Business as Usual

The Boston Globe is preparing a story about the urban blight caused by stalled developments in our city. Interested in engaging the Boston design community in exploring ideas to mitigate the eyesores, the Globe recently contacted the BSA, hoping it could assist by approaching architects who might be willing to participate in a “visioning” exercise, pro bono.

Some members of the BSA do not feel that our chapter should be cooperating in this effort, suggesting that the Globe is giving us the business, so to speak, by taking advantage of BSA members who are disproportionately suffering in a depressed economy. Like many of my colleagues on the BSA Board, I respectfully disagree.

First, I believe that if an architect chooses to participate in the Globe’s initiative, he or she is doing so voluntarily and in alignment with the guidelines for pro bono services published by the AIA, which encourages its members to contribute “to the highest aspirations of the architecture profession…in service to society…and in the eyes of the public.” Larry Chan, the BSA’s President-Elect, eloquently made this point to Tom Keane, the BSA’s new Executive Director, in a recent email on the subject. Second, I would argue that there is keen public interest in the project sites in question, and that our profession would be well served to be an integral part of the civic discussion by exploring design solutions to address the problem, rather than passively waiting for others to take the initiative. Finally, isn’t it time that our profession redefined itself? BSA Board member Peter Wiederspahn recently wrote that architects need “to engage the development and building communities in new, more aggressive ways.” I agree.

Business as usual isn’t working.