Expert: John Henry Architect - 2/13/2009

Question
Mr. Henry,

Several months ago, I came across your website, and I was extremely pleased with what I saw.

I am currently in my second year as an architecture major at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.  During my time here, I must say that it's been quite frustrating.  Historic buildings and traditional architecture always fascinated me, and this is what made me want to be an
architect.  After coming to CMU, I realized there was no place here for my interests.  Although I certainly realized that "modern" has its rightful place in the world of architecture today, I never expected the curriculum to be consumed by a strict modernist doctrine, rejecting all tradition--and everything I love about architecture along with it.  Soon I realized this common theme throughout architectural academia.

As well, residential architecture occupies my interest, and it is very refreshing to find an architect who treats historical architecture so well, with such a classic attention to detail.  The overall poor architectural quality of the housing industry today is badly in need of
such skills.  Of course, by educating all young architects as modernist machines, it does become problematic when they are faced with a traditional building job.

Once again though, magnificent homes!  And if you have an advice on how to make it as a traditional architect in today's world, I would greatly appreciate it.  

Answer
Hello Mr. Catania,
Welcome to the 'great brainwashing'.
Most schools of architecture with the exception of Notre Dame and one in
Miami have a strict policy of omitting the classical tradition in favor of
modernism.
This has been the case for at least 60 years now.
Which is very unfortunate.
You are sensitive to this as a second year student.
For me, I had no idea what was going on until several years after graduation
and licensing.
The funny thing I found was that residential clients pretty much had no
interest in modernism.
The schools teach modernism because it is the main 'mode' for commercial
building, which is the emphasis.
Although more and more you will see modern malls remodeled back to
traditional design and new towns, urban centers, etc. built in a mock
classical style.  Of course these are all done by modernists with a very
small exception.
And residential design is not taken seriously by academia, the AIA, or the
blue media.
One has to develop the skills of proportion and beauty (two words now
translated to 'massing' and 'form fits function') on their own if creating
in the mode of the great Western Tradition.
Commercially trained architects do a very bad job when switching into
classicism.
For those of us who had this training, but have done the research in
classical design, it is easier to hop back and forth.
You will study Post Modernism shortly, which was the transitional jump
between the two.
But like a pendulum, there is now a hard core of classicists (see Institute
of Classical Architecture for more information) who completely reject
modernism, as has been the obverse for too long now.
I do appreciate what modern architects have done, but if you travel Europe
the last thing you want to see is the work of modernists because the
ancient, renaissance, and neoclassical examples are so overwhelmingly
compelling.
In many parts of the country there is a very banal and frijid modernism
which has swept away all the historical examples.  (Find the book "The Old
Way of Seeing".)
Again, unfortunate.
There is more room for experimentation in residential design, where many
famous architects honed their expression of architecture.  This is also a
field crowded by non licensed designers, so the very good is lost in the
mediocre.
This would be the best of times to practice in a traditional idiom, so
transferring out is not a bad idea.
The polemic is argued in many forums, but you might start here and look for
earlier posts about modernism vs. classicism:
http://www.coragroups.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3  (this is not CORA's main
mission by the way).
Thank you for the kudos and best wishes for a clear future.
(By the time you graduate this recession will be over and there will be work
available!)
And keep in touch,
JH