I came across this in a post by the innovative and forward thinking Minnesota architect John Dwyer who has long been a champion for sustainable architecture.
“The problem is the all too egotistical paradigm that; design is art and art should be a means of individual expression, not something free and open for others to contribute to. But design is, at its essence, problem solving and the free sharing of information is the most effective way to solve any problem.”
I’m not sure who coined the phrase first but in a fit of design rage over a local project that was pure evidence of this type of oppressive building style I blurted out the word “Egotecture”. (Intention separates this word from a Bush-ism.)
The willingness to share ideas, discoveries, techniques, and solutions is to often shuttered up in someone’s library. Bill Billy the inventor of the automated genome sequencer chides those that hide their codes away in a safe-room. “What you should be scared of is that no one will use your program, not that they will steal it!” In the absence of ideas you have ego. Add in a pinch of poor judgment, a dash of incompetence, and a cup of wealthy client and voila, egotecture!
Sometimes it is purely the client. Sometime it is purely the architect. I pity the tradespeople who while constructing the monstrosity are fully aware of what they are creating, yet are compelled to build what they are told. So sad.
