This morning I watched a Robin Williams movie called Patch Adams at the HBO. Reminds me a lot about the topic I chose in doing my final project. Mine was evidence-based design, n the film was focusing on how important it is to deal with the quality of life. They're pretty much the same. if only those people involved in the healthcare business, whether they're medical practitioner, healthcare specialist or even architects watch the movie maybe they would see things differently by opening their eyes to a whole new world of possibilities.
Watching the movie, my memories went back to the times when one of my mentors told me that I was being too idealistic and the topic is irrelevant with my job, which is designing spaces. He's exactly like one of the dean in that movie. One who's satisfied with the way things are right now and refuse to accept the fact that all around the world, standards is changing rapidly.
Architecture is not just about building a building. Not anymore. It needs personal touch. It needs character. The study is improving, expanding, and it affects the user. That’s why architecture studies are also expanding. It should be. And it is people like him who hold us back from the creative process to improve our quality of life. They control the way we think. They said we’re still incapable to think outside the box. Incompetent to create a breakthrough in our field. “Psychology is none of our business, architects”.
In my opinion, an architect holds a great power in controlling the environment they created along with the psychological state of the people using it, like doctors with their patients. That’s why it is important to get to know your clients, personally and psychologically, find out what they want, and most importantly what they need, things that they might not even realize they needed.
The phrase “first, do no harm” is such a powerful statement, meaning we shouldn’t done no harm to our patients/clients but at the same time, with our huge power of knowledge and lack of self control, we are more than capable of doing it.
What am I talking about? Why do I even bother? It’s only a movie yet it tickles me so much, it annoy me so damn much knowing there’s so much moral in the movie, same principles exactly like mine, but I can do nothing about it. I’m just a fresh graduate with big dreams and zero experience, who happens to have a great passion in healthcare architecture. This sort of thing pisses me off.
