Editorial
Our generation is undoubtedly the fastest to walk(run) the earth thus far. Almost everything we do is pivoted from an earnest pursuit of improvement, whether we like it or not, change is becoming more steady than continuity. But what does this mean for a historical profession that is defined by a very specific set of tacit knowledge and skills - let alone the institutions that are tasked with teaching it. If such a pursuit is to continue within this domain - indeed, our domain - we need to have a holistic understanding of what these changes are and be sure that we are choosing them consciously. For in the end, with everything that is found, something must be left behind.
The transition from analogue to digital is only one of these changes: basic design philosophies have shifted from functionality to concept; building technology and efficiency are prioritised over design integrity and the prominence of the architect has diminished within the expanding design team - each of
these occurring in variable concentrations across an increasingly fragmented discipline.
In all of these transitions many valuable skills are being connected into the profession, but is there a parallel point of detachment from more ‘traditional’ means of practice? For in the end, with everything that is found, something must be left behind.
Despite the digital revolution of the last decade, there has been a resurgence in the attention given to hand-drawing at architecture schools across the country. Is this re-introduction of analogue skills a conscious revival of skill necessary for this generation or simply a passing trend? Are we re-gaining an important technique, or is it time to move on and embrace the future of architecture in a different way?
