architect, verb. : The New Language of Building

Leading architect Reinier de Graaf punctures the myths of contemporary architecture

No longer does it suffice to judge a building solely by its appearance; it must be measured and certified. When architects talk about ‘Excellence’, ‘Sustainability’, ‘Well-being’, ‘Liveability’, ‘Placemaking’, ‘Creativity’, ‘Beauty’ and ‘Innovation’, what do they actually mean? And what does this jargon tell us about the future of our homes, cities and planet?<br><br>‘With dry wit, humor, and honesty, sets out to debunk the myths of contemporary architecture.’ <b>Jaxson Stone, <i>Metropolis</i></b><br><br>‘feels like a stealth mission - an effort to slip something explosive into the carry-on luggage of the TED Talks class.’ <b>Will Wiles, <i>Literary Review</i></b><br><br>‘Reflects on the current state of his field, arguing that constraints on creative autonomy, overcommercialization and a poor understanding of good design have transformed 'spaces of spontaneity into preprogrammed, overdetermined areas.' <i><b>The New York Times Book Review</b></i><br><br>‘No one else is identifying the problems or suggesting potential exits from them as wittily or as intelligently as he is.’ <b>Tim Abrahams, <i>Architectural Record</i></b><br><br>‘Acerbic on an industry that continues to wallow in its self-congratulatory vocabulary while ignoring its role in the climate crisis and the brutalities of late capitalism’ – <b>Edwin Heathcote, <i>Financial Times</i></b>