ONE TENDS VERY unfairly not to associate creativity with architecture. This could simply be because buildings are so much larger than other creative products. Large amounts of money are usually involved, a lot of negotiations are needed, and many permits are required. The architect is always subject to many restrictions. In that perhaps understandable sense, the label of “artist” is often not applied to architects. Their products do not only have to comply with regulations, they also have to meet the requirements of investors.
At the same time though, working with that much space and so much resources should afford architects with opportunities other artists can only dream of. And as environmental consciousness grows along with the trend towards the restoration of old buildings and historical sites, doing a job well can be a career-making achievement. It may be that the need to conform to rules and regulations, and to the form of the object being restored, for example, hampers an architect’s creativity, but it is also under such constraints that creativity can strive and be appreciated most vividly. The parameters that an architect deals with which allows for creativity and innovative professionalism are many. Restoration is after all preservation as well; so an architect can have a field day putting his technical skills to work in support of his brand of creativity.
