Architecture and the people who create it: idea to reality

Abstract

This thesis is directed to all students of environmental design whether they are involved at this time on a formal basis in one of our schools of architecture, or whether they are involved on a professional basis in the practice of architecture. It is intended to make both the student with the practitioner aware of what lies ahead in the explosive urbanization to be faced in the coming decades. It is further intended that this awareness compel action toward solutions of the problems generated by this growth. Whether or not an expanded awareness for the architectural student, the architectural educator and the architectural practitioner is essential to the success of the profession of architecture has never been an issue. Whether the possible improved standards of the architectural profession resulting from this expanded awareness would be significant to the productivity of the architectural profession has never been the question. If any question relative to awareness did exist, it could only have been --is the degree of awareness that exists individually and collectively among the three aforementioned areas of the profession sufficient for the assumed responsibility of guiding the physical environment of the society of the United States? The answer must always hang on semantics, but except for measure as to degree, must always be no. The initial and maintained primary purpose of this thesis has been and is to investigate and improve this degree of awareness. By investigating the recent past, the immediate present, and the possibly predictable future, a number of conclusions were drawn revealing the beginnings of a picture which could allow the student, the educator and the practitioner the degree of awareness necessary to the proper execution of the profession's assumed task.