What role do ethics play in architecture design? What does ethical architecture even mean?
I was pleased to take part in the “The Hearing – Architecture & Ethics: Critical Statements for the Future” to share my ‘plea’ or my take on the matter of ethical design through an Archtivist approach.
About the Event
In collaboration with The Department, Archined organised the event: The Hearing – Architecture & Ethics: Critical Statements for the Future. The event’s aim was to address the fact that architecture and spatial design is intrinsically an activity with social and, equally often, political impact.
The event aimed to address questions such as: What are the effects of particular (design) choices on society, the earth and the climate? In what way do architects relate to the world and to what extent are they held accountable to it?
Discover more on the event on Archined’s website.
By creating the fictitious ‘Ministry of Ethics’, The Department laid the administrative basis for a comprehensive governmental checklist with which to measure designers along an ethical yardstick. Do they meet the ethical standards of today? Or should they be removed from the Architects Register? The speakers took the checklist as the starting point for critically advising the ministry and, as befits a good debate, the audience can join in. The evening was moderated by JaapJan Berg.
The event touched on the fact that architecture and spatial design are intrinsically activities with social and political impact. “What are the effects of particular (design) choices on society, the earth, and the climate? In what way do architects relate to the world and to what extent are they held accountable to it?”
The speakers
Theo Deutinger, architect, writer and designer of sociocultural studies at The Department. This evening he is the state secretary of the Ministry of Ethics.
Nyasha Harper-Michon, architect and self-proclaimed ‘Archtivist’. Business developer at UNStudio, board member of WomenMakeTheCity, as well as a guest teacher at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture and the TU Delft.
Mark Minkjan is a city geographer, editor at Failed Architecture and winner of the Geert Bekaert Prize for Architecture Criticism. He is currently attached to the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture, where he is organizing discussions about the working culture in design offices and in design education.
Sanne Nouws, director and artistic leader of the (youth) theatre company House of Nouws, is a hands-on expert in the area of official checklists and assessment systems related to ethics in the theatre.
Bianca Seekles, chair of the board of ERA Contour, developer and construction of inner-city projects, where she works with intelligence and heart with partners and residents to create sustainable neighbourhoods.
Gus Tielens, partner and founder of KorthTielens Architects. They recently won the Zuiderkerk Prize for the best residential building in Amsterdam for their Spaarndammerhart project, and the Abe Bonnema Prize, an award to stimulate the quality of architecture in the Netherlands.
Thijs de Zeeuw is a landscape architect and nature optimist. He designs for both people and animals on the basis of the ecology of the place. He designed the elephant enclosure at ARTIS and is currently working on the zoo of the future.