Fostering Aberrations: Amplifying Architecture Through an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Abstract

The economy is suffering. The job market is in a lull. Qualified college graduates are not able to find jobs. Many homes are in foreclosure, the largest individual investment for the average North American family. During an economic lull, entrepreneurial spirit is rekindled and many new business pursuits develop. Individuals explore means to realize a vision, often after losing a job, or simply an opportunity of last resort. Traditionally, the city square was where one would take his goods to sell. The public urban space was a place to try new pursuits and test ideas. The North American city lacks public space. The city square of European cities served as a connection between the public and the private realms of an urban condition. The public space was stage set for the performance of individuals and business owners. During the week, an ephemeral market engaged the public space where merchants brought their product and the public purchased goods. In addition to economic trade, it was a place of daily life for the public, and a networking interface for business owners. The public space which dominates this realm in North American cities is the street. The multifunctional nature of an urban streetscape, serving as a transitional space, inhibits the blurring of the public | private which traditionally was a symbiotic relationship. Therefore, fostering aberrations between the public and private using architecture as a medium, would benefit the urban palimpsest of interaction and strengthen the economic foundation for individual business owners. ‘In the urban composition, everything must express as faithfully as possible the particular life of the collective organism.’ -Aldo Rossi Due to the limited resources available to entrepreneurs, in the twenty first century, the internet has become the new public space. With technological advancement, having limited resources has inspired many entrepreneurs to rely on the internet to develop networks and do business. The role of the architect should amplify and extend beyond its traditional place. By using the internet as a tool and developing a networking interface in the direct local area, the programmatic needs would grow from within rather than relying on clients to make a contact when they find it necessary. Architects must develop an interface locally, while simultaneously working at a global level to enhance the practice. The local presence will establish credibility and help the architect survive economic downturns. In a market where the pulse of the entrepreneurial spirit is becoming an important source of economic growth, architecture which responds to entrepreneurial needs can not only serve as a catalyst for economic development, but is an opportunity to create architectural and urban growth. Mediating between the micro and macro and exploring architectural design through an urban and entrepreneurial lens, the architect has a more stable foundation while cultivating an urban landscape, creating a more viable condition for growth.