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Put the Architect-Builder Conflict to Rest

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Put the Architect-Builder Conflict to Rest

Developer/architect Joel Karr thinks true collaboration between builders and architects, as practiced in Japan, is the only way to go


By Joel M. Karr, Group 41 February 28, 2009
This article first appeared in the CB March 2009 issue of Custom Builder.


Joel M. Karr
joel@group41inc.com
www.group41inc.com

I'm often asked how I'm able to operate so comfortably in two territories: high-design architecture and real-estate development. It amazes me that many of my architect colleagues think developers are the lowest form of pond scum, while the developers I frequently deal with feel strongly that architects cannot be trusted within 10 miles of their projects. There is such a deeply rooted distrust and cynicism between the two that, even before they begin a relationship, they are doomed.

The genesis of this problem is in the age-old nature of builder and architect practices. These paradigms, dating back as far as 600 to 1,000 years, have become albatrosses around our necks.

The traditional education of the architect originated at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris around the 1850s but actually has its roots in medieval stonemasonry teaching techniques. It's based on the notion that the "master architect" is the one with all the knowledge, and it is his or her responsibility to direct the work of the builder.

The builder, on the other hand, comes out of a proud and centuries-old tradition of craft. He was typically not necessarily highly educated but rather a highly skilled tradesman, trained through years of practice. His pride came from the elegance of his craft and beauty of his product. He innately mistrusted the architect as an interloper who imposed a different design sensibility than his own. That history has evolved into a built-in adversarial relationship between the architect and builder in our modern environment.

The only solution to this problem is to create a brand-new paradigm for the relationship. Because both traditions are rooted in history, it takes enlightened parties on both sides, as well as an unusual client, to transform the nature of these associations. In fact, the role of developer/architect most easily affords this freedom. That is why I am able to be successful at creating "high design" while still acting responsibly as a developer.

Of course, dollars matter. We are a free-market economy where cost is the primary driver. But making fine architecture and being a developer are not mutually exclusive. In a truly collaborative environment, much more design work is allowed to flow to the builder than would be even dreamed of by today's American architect.

Our culture's litigiousness creates fear, keeping most architects from letting go of responsibility. In fact, a cooperative approach has worked amazingly well in Japan for decades. Designers are on the job site every day, working in partnership with builders to devise solutions to myriad design challenges that simply cannot be addressed in drawings. It's enormously efficient and cost-effective, and it allows much more flexibility and creativity along the way.

The essence is not for everyone to say, "We work collaboratively in our company," or some other such buzz-talk. Where the rubber hits the road is when architect and builder really stretch to each other's needs, without even thinking about change orders or looking for blame. The change is organic and at the absolutely most fundamental level. It won't work any other way.

joel@group41inc.com, www.group41inc.com


Author Information
Joel M. Karr is principal of Group 41, an architecture and real-estate development firm based in San Francisco. A Certified Green Building Professional, he has completed an extensive array of residential and commercial projects, including custom homes, renovations and office parks.

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