Architecture changes people's lives and the territory; it has a clear and effective impact on everything it touches. It's crucial for the architect to be aware of this and take responsibility for the impact of their practice. But how do we ensure we're doing it the right way? In this ninth article of the Twelve Months, Twelve Themes series, Duarte Pinto-Coelho and Miguel Vivas discuss the impact of an architect's work and how to ensure it is positive.
How to Create Impact?
When designing a work, we, as architects, are somehow impacting the world, which gives us the duty to do so positively. Creating impact whenever we intervene in the territory is a huge responsibility; we are like conductors guiding various stakeholders every day, from the sketch to the construction. This awareness must be present from the very first moment we envision a project. We must embrace this responsibility and recognize the impact of the result to make it as positive as possible environmentally, for the building, for the city, for the planet, and for those who inhabit and visit them. We play this role through our knowledge and experience, which show us that each project and each client are unique, making our profession so broad and extraordinary. The way a project is maintained and endures also impacts; architecture has a longevity aspect, it should be able to persist beyond its initial purpose or its original client. (Duarte Pinto-Coelho)
From the perspective of the architect's role and the creative process itself, when we intervene in the territory, it's always from the viewpoint of someone addressing a problem, which doesn't necessarily have to be negative; it can be a goal set by the client, and from there, we find the solution. It's very relevant that we are able to find the right answer, and often, the right answer isn't just the right one for us, architects, but the one that best responds to that anxiety, that person, that goal. And, naturally, the constraints and needs of the territory. It's a bit like interpreting correctly. Knowing how the stage we have to create should be for a certain actor performing a certain play, making it work perfectly. The impact of our work lies in the assertiveness of the solution – in people's lives, in their work, in the city, in the function of the architectural object, and in happiness. (Miguel Vivas)
How does this concept fit into the architectural process?
It all starts when we visit the site, and the impact that place has on us, the way we relate to the view, to the objects that exist there – a tree, a mountain range, a river, a house. It starts right there, in that experience of man with the place, with space, a kind of seed for what we are going to create. The object we introduce will create new dynamics, it will relate, perhaps, with a tree, with a body of water, and suddenly, that place that only had a tree, a body of water, no shade, will receive an object that will allow permanence, where we can be sheltered, listen to music, dance, enjoy the taste of an apple. This is the first aspect of impact, and it appears right at the beginning. And then, knowing that the architectural object is something that will be used and will impact the person from the moment they step into that space and interact with it. It is a process of interpretation, of following and reading the clues that come up, that are given to us, whether by the place where we will implement a building or by reading and knowing the people who will use it. This demands from us attention, a care to observe, we must listen to the needs, so that we can then use our experience and all the knowledge we acquire over the years, both through the practice of our profession and what inspires, motivates, and enriches us as individuals and professionals. It's a responsibility to put together the pieces of a puzzle, and that puzzle gives us the answer to the problem or question posed initially. (Miguel Vivas)
I would like to add to what Miguel said that we not only have this responsibility, but I would say that, first and foremost, to create impact, it is important to create a pact with the territory. During the creative process, in the process of imagining an architectural object, as we design, it is essential to continuously evaluate the impacts. It is the sum of these various analyses and even sensations we have during the creative process that makes us 100% aware by the end that the project will have a positive impact. All this allows us not just to do architecture, build another house, school, hospital, or city, but to leave a positive mark. Our works always create impact, both on the landscape and in people's experiences... We have a great responsibility to create the right impact, and our goal is for this to happen in all our works. When we envision our projects, we must design how the building or space will be lived, maintained, cherished, and enjoyed, ensuring its sustainability. Duarte Pinto-Coelho
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