as "useless and banal" the sumptuous and beautiful facades of beauty arts architecture.
When beauty attracts attention they criticize it, but attracting attention is good if it is to inflate the ego of a mediocre postmodern architect.
Absolutely true, the hypocrisy is what bothers me most as well. If architects are supposed to have total design freedom, then why isnât it allowed to design traditionally? Etc, etc.. And referring to Bauhaus is by now also referring to a design tradition, but apparently that is allowed
technological advances like a good flat roof or glass window are good, but do not replace the human intellect that can also create sensual art..with details, shapes and even colors, that the modern cannot even recognize as part of a public communication about space and architecture..we need our cultural routes back..the modern is for a money-slave society not for intelligent and creative people..
We need to stop calling Modernist architecture "modern." There is nothing modern about it. It is just a bunch of stale ideas from the 1930s and '40s that have been rehashed over and over again. Calling 80 year old ideas modern is absurd and we need to stop calling it that. These styles should be called Mid-Century Simplicity and Abstraction or MCSA for short. This is the first step in making this crap go away. Rename it, can it, and dump it in the trash bin of history under failed ideas.
The current minimalist dullness is the result of the denigration of historicism and eclectism, which instead I find the most fascinating cultural and architectural movements ever. Instead of "loving to hate" anything before modernism (while hypocritically and mindlessly replicating the same instructions from the 1940s), I believe we should strip away the modernist dogmatism that sees anything historicist and eclectic as intrinsically evil and cherish the beauty and playfulness it has created and that most people around the world appreciate.
I couldn't agree more. As much as I personally dislike modernist architecture, I only hate it for the way that it has become dogmatic, elitist, and intolerant of other artistic movements.
I just graduated from college and it was this channel, right as it started, that introduced me to traditional architecture and urbanism. My last year of college, my architecture professors didnât like my work because it wasnât modern. My professors were always trying to get me to design modern things. I'm so excited to keep learning about traditional architecture and urbanism and practice it in my career.
That is fantastic to read - thank you for watching and I hope you find everything on your journey!
I know! they hated my work too because I was trying to design primitive huts and circular plans which was supposed to be about community. Modern architecture is for the modern dystopia we live in today- isolated and in despair.
Your professors are a bunch of old farts who have their heads stuck up their ass. They don't realize how much their skit is hated by the general public.
We need a million more of you. Donât ever give up. Your work is badly needed.
I think i was like you in the first years of college, but at some point i tried to open up to their ideas and understand what they really want. I found that they cared just as much and were excited about materiality and beauty. They were just searching it beyond what is already known, which tbh complicates the search a lot haha :D Nothing wrong with dusting off the books about ornamentation from the different points in time in the past
I dropped my dream of becoming an architect for reasons shared here. Now at 40, it feels too late for me. I feel personally robbed, along with others who prefer living in beautiful spaces instead of brutalistic nightmares. Thank you for the beautiful work you do, sir.
You don't need a degree to be an architect, and is never too late if you have talent.
Seconding that it's never too late, best wishes!
I'm planning on building my own traditional neighborhood in the future. Pray for me that I get enough money to start that project :D
That sounds like an awesome project!
GOOD LUCK!!!
That is ambitious but the best of luck to you!
How will we know if you succeed? Do you have a site scoped out or a name for it? I already want to live there.
Have you looked at Andrew Gould? He has interesting concepts for traditional neighborhoods.
Modern architecture aesthetics was a massive mistake.
do you wear the same way like one century ago . Nope .
@@ehjo4904 good design aesthetics will last centuries. Modern design will be out dated in 20 years. Cope and seethe. lol.
Does modern architecture even have aesthetics? The word means the study or appreciation of beauty - something modern architecture actively frowns upon.
@@ehjo4904 Buildings have to stand beautiful for centuries, clothes not so much. Having said that, luxury clothes from millenia past still looks nice.
@@celdur4635 Pretty sure like most you do not make the same effort to dress like people did one hundred years ago. Time change
âWhat I wanted to learn, isnât being taughtâ
I feel you bro
Itâs sad - but much can all be found in books!
It's not just architecture. Everything is turning soo boring. Cost saving and minimalisim has seeped into everything and has gone too far
I feel something is fundamentally wrong with our economy. As Iâm not an economist, I cannot exactly explain what though⊠Maybe the âBitcoin Urbanistsâ are on to something?
I feel something is fundamentally wrong with our economy. As Iâm not an economist, I cannot exactly explain what though⊠Maybe the âBitcoin Urbanistsâ are on to something?
@@the_aesthetic_city I believe unrestricted consumerism is catching up with us. Infinite growth within a finite system is not sustainable long term. But businessmen still value quantity over quality, which is a shame.
I think the impact of the allure of money and fame is missing from the video. To become a starchitect - a term invented in the last 40 years or so - you have to design something different and outlandish. Something that really sticks out so that your friends in the academy can pronounce you the new new thing. And then clients will flock to you and then each time you have to design something even more different and outlandish to keep the new clients happy and keep the rigamarole going. Architecture now is not about designing useful structures for all stakeholders - it's about maximizing one's own income and reputation.
Well....people dont have money or want to take risks to design something different or special, is not a problem of architectural design, thats just a sympton
This is spot on. I grew up thinking I'd become an architect. I went to the University of Minnesota for Architecture and lost my love for it because it was a brainwashing factory for modernism and sustainability. I ended up in marketing.
Thatâs even worst then lmao
Thank god marketing is no brainwashing factory ;)
Sounds like you see sustainability as something negative, what do you mean with that?
Let's force our cities to stop building modernism. Isn't that the best solution?
@@futureradiusnot per se, but it was overemphasized in my opinion compared to other critical factors in design.
Modernist buildings get worse with age. Traditional buildings get better with age as they begin to look more âlived inâ
I hope a renaissance is occurring! It'd be nice to see new things going up and not feel either indifferent or grossed out, especially when it's amidst beautiful classical stuff. It'd be nice to look forward to something for a change.
It does not shock me at all that these are all very well-known catholic schools in the states. There has been a huge shift in the catholic world back towards tradition.
Well not Utah valley but the point stands.
Dude! So happy that this is the only CZcams channel that speaks about the real art of architecture and city planning! Great work, great job, as usual!
Thank you!! đđŒ
This is like a delicious meal for soul. Especially in Modernity and Bauhaus obsessed Czech Republic. We will be late to join this positive revolution, as we always are, with everything.
PS Im too old to study now but boy if there was a school like Notre dame in Czech republic...Damn this hurts
That is great to hear - we need schools like this in every country
Exactly!!!
The Czech Republic has some of the world's finest cultural heritage: gothic, renaissance, baroque, Czech, Austro-Hungarian, German. Even pre-WWII industrial architecture like factory halls or railway infrastructure has some aesthetic value.
Everything built after WWII, during the communist era or after 1990 is just plain ugly. With extremely rare exceptions.
We absolutely need New Renaissance and start building beautiful houses again! đ
I just came back from Austria and I met an Austrian student who is studying Architecture in Vienna.
I asked him about his thoughts on modern architecture and why there are no beautiful buildings anymore, he said "A part of the reason is that whenever we (the students) draft old style buildings for our lecturer, it is immediately dismissed on the grounds of it being seen as "copying" or not "nothing new". Then when we draft something Modern, it's approved".
Shame, especially since Vienna has some beautiful buildings, as well as all of Austria.
Sounds like the stereotypical idea of
New = Better
Old = Bad
Change = Progress
But thereâs no thought to bad change or good change. SOMETIMES the people in the past got it right. Why not keep the good parts (like the beautiful architecture)?
@@daxisperry7644 It's real conservatism. You would think: "Why not combine the beauty and majesty of the old architecture, with the convenience and efficiency of modern technology".
If the lecturer wanted something "new", why not try that?
@@nomadicfrankland amen
An interesting case is the Luftwaffe headquarters built during the Third Reich. It truly is a classic case of brutalist architecture. When one considers how the Luftwaffe destroyed massive sections of beautiful and historic European architectural and cultural history, it seems an apt style for their HQ. The retaliation in carpet bombing by the Allies then led to a vicious circle.
The loser was Europe as a whole.
The controlling elite at Western architectural schools would do well to study the Luftwaffe HQ and reflect on the destructive implications (on aesthetic, cultural and spiritual levels) of their policy misdirection.
@@lecaprice2572 Say that in Germany or Austria, they would change laws from the guilt đ
I like how the student was talking about it, the challenges old architects faced and their solutions for it informed their design, that's how it should be. I don't particularly care if it's replicating a classical historical design, just make it look good while tackling the local challenges and give it that local aesthetic touch.
Couldnât agree more!
There are many buildings in Japan with terrible designs. The few historical buildings remaining after the war have been demolished due to the Japanese belief in new construction, maintenance costs, natural disasters, and other reasons. In addition, ordinary Japanese citizens have no interest in architectural design, and designs by famous architects are praised and built. There is no continuity in the streetscape and it is in a miserable state, which is very unfortunate.đą
they were destroyed in WWII by atomic bombs culturally too..
That is true, but in modern Japan, there are many demolition projects due to redevelopment or scrap-and-build construction.
@@gingi453what?đ
I seen this video of architects praising this building in Japan talking about how wonderful it is but it was so inconvenient for the locals it was such an inconvenient structure and people were having troubles finding their way.
Some of the ugliest streetscapes I've seen in a developed country were in Japan, surprisingly.
As a interior design student, I feel rather drained as my love for ornate classical and humane design are at conflict with most of my peers prefer for minimalism.
Get good at both, it's all about context. You wouldn't want a minimalist pub, and you wouldn't want an ornate dental surgery.
I actually prefer minimalism for interior design, because it allows for more space which I think is what is most important for the most amount of people. However exterior design operates under a different paradigm and should be focused on beauty.
â@@tristanthamm505 Yeah, I know what you mean, there is something cool about classical building with clean modern interiors. Like St Pancras Station. Or National Trust tearooms.
Here in America, I would love to see a renaissance of Richardsonian Romanesque, Art Deco and Neo Classical architecture!
Youâd like the work of HBRA, theyâre the firm that did the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. Theyâve done lots of classical extensions to campus buildings, and also do (nice) modern stuff.
Absolutely!
The National Civic Arts Society. Go to their website. You'll like what you find there.
There are Art Deco revival buildings happening across New York and Chicago. They're not usually publicised. The Brooklyn Tower is a recent one that got some attention.
@alexsmith-ob3lu Don't forget Gothic Revival! đ„°
The thing I hated most about architects when I was working in the construction industry was their lack of technical ability. I was witness to several incidents where drawings were returned. Reasons included missing information, conflicting dimensions and materials needing to be formed in a way that is impossible (and there was me thinking it obvious that granite is inflexible). Bering in mind that having to delay work to wait on the architect to fix a design problem generally doesn't go down well with the client as well as making the contractor look incompetent. It was always preferable to do everything possible to build as per original design, even if it was a massive hassle.
Classical architects were versed in both design and building. The orders in classic design were not stylistic but practical in nature.
â@Art-is-craft Here in the Netherlands architecture is only possible as a master programme, after three or four years of building engineering. You start out with the history, the materials, detailing, constructions and all that stuff, and only after that you can start a pure architecture study. Having studied with students from across the globe this is so different. I remember class mates from Asia for example who had never drawn a single technical drawing or something, being completely shocked by the Dutch way of combining technical and esthetic qualities.
@@treinenliefde
Classical architects first trained in the building process. Their apprenticeship started with building. They understood through experience the process of building. Todayâs architects are designers.
@@Art-is-craft indeed, and that's the way it should be everywhere. You can't design something without understanding it.
The dream of a modern architect is an engineerâs nightmare.
Oh my god this video encompass every thought i have so far in architecture school to the smallest details, even my thought that ornamentation and other older techniques are locked on the past only for existing buildings.
Happy to hear that!
Saying we don't need old materials and ideas because we have new ones is like to say we don't need teeth because we have blenders.
đ brilliant way to put it!
And now a lot of problems with teeth are attributed to our modern soft diet . . . Along with the receding weak jaw. Which is also perceived as less attractive. Chewing food helps develop strong even well placed teeth, in well developed jaws that provide space and foundation for the teeth.
Frank Lloyd Wright actually used quite a bit of ornament in his buildings. The Hollyhock House in LA for example has abstract, stylized depictions of the hollyhock flower throughout the property.
My criteria for an architect, from my retirement house to city hall, is: "If you could go back in time, would you strangle Le Corbusier in his cradle, or not?"
Yes!
@@sheridansherr8974 Okay you're in.
no, he was an experimental architect who created the modern too, but not forced it on the world, the "Ronchamp Cathedral" is a sensual project that he could also do..and his Villa Savoy is a liveable place..respecting natural space..Turning back to the barrock is not the answer, we need to design our new world based on our classical inheritance but using modern technologies..so not an easy task..
lamo you speak what I thought
hahahahaha yes
I studied architecture in Ukraine in Lviv Polythechnic University and in the first 2 courses of study we studied how people used to build before in 15-17 cent., we made drawings of historical buildings, plans, sections, painted with watercolors, it was studing of classical architefcture the same as in the University of Notre Dame, and at the same time we studied how to design modern architecture. For me it was a big surprise that in the German universities where I finished my master's degree, students did not study this, and 99% of students could not create correct technical sketches by hand, in addition, to enter the faculty of architecture in Ukraine, you have to take a creative exam - draw an antique column, an abstract composition and solve an architectural task, in Germany you just submit your school grades and that's it, so many people in this profession are amateurs here
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@@mike_teals sorry, I don't understand bulgarian, can you speak normall language, like English for example?
We also not making fire with wooden sticks we use a lighter. Using the computer is no issue it's only how you use it. As an architect myself who did the long way from technical school to Uni i think that's what most architects miss. Knowledge of how you make/build it not just drawing with a pencil.
Many people imagine the 2100s or 2200s as this glass utopia full of neo-futurism style buildings, but I like to imagine it having transferred to building traditional and classical styles of architecture, with modernist/contemporary/futurist architecture having just been an edgy phase of the architectural field.
I think it is due to extrapolation from one point, or very short period, and then we all are influenced by sci-fi of 1950-1970's and then we just tend to iterate over those tropes and features. Like, flying cars, like superwide highways, sleek space ships or touchscreen interface that we are slowly starting to hate. Everything is delivered by air or by some gimmick at the edge of physics. And we do not see, or not often, a train or ships used for transport, it still feels like those posters and ideas from 50's, yes the design, clothes and so had changed, but in the core, it is still the same concepts of mid 20th century.
Another problem IMHO is that in the past architecture went in spiral and iterated over itself (classical, classicism, neoclassicism) and those took like century after which it went for inspiration back a century or two, but today we iterate over decades instead of centuries. Another thing to consider is that dictatorships of the 20th century loved those "traditional" buildings so the free world perhaps felt need to distance itself from those dictatorships.
I am not sure that in the future we would be building in some neoneogothic style, unless we will seriously mess something up, but I think that we will see some revival of more classical designs, maybe in form of layouts or in form of some ornamentation or materials (but that depends on whether we would be talking about houses or public buildings). Maybe we will go back to ornamented columns first? Or maybe frieze will return as it should be easy to produce with our modern machinery? I don't know, but I would say hat this is the way how classical elements can return into current and future architecture.
For me the worst is: eco futurism, they believe that by putting plants the building is "ecological", or they make it less ugly, when it is appearances and without practicality, they never question the humidity problems that a building full of plants would have, The cost of doing this would create more CO2 than making a normal building, ecofuturism is dystopian and polluting.
But a traditional brick building of 5 to 7 floors, endure 100 years or more, this is truly ecological.
The lack of proper architecture programs (read: programs that actually teach architecture rather than modernist politics in an architecture package) is what drove me away from studying architecture. I can definitely understand your experience at seeing the students' works at NĂŽtre Dame.
Classical/traditional architectural styles in the United States still exist in the many cities and towns of the East Coast north of Florida, and in the city of Chicago, but is increasingly uncommon everywhere else in the United States. And unlike all the boxy or cube-shaped urban-located buildings commonly associated with modern architecture, itâs usually office parks, strip malls, warehouses, grade schools which take much more space than they normally should, and cookie-cutter tract homes. Sometimes, you will see buildings that look traditionally-designed, but are designed in a way that heavily favors automobiles over pedestrians, which leads to a lot of places that genuinely feel artificial and unnatural despite having a traditionally-designed facade.
Indeed, the US needs good urbanism in addition to good architecture⊠thank you for replying đđŒ
I was very disappointed when I started my college career in architecture. I was already restoring old buildings and had design philosophies shoved at me that I did not agree with or want to have any part in.
It eventually ended my desire to be an architect. I spent the next 40 years restoring and designing historically inspired spaces, including my own homes.
As a current student in a top modernist school this video is spot on and change must and will happen.
Thank you - I hope students will find this and get in action!
I hope that you will somehow also be able to learn some classical principles so you can branch out to that and ride both winds as times change.
In Charleston, SC, thereâs a mixed use apartment complex going up that takes inspiration from the history of the city and utilizes traditional architectural design thatâs seeking to beautify the city and its skyline while also being a place people can actually live in. Itâs a breath of fresh air after seeing two identical postmodern buildings go up on an adjacent street.
Halfway through arch school I made the difficult decision to teach myself classical architecture and swim against a very strong current in a modernist school⊠yes they gave me a rly hard time but it was worth seeing their faces when they had no other critique during finals but âwhy?â đ
Cities worldwide, before 1900, were humanity's 'old growth forests', and were devastated (clearcut) in the 20th century, mainly because of cars. But restoration of some kind is still possible.
That's a pretty good analogy, actually.
As well as cars I would say the origins of this mindless destruction had roots in a form of cultural and spiritual nihilism. It was a suicidal tendency that is revealed in the nightmares of post WW II architectural exteriors. These exteriors reflect the inner bankruptcy.
Thanks for making this video! This is exactly what we need right now!!! I live in Denmark and had been writing to a couple of architect schools asking if they offered classes in classical architecture. Had this been around 20 years ago I would perhaps have picked a different path! I still want to learn about classical architecture but perhaps not take a full architect education.
There are only two options: or they change their curriculum, or we circumvent the universities and start new educational institutions
@@the_aesthetic_city So far I made the Aarhus school of architecture aware of the video and gave them a hint once more that I was interested in taking up the subject.
Months earlier I have asked Arkitektur OprĂžret, if they were capable of recommending a classical course in architecture, they had no recomendations.
This is just a speculation but I believe we lack a network of classical architects in Denmark to pick up the challenge. Danish architects has otherwise previously been open to setting up new movements, the most successful being "Bedre Byggeskik" that rebelled against what it saw as a generic international form of classicism in the late 1800's putting a Danish vernacular style in its place and helped empower local craftsmen. Alas this movement was also conquered by modernism and closed its doors in 1965, despite having a profound impact decades earlier.
This video as well as all the others on this channel are masterpieces. Way to completely deconstruct the modernist consensus and use actual science. these videos are so unbelievably informative and interesting. This is the most high quality content I have ever seen on CZcams. The argument is so well presented and perfectly articulates what we all sense of the bs of the modernist consensus. Thank you.
And I think we should stop calling it "modernism", there is no more modernity in a 100+ years old movement. Call it, idk, twentiethcenturism, shoeboxism...
"your communal roof garden that produces five tomatoes" ... Bravo to the whole video and with a dash of humor thrown in ... I'm sure the late Roger Scruton would love your insights and challenges
Bravo !! righto to the hart,, I'm over 20 years in a stone business and it started from seeing buildings build out of stone, but unfortunately, until this day I find very little work that requires STONE work for the buildings that as you mention homely and beautiful that everybody loves,, that's why whole tourism sector is happening,, not because people are traveling to places to see the French Italian or English people,, they go to see the places where architecture is something to be seen,, something to be enjoyed and wondering through the streets of Verona, Rome or Amsterdam makes you wanna be there makes you want to spend time there.. that means something was done right..
Wish you all the best with the channel I will keep following will keep watching and sharing..
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
This episode fits with the channel 'Brent Hull', who is evangelizing for classic design and architecture in todays builds.
I love Brent Hullâs content! đđŒ
Modern architecture ages horribly. I believe the most important thing in architecture is not the building⊠it is what happens in it: LIFE, Love, family, friends.
I agree with almost everything but I donât think Frank Lloyd Wright rejected ornaments, elaborated facades or slope roofs. The others you mention, yes, but definitively Wright didnât do that.
Sometimes, not even via studying you can change things for the better. In my free time I create new Wiki articles of Rotterdam's long forgotten past. The result? What essentially was history lost to time got found and put back for everyone to read and it worked. Channels on social media picked it up and shared it, showing people what they're missing.
Sometimes photo's and some info can really do more than 1000 words ever can!
I retired from international shipping and visited Rotterdam on business. I accidentally learned about the horrific destruction of old Rotterdam during WW II. I saw some old black and white and sepia photos from the turn of the century and âit blew my mindâ with the magical historic character. Similarly I learned about the destruction of old Antwerp and LeHavre during the War. Other European historic coastal towns and cities were flattened by bombing. The more I study what was lost the heartbreaking it is. If only there would be a popular movement to restore what was lost as a matter of European cultural urgency - it had been done with the Ypres cloth hall after WW I âŠđą
Returning to tradition that works đ»
Tout mon soutien Ă cette chaĂźne. En France, nos magnifiques bĂątiments de style classique cohabitent maintenant avec nombre de bĂątiments "modernes" s'inscrivant mal dans l'environnement et vieillissant trĂšs mal avec le temps. Quel gĂąchis !
Gosh this is so hopeful! Thanks so much for making this video!
Thank you for making this video. I graduated from Architecture school 18 years ago, and I found parts of it frustrating for many of the reasons mentioned. There was way too much emphasis and time placed on avant garde design theories, rather than studying the past and proven design + construction practices.
Now that Iâm well into a profession career and in a position where I have to hire new graduates, I often find myself looking for qualities in candidates that schools do not emphasize at all.
Design is important, but most Architects spend very little time doing design. In my opinion, students would be better served if they received more instruction on material qualities, construction methods, effective written + verbal communication, and presentation skills. Many would also benefit from some business courses that involve marketing, finance, and project management.
I personally love traditional architecture. Although I regret that I didnât get to study it in school, I enjoy learning about it in my spare time. It is truly fascinating to study something that has continued in some form for thousands of years.
Thank you for your hard work, this gives me hope.
Thank you Pieter!
@@the_aesthetic_city What about reaching out to the sculpture departments of art academies and try to engage them. Because I think wat is missing in a lot of new traditional buildings is the original ornament and creative details, while at the same time a lot of art school students can't find a job after leaving school. I have an idea for a video about that.
Another offering from this fabulous channel is ALWAYS WELCOME. As a retired classical musician, I ALSO see many similarities resulting from the opening of university music department after WWII as they suffer from similar ideological problems which were so logically and clearly discussed here. I also hope that the dissatisfaction outlined here will grow so as to lead to changes in assumptions of curriculum design in architecture education.
I would love to thank all of you for bringing back this glory of beauty to the world. nowdays architecture It's all about making things easy and commercial, regardless of whether they align with society, culture, or the region. Classical architecture is deeply rooted in history, defining not only beauty but also sustainability and a friendly environment for those who live around and use it. However, please consider studying all types of traditional architecture, not just classical, because each has its own benefits for its region, culture, climate, and diversity of beauty. Thank you, everyone. I would love to join you and learn more to expand my knowledge.
So recognizable! During my time at university I remember a student who was told by a teacher that he could better leave architecture school after he had shown his traditional design. During my first design studio, a student in my group who designed a traditional house got the lowest grade of the group; and guess what the others designed? A modernist house of course, because this is what the teacher seemed to appreciate. This has to change!
Thatâs because many do not understand there is a philosophy behind all this hideous design.
I'm mechanical engineer / product architect.
This material is something I was hoping and waiting for.
Although I'm not building architect, the mission you carry is very important to me. Thank you!
Very happy to see students from my university speaking out. I'm not an architect but from what I've seen from our architecture program it's truly terrible, which is reflected in new constructions in our city.
Thank you!
You may want to take a look at the German island of Sylt, where some of the Germany's richest people build their holiday homes. Just look up the town of Kampen (Sylt) on Google Street View, and you will instantly understand why. Almost all new houses there are built in traditional style of that region, to the point that sometimes it is impossible to tell, which houses are over a century old, and which are brand new. Even some very modern buildings try to pay homage to the traditional style, for example the newly built "Lanserhof Sylt". Sadly, for a short time in the sixties they managed to build quite a few "modernist boxes" in the town of Westerland, for example the "Kurzentrum Westerland" or "Hanseatenhaus", and these are still considered the ugliest buildings on the whole island to this day.
I think the architecture of Sylt would be a great topic for a future video. It perfectly illustrates the point: when it comes to rich people, they often prefer traditional architecture for their own homes. Sylt also demonstrates, that there is literally nothing preventing us from building traditionally, and there are enough architects who are willing to design such buildings if that's what the customer wants to pay for.
The City of Savannah, Georgia is doing some excellent work compatible to the traditional architecture,
This is such an uplifting and true video and gives hope for a better built environment in the future. As most architecture is a commercial process, clients need also to take this on board, not just a functional fast track, minimal cost solution to make money from rental, sale or whatever. In the past people and organisations had pride in their locality and wanted their buildings to be well designed, and be a lasting legacy to them. People appreciate stability, good design, quality and permanence, things lacking in the recent decades.
I have hoped for a renaissance in the architectural world for a long time, and i am so glad that it looks like it i slowly but surely coming, and you have a big part in this i think!! đ„łđđ
I see it in my own city in Copenhagen Denmark. Even though the designs on new buildings are almost always still modernist, the material used is starting to be much more traditional like brikfacades and wood and sometimes even ornamental featuresâ on the facade! I started noticing this difference around 2019/2020.
When the one student was talking about studying the prevailing style of a given place (because buildings are designed in context), I was reminded of Andrew Gould. He is an architect who specializes in designing Orthodox churches here in America.
His principles are to remain true to human scale and the traditional Byzantine style (or Romanesque, if it is applicable), but always tries to incorporate whatever is the prevailing traditional vernacular and/or materials of the area where the church is being built. If it's in Appalachia, there's going to be lots of timber; in Florida or Texas, plenty of Spanish Mission; etc. And he prefers to build the structure out of concrete and masonry so that it lasts, but will make concessions for timber frame if concrete and masonry are prohibitive with the client church's budget.
Anyway, his work is beautiful! Please look into his work and also various talks and interviews he has done. I think you would greatly enjoy and appreciate a lot of what he says.
Woohoo! Great video man! And I'm happy for you that you found your own path! Also, this video gives me hope!
Thank you - it was a long path for sure!
Another masterfully crafted video. Proud to be a patreon!
I really enjoyed this video. I feel like some things you pointed out here are also true for other types of education. Keep doing what you are doing! Informing makes an actual impact.
Thank you!! Doing my best
The title brings me new hope đ Looking forward to it!
This is a marvelous channel. It might be my favorite on CZcams. Thank you!
Great video!! I'm surprised not more schools are teaching beautiful architecture
Please please please keep the videos coming. Also, I feel your pain about missing out on a classsical architectural education. I had to teach myself and went down the route of classical painting.
Je hebt 100% gelijk. Geweldige goede video.
Thanks for the work you do, maximum support from Italy!
Thank you - hope Italian schools change for the better too. So much amazing precedent in Italy
I cannot put into words how much I sympathise with what you have shown in this video. đŻđ
Thank you for your vision and being a catalyst for positive change. There is so much that is negative and challenging for all the world's peoples. .. so human centered designed public spaces, homes and cities based on real sustainable values can contribute to positivity and survival.
amazing video as always man,its a shame architectural schools are so pitted against beauty. if this renaissance is truly up on its way it has to sweep throughout the entire west. no stone left unturned,there is currently a huge and powerful urge in european goverments to go all green and modern with designing future buildings,ugly bland cubes with some plants.we need all our cities brought back from the ruins of greed and war and weird architechts with questionable political motives.the funding will be enormous but then again the future is quite so ''undecided'' if you will.
Completely agree. Like William Morris tried to do and the Arts and Crafts movement, we also desperately need to revive traditional crafts and skills and artisans. Replacing all these hideous mistakes since WW II will create great beauty and a tremendous amount of positive employment. With a marriage of appropriate technology for aspects of the interiors, we can bring together the best of European architectural traditions and modern tech.
For me, this is the best video on the channel. It touches on very valid points with a critical view of current teaching. Experimenting and creating with new materials is good too, but itâs important to change the way traditional architecture is viewed. The rejection of this design approach in universities needs to end, and its foundations should be learned since they are essential for creating more beautiful cities.
Thank you Roberto - and yes, the focus just needs to shift! Not only one view, but multiple views at the same time
Beaux Arts disciplines need to be restored throughout the Western academic institutions. Julia Morgan achieved miracles of beauty in the U.S. and she received her training in Paris at the Beaux Arts architecture school.
always (LOVE) seeing your videos, please keep it up.
Thank you!!! đđŒ
Your video rings true in my case. From a very young age I was in awe of these classical buildings throughout Europe being so harmonious and beautiful as well as full of historical and cultural identity that I've always dreamt of being an architect so that I could design buildings and urban areas to be admired for ages to come. When I was finally able to study architecture at university I was so surprised to find that there was indeed zero focus on pre-WWI architecture. Building traditionally was considered old-fashioned from day one and in as some times even considered evil (often comparing traditional ideas to radical national ideals during WWII Germany). You were always pushed to think outside the box and come up with crazy, and frankly, very unappealing models. Feeling like an outsider among most of my peers in class I became completely demotivated and quit architecture school. To this day it saddens me deeply that I had to give up that dream of making the world a more beautiful place through architecture and instead watch it diminish to the same modernistic ideals that I came to hate during those years at university..
What is the additional initial cost of building like that, plus what is the effect of it on the value over time of such buildings and towards its environment/neighborhood?
Many houses are built by investment firms, that are just looking at the (short time) ROI they can get from the building through sales, rent etc. By building cheap, they try to maximize ROI. To create a real renaissance, those that decide need to be convinced. And those that decide are normally the ones with money.
Just to democratize the renaissance: if local governments prescribe the rules for building permits, investors could be forced to build more sustainable and for 1000 years, instead of for 10 years.
And, thanks for another great video
Ironically by making the buildings aesthetically attractive and human scale these investors would attract more people to the retail establishments and would also be able to request higher rents.
I'm really thankful that you've made this video, because it put into words something that I've thought about for a long time, but never in such clear terms. I wanted to study architecture when I was younger but ended up going into software development instead. I think if I had gone into architecture I would've been illusioned with this hypermodernist approach, but wouldn't have understood why. And over the past decades I've spent so much time in buildings that were supposed to be the best and latest, but was always left wondering why the buildings felt so cold and inhospitable.
Hear! Hear! One of the most important videos I've watched in CZcams. This should be compulsory watching to any budding architect.
I am not an architect,but I find this channel so interesting,thank you
I love, love your videos and appreciate your perspective very much! From, about to be licensed architect.
Thank you so much!!
What about us customers? I think we have a role to play, too ... after all, we pay the bills, and we speak up when our local planning commission wants to plop down a really hideous building to replace the eyesore that was torn down. My husband and I have dreams of building our own house and it would be nice to have an architect build a house that would have been familiar to my ancestors living in Virginia 250 years ago.
A valid point - there are architects who can help you with that, check out newtrad.org for a list of architecture firms
And don't even get me started on how most "news" outlets parrot the Saudi talking points about NEOM being a model of sustainability.
Exactly, a nice topic for an entire video
I louvluvluv your content! thank you for your work!
Thank you for doing what you do! I am not an architecture student, I study graphic design, but one of my passions has always been architecture and urban development, and as someone who grew up in 2000s I am deeply unhappy with the state of mainstream modern architecture. I hope the idea of making the building fit in with the purpose of being long-standing while also lookiny beautiful becomes more popular
Brilliant !!
Yes please! Our cities are so ugly. The only beautiful bits are hundreds of years old.
Amazing as always, thank you for everything youâre doing
Thank you! With pleasure
it's possible to build new buildings with natural stone? (a 3 floor apartment for example, or maybe just a simple one floor house), plase make a video about it if you have the time.
A natural stone video is in the works! It is possible to build up to 20 stories (think of cathedrals!) they built very tall flat buildings using natural stone in France
Interesting, thx.
So happy that we finaly are startibg to move in the right direction. As a citicen of Trondheim, I'm allso proud of our new classical architects
100% de acuerdo!!
Brillante su presentaciĂłn, como siempre!!
Muchas gracias đđŒ
Not just architectures are like this but also the things in them, furniture, items people use day to day as well.
As was the goal of the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th Century.
It makes me so happy to hear this. My heart shatters every time I see a beautiful old building being demolished because I know it will be replaced by a bland paper-walled one. Hearing this does not make the destruction of our heritage less upsetting, but it brings me hope for the future. That maybe one day I will be here to see the cities repopulated with gorgeous and inspiried architecture that will last the test of time so our descendants will too know and enjoy true architectural beauty and quality.
I'm sorry you didn't have the chance to learn what you desired. I too wanted to study architecture to create more classical buildings in this modernised world, but realised I wouldn't even get that chance so gave up on that. I'm still glad that others can take that mission on their hands and their work even as students is absolutely stunning. Thank you for making this video, I makes me hopeful.
THANK YOU for this video. I am not an architect but I love architecture and the creative process, and my dream is to create an international association of architecture to work on projects that counter the modern/postmodern ideals. This is shared with my architects and saved for future reference. The world is about to change. This video is exactly what I needed. Thank you thank you thank you!
i love every single one of your videos. they are all so educational. i cant wait for what you create next!
Thank you!! đ
Thank you
You're speaking my mind. It's amazing.
Thank you and good to hear đđŒ
This is a great video. Two of my final two student designs were completed in the Classical language, under Branko Mitrovic when he was teaching in New Zealand. I was almost failed before I even started presenting my final design because the other tutors hated Classical...not because of the merits of my design. I can relate to what you present 100%.
that's crazy, glad you didn't fail :)
Man.. there are so many stories like this - Iâm shocked but not surprised. You sure were lucky to study under Branko though!
Great video. Glad to hear the Renaissance is having a Renaissance!
I continue to share your videos with colleagues in the international Schiller Institute, here and in Europe, and other artists. I experienced the same kind of brainwashing in art college in the 1970s and escaped that insane asylum (ironically housed in the first U.S. asylum, an outwardly classical building on Philadelphia's Broad St., with a courtyard of elaborate brickwork) to join the renaissance movement. Your channel is one expression of a growing rejection of irrationality that has come to dominate our lives increasingly since, in particular, the imposition of Modernism more than a darkening century ago. The same applies in all the arts.
The necessary companion to the cultural renaissance is the rejection of monetarist economics in favor of physical economy, first developed by Leibniz and by by a number of key individuals since, the most recent of whom was the late economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche., who wrote voluminously as well on Classical culture and aesthetics. It was his initiative for returning concert pitch to C-256/A-432 Hertz, from the irrationally imposed and damaging A-440 (and higher) that gained about 2,000 signatures of leading musicians. The oligarchy was not amused.
All the best to you as you continue!
WOW! That explains a lot. I "always" wondered (as much as as you do if you are a normal person with no connection to architecture) why we only see ugly buildings. I thought it was because of costs. Everyone was complaining about costs after all! And about energy efficiency etc.
Then about 3 years ago I saw several independ videos/ TV docus saying this was not the case. The additional cost (for reasonable beauty) is often negligible compared to the cost of the whole building. e.g. in Germany there is a law for 5% "art in the building" for public buildings, that would cover much of it.
So why do we still get so many ugly buildings?
This video answers it. Because beauty is nearly nowhere teached. And what do you mean they don't learn how to sketch??