The [Art]isan of Architecture

Abstract

The problem of authorship in the discourse of architecture has always persisted (Adjaye et al 2011). The question arises if what we are doing is relevant and will it remain so tomorrow? (Feireiss & Bouman 2011:14). Questions like these often lead to radical changes. This is especially true within the architectural profession. It is argued that if the profession of architecture is to be celebrated and discussed, then it needs to be a craft that proves its indispensability. This means that not only the true beauty, but the genuine accomplishments of the architecture should be pointed out (Feireiss & Bouman 2011:15). The aim of this dissertation is to illustrate the impact of collaborative design on the architectural design process. This ‘other’ way of making architecture (Awan et al 2011) is investigated through ten workshops with secondary school learners in Mamelodi East. The study aims to simulate the co-design process in the design of a secondary school and test the impact of the collaboration on the design process within the master’s year. For this collaboration, learners of a school going age were selected as co-design partners. A series of ten workshops with 15-35 secondary school learners was designed to simulate the work stages prescribed by South African Council for the Architectural Profession’s (SACAP). If the process of making architecture could be an ‘act of care’ (Auret 2015), it could be instrumental in the accommodation of life in all forms from the beginning as well as an immeasurable positive influence on all those who use and appropriate it.