29 May 2013 Pablo Rodríguez Rodríguez / TvArquitectura

PFC 2012 Award Winner Interview

Interview with Paul Rodriguez Rodriguez PFC winning Best 2012 for students of architecture.

How does an architect recently graduated your job search? What do you do?

The first thing is to realize you’re missing a lot of knowledge and experience. See that you know nothing and you have a potential for improvement, that improvement begins with do their best, work hard, with intensity and two points together: more training and continuity in it.

When you apply for a job you realize a harsh reality in the profession, not only by the current state of the same, unemployment … but also by the detachment and disconnection that exists in society toward the figure of the architect and the architecture, a sense of usefulness only for fact visarlo sign a project.

The first thing I did was not to close any door or to pursue an education or an internship in Spain and abroad, in addition to doing some collaboration going, make a good resume and start to arrange a good portfolio. Then start marking targets and above all trust in you and your abilities, be strong in everything you do and know that it brings then your reward / compensation.

What is the goal that brand?

A future goal would be getting to make a living from my work as an architect, to develop this work in a manner consistent with my ideas, only their intrinsic problems. The harsher reality that you are as a newcomer / landed today is going to have to do something else to allow an architect, without being subjected, as a hobby.

Regarding your experience in the University of A Coruña, what is your best memory? What about the worst?

I find it difficult to choose the best memory, actually I had a really good time along the race with friends, classmates and teachers, have many great and unique moments, either from those moments in the cafeteria, in class, on trips, in Erasmus, endless nights groupware … topped with the final step of the defense of PFC accompanied by friends and family.

It is clear that there are also bad times, times when you feel lost or discouraged, but that’s when the support of friends and mates make you go harder.

Today young architects are enrolling in master’s year after year, what do you think about it?

I think the fact that young people choose to continue their education with a master’s or postgraduate courses meets a need that has always existed. I mean a newly qualified architect (even a few years earlier) began and completed their practical training taking the step to work on studies, where acquiring new knowledge and experience. Today that road is scarce and limited, where no such knowledge transfer in some cases.

In my case I am doing a graduate professor of social responsibility in the UDC order to broaden my horizons and complete my training in a cross.

What applications will find social responsibility in architecture?

Social responsibility is the ethical policies have an entity to its stakeholders, based on three pillars, namely economy, environment and society, based on good governance essential.

The architecture, like other professions, must be carried out starting from an ethical commitment, taking from the beginning a responsible. We must realize that the end justifies the means no longer. There must be transparency and accountability, to publish the strategic plan, the impact and the philosophy of a company or project. Besides knowing the means to measure these policies through indicators.

You just finish the race, you go home and turn on the TV. Are you encouraged? Do you have anything good to the current situation?

From my point of view the current situation is necessary, if we think that in the end, the crisis will be worth to bring the practice of architecture. I feel very optimistic and positive, this being worth this time to pause and reflect on the architecture banal appearances and frivolity that made these past few years.

The crisis is not only because of the real estate boom years, the current unemployment and lack of demand there, plus there is a mismatch between the image that society has of the architects and the true reality. And a disconnect between architecture and society.

What do you think of projects such as the city of culture in the city of Santiago and Sciences in Valencia?

Architectures show author or have no place, the work of architecture should work and adapt to their environment, their culture and society. The architecture is a reflection of the society that builds, we must now respond transparently and ethically, we can not only think of architecture as an end in itself for architects.

We try to always give a little more than what is demanded in each project, taking it as an opportunity to add value, “giving pig in a poke” as the Sota said.

Were you able to give a quote from a project?

Actually I have not been able to give a detailed budget, but by the time I had any such approach and which have informed me of what it would be, are about excessive costs for a first “work”: the school architects, social security, liability insurance, etc.. chilling out some calculations where a minimum work the first year would be € 5,000 would cost and even nine years to pay the insurance.

But it would be the worst part, deal with a society that does not understand our role and not see all the work behind a good project, with customers who think that we are on their side and do not seek your benefit, with fierce competition is consuming us as a profession and condemning those who started … with visa laws absurdly absurdly expensive and extensive.

What about fees in Spain? Do they fit the hours of work?

The problem is that we have discredited the profession have been us, I’m already born or was born in the crisis but right now either because the architecture hook, like and enjoy their practice do not think we realize what it costs, for trying to bring to fruition a project, attach a custom or just by being busy, is transferred in the fees. By giving a free draft’re underestimating our work and profession. Moreover, if we divide the fees as economists and make a ratio of the price charged per hour on a project, it is clear that today pays off not being an architect, rather than as a hobby.

Many are incalculable times until the time allocated to a project or contest, where in the end the job stays in ideas, not materialize in a play and become part of a shelf of ideas, waiting for another time to use but without reward or profit, unlike other European countries, where they receive a payment for their work, a start value of work done.

What would you like to change in this profession?

The architects must recover in society and respect conscience and sanity that in good times lost, because “anything goes” and years of very questionable practice, where many were left banged in construction and easy money , getting discredit the Architecture with a capital as the Sota said, we have to reinvent the concept of architect there, to adjust to a reality, the current profession, which is far from the mystical icon has in mind society and looking ahead, be an architect today is much more to do buildings.

At the time that the profession is certainly when (besides activate us as a group against the bill) must defend not only our own, but you need to look within the same happened to have come to this situation .

Recovery can happen by not being a profession inbred focused solely on building and occupy managerial positions such as; make legible the rest our work, as in other European countries, to involve and knowledgeable about the complexity of a project to people, the architecture open to all and not to find it finished, when they have to live with it or make the same service, I say do service, because the architecture should appear and serve, not to be an end in same.

What attitudes do you value and believe it should be an architect?

An architect should not settle for mediocrity, but should strive for excellence, recognized or not, as an attitude rather than an end. Never ever get stuck and look your best with the means that are available at all times, since the work of Architecture is a continuous search for new meanings and relationships in it.

The way of life of an architect should be marked / moved by your questions and concerns and limited by their answers, being the rework / rethink those questions that define and modify that path.