Following on from previous posts on:

Architect as Actor

Architect as Writer

Architect as Psychologist

This simple post says what the architects most important role is:

Architect as Interpreter and Translator

I am always amazed following that very first meeting with a potential client on the outpouring of ideas, dreams, likes and dislikes on what they want for their building project.

It’s almost as if the potential client has bottled up these ideas for years and suddenly in this first meeting (and remember that I haven’t even got the gig yet); the cork is released and all the ideas coming flooding out.

But what do I mean by saying the architect is interpreter and translator? The potential client needs to communicate with his architect three dimensional concepts; the work of the architect is effectively a language of three dimensions and it’s the architects job to translate or interpret these words and pictures into a three dimensional solution that takes into account the clients dreams and aspirations, the context of the site and local planning requirements.

Obviously it’s not a language like French, German or Japanese but it’s a still a language where spaces connect, materials join and surfaces are seen and touched; the architects role is to create a language of three dimensions, materials and textures and his/her role is to translate and interpret what the potential client says and shows into this language.

All for now, comments welcome…