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| Building makes hungry. But there is more resemblance between the build and food profession. |
Nowadays people have to make many decisions during a day; what to wear, where to go on holiday, which friend to meet, what movie to see, and so on. It all seems so nice to have many options to choose from but it also could make life more limited than one would guess.
While studying architectureone of my teachers used to tell us that designing architecture is like cooking; first you go to the market to buy your ingredients. What you buy depends on the season, the weather, your mood and the reason you are cooking. It is all related to the context. When you’ve arrived in your kitchen you cut all the ingredients and prepare them. Some of the ingredients will be mixed in a pot, some in higher quantities than others. You will stir, add some spices and fry until you’ve found the right mix for a well balanced dish. This is like the architect putting together the program given by his client therefore using his own skills and the tools he could find. When everything is done the dish is delivered to the one you cooked for. The building is ready to use.
So there is a big match in the way these professions work. But there are more resemblances. Both architect and the cook are in competition with others. They compete of course with colleagues but they also have to compete with companies offering the same product. The architect competes with the contractor who thinks he can design himself. The cook competes with supermarkets who offers clients ready-to-eat meals for very reasonable prices. And both architect and cook seem to get an even harder time.
Many people seem to strive for their own home which is unique. Not only because they live in it or because they have taken care of the interior, but also because they were able to choose the ingredients of their own house. In Holland this is known as a catalogus woning(house choosen from a catalogue). As you could already guess by the name of it you can pick your ingredients from a catalogue and the contractor will make sure he puts them together. There you got your home.
Dutch supermarkets seem to have stolen this idea and translated this to a meal catalogue. They have different ingredients on offer; four vegetable mixes, two sorts of meat, a couple of grains like rice or pasta and different types and flavors of sauces. All you need to do is choose what you want to eat and prepare them like explained on the package. There you have your meal.
A lot of us think they live in a world in which they can do whatever they like. This seems not as true as we think it is. And we should actually blame ourselves for making it worse. We let others choose for us (they decide what’s put in the catalogue). These options are actually much smaller than there would be if the options are all open. The options on offer in a catalogue are those best for the one selling them (he makes high profits), but maybe not for the one buying and using it. We should start to think for ourselves again. If help is needed call the craftsmen who definitely knows what’s best for us.
Even animals could be chosen from a catalogue. Check episode 27 (Creation of the fittest) of the Beagle trip in which an Australian farmer explains how he choose his cattle.
