Summary: This week, one reader responds to Contributing Editor Steve Kliment’s “Patrons and Patronage” article, discussing who should be African-American architects’ patrons, and another reader has something to say about the Architect of the Capitol position.

Re: Patrons and Patronage” article

Martin Luther King’s “Dream” is dead, as judged by appearance of the article in print, and the acceptance and pervasiveness of the entire line of thinking. Even the allowance of the use of the term “black architect” somehow assumes that he /she is different form any other, and is entirely wrong. I don’t remember any special “color” training, other than in fine arts class that qualified me as a black, white, red, or blue architect!

—Curtis O’Rourke

Re: The Architect of the Capitol

When the profession has to stage an uphill battle to have an actual architect selected to be "The Architect of the Capitol" it shows how marginalized the practice has become.

The AIA seems to take a trickle-down approach to advocacy. Believing that what is good for the large "public architects" will benefit all. In reality the reverse is true. For despite all the required education, the possible graduate degree, the internship, the multiple written examinations, the oral exam, and the continuing education to maintain a license, legislators and building departments think anyone with a rudimentary drawing and a PE stamp should be able to build most of what gets constructed in this country. And that simple fact has more negative impact on our cities than any one "waterfront revitalization" or "world's tallest building" could ever counter.

The recent spate of press devoted to a few high-profile public and private buildings actually seems to make things worse. They are regarded as unusual or exotic creations of architects who are described as "bad boys" or "difficult" and "egocentric." The public comes to view them as an attraction to be visited while on vacation but not something to be integrated into their own homes or communities. When Michael DeBakey transplanted his first human heart. the entire medical profession raised their rates. Architecture does not seem to work that way. What happens at the top does not benefit all.

If the AIA cannot establish a base understanding of the profession, that defines an awareness and appreciation for the role we play at all levels, the skirmish over the capitol architect may be the beginning death knell. We could see ourselves reduced to a few "starchitects" whose egos are brought in only when somebody wants to make a PR splash. The real planning and design will be done by others. We are the ones who claim to care about the built environment but no one seems to care that we care.

—Craig Townsend, AIA
Tazana, Calif.