Does the architecture begins where engineering ends?

This phrase of the architect, urban planner and German designer w. Gropius, (1883-1969) already heard in my early career and I do not know why reason stayed in my head. Already at the time it made clear to me that although both professionals share some technical knowledge, there is a clear barrier that separates both disciplines. On the one hand the architecture focuses on projecting and construction of buildings to house human activities, while engineering allows the formalization of infrastructure works which require live only periodically and his role is relegated to provide a timely service to humans.

Is true that the world of public works not confined only to the construction of infrastructure, whether or not that also appears a whole package of public buildings (schools, hospitals, bibliotecas…) where architects have really contributed much more to us. First because in this kind of construction law gives us many more competitions and second it is here where they have seen the possibility of developing our facet técnico-artística, and so has presented to us much more suggestive.

Now, the current economic crisis has harmed significantly this type of projects, and consequently to our profession. Cuts in public works and infrastructure which has proposed the Government, added to the indebtedness of municipalities, it has made that one of the possible solutions we saw this crisis, i.e., the dedication to public projects, also has been interrupted. At the moment it is almost impossible to receive the order, however small, of a project of social sphere and the lucky few that succeed tend to be the big fish pond, which they have been chosen to toe and that due to the importance they have have sufficient guarantees to deal with the obstacles that the bureaucratic world them It requires.

Against this background the question arises: do should architects across the impenetrable line raised w. Gropius to give an outlet to our current situation?

A possible solution would be to reinvent itself and try to occupy positions that until now perhaps not seemed so tempting. Thanks to our double técnico-artístico knowledge can contribute to the formalization of projects so far had States more relegated to the world of engineering, such as bridges and roads. They are constructions involving a major impact on the everyday landscape and with the contribution of an architect can become much more human projects.

"Useful things can also be fine". Deyan Sudjic, architect and director of the Design Museum in London.