Architects are not drawing machines: A city planner who should not be forgotten, Chen Zhaxiang

Author: Chen Zhanzhang, Chen Yanqing, Wang Ruzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: In the past, architects in China were generally referred to as engineers. In the West, calling someone an engineer might provoke protest. Europeans say: Physicians restore (human) order, lawyers maintain (social) order, and architects create (material world) order. The title of architect in China has been restored, which is highly necessary. In ancient Western civilizations, architects were not solely engineers. The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (Vitruvius) proposed requirements for architects, stating that "architecture is a science derived from many disciplines, and the development of various fields enriches its content; architectural science helps in evaluating other technical achievements."
The 15th-century polymath, architect, and artist Alberti designed with a human-centered approach, focusing on the scale of buildings and urban environments. He proposed the following requirements for architects: first, architects bear a responsibility to future generations and personal honor, and must not, out of ignorance, recklessness, or foolishness, bring disgrace upon themselves. "A cautious, wise, and knowledgeable architect's design should be appreciated by the wealthy while still adhering to principles of thrift." Architects must critically reevaluate the history and theory of their profession and consider architectural design within a comprehensive environmental context. Individual design ideas detached from the overall urban environment should no longer persist. Architects no longer serve a single individual but the entire society.
In China, the important issue facing us is the social recognition of the architect's status. Even today, architects are merely commissioned to "draw some sketches" for the "client." Architects accept design tasks from the "client" on a predetermined site and can only proceed with the design according to these requirements, often even catering to the personal preferences of the client's leadership. Such constraints on designers make it extremely difficult to carry out creative architectural activities.