On 23 Jan 2004, John Rouse wrote
I noticed that, too; definitely a "Clang: guess what this says" moment.
But given that the program would (I think) be careful to use the designation carefully, I assumed she was qualified, but that hubby set her up in practice before she'd actually done any actual architectural work. (They mentioned that her company was set up in order to build the house.)
That, too, probably...
Oh it most definitely was !!
WARNING - POSSIBLE SEXIST COMMENT THOUGH NOT INTENDED AS SUCH SO PLEASE NO FLAMES
Interesting comment. I notice my wife and most other women I talk to have this same problem with visualisation of concepts. Plus it has now been proven that women don't read maps in the same way men do.
I thus wonder if perhaps there is a fundamental problem here ? Is this a job that biology really does prevent women from doing ?
Data point; I'm about to "do" our main bathroom, and my wife has shown she is completely unable to visualise things in there...
Oh please don't, it's too hideously true. I struggle with two aspects of the male/female communication problem. One is that the female knows what she wants and she damn well knows when she wants it by but is unable to explain it to anyone else other than another woman.
I've struggled for years with the vaguest of directions, and the fact that to complete the brief usually involves ImpossibleTechnology(R) at some point. Objects are supposed to suspend themselves in thin air somehow, water is supposed to move mysteriously from A to C without any need to use tube that passes through B where B is some immovable object.
As an example I completed a bookcase for erindoors last year. Her idea was that it was to be fitted into blocked up doorway and that it was to match with the period of the house. I looked around at other features in the house and ended up making the bookcase in poplar which I've found to be good wood to work with. It doesn't split and it doesnt bow even when heavily loaded so it seemed ideal.
Every aspect of what I did was questioned and scorned. Why not use 9mm ply? It's cheap, why must I mess about with expensive wood. It's just an excuse for you to play with tools isn't it? Why spend so long finishing the wood? What were those mouldings for, they look all wrong (etc).
When it was finished there was more grumbling about detail.
Last week a (female) friend came to visit and I had to listen stoney-faced as the friend commented that she liked the "expensive designer bookcase", and erindoors prattled on that she had designed it all herself and that I had built it to her design "but you wouldn't believe the fuss he made about it, I had to put him right several times and I never thought it would be finished."
Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!
This year it was the fitting out of a new bathroom. Again, every step of the way questioned and complained about. And again now it's finished she shows it off to friends and tells them that she designed everything herself.
I think to a woman "design" means waving hands around vaguely and looking petulant.
Indeed ... having spent part of my professional life working with/for architects, the ability to visualize 3D spaces and to translate instantly between 2D drawings, 3D physical models, 3D CAD models, and the intent of the "real thing" seems to be a prerequisite for any successful architect.
I can't remember whether she was introduced as being "an architect" or as "running an architecture practice". Certainly the brief interviews with the architrects working for her suggested that their role was to translate her "ideas" into reality -- no mention of any direct, hands-on involvement in the detailed design processes.
If I was in the position to be contracting a firm of architects to undertake/manage a major project, on the basis of the Grand Designs programme I'd run a mile from her particular practice ...
Julian
My wife has no trouble visualising space or reading plans and neither does my dyslexic 14 year old son. But the 17 year old hasn't got a clue
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