A Place in the Sun and When Desire Meets Reality

Transcript

Over lockdown, my wife and I found a way to get a ‘mini vacation in the mind’ by watching ‘A Place in the Sun’.

The perfect antidote to grey, rainy days (I live in the North!), the programme format is to present five different properties in various sunny locations, primarily around the Mediterranean. These are whittled down to a couple of contenders that tick most of the boxes and often an offer is made on camera.

It is a perfect lesson in the complex dance of emotion vs rationality, desire vs reality. One of the most common problems is the contradiction between budget and location.

In the quest for more space, better accommodation and privacy, the search is usually pulled away from the desirable beachfront, to further inland where prices are lower and value for money is better.

The most common statement from the participants is often: ‘All we need to do is pick up this property and take it nearer the beach’ – much to the obvious teeth-grinding visible frustration of the property expert presenter, who gently reminds them about the nature of compromise.

A lesson from my grandmother – ‘You can’t have your cake and your ha’penny’

At the recent Manchester Society of Architects Awards 2021, there was pretty much only one question on the mind of the manufacturer sponsors. How do I get architects to specify my product?

Of course, this was never actually asked outright. It was underneath another question: What do architects actually want from us?

My answer to this question was simple.

‘In giving them what they need, do your very best to try to give them what they want.’

What architects want from you is to do most of the work. In another knowledge base video, I talked about the architect’s goal being to create architecture.

Everything else is a means to an end.

The ‘how’ not the ‘why’

Let’s take sustainability.

The architect might genuinely want to make the world a better, more sustainable place and their design may be built around this strategy. But they need materials that demonstrably meet their needs. They need to tick all the necessary boxes, whether it’s low embodied energy, sustainably sourced, 100% recyclable, etc.

They are likely in a chain of people from contractor to client to end user who all need ‘proof’ they are living up to their responsibilities. And they are all looking at you to provide it.

Architects don’t build buildings. Contractors don’t build buildings.

Sub-contractors actually build buildings.

What architects want from you is to do most of the work. In another knowledge base video, I talked about the architect’s goal being to create architecture.

Everything else is a means to an end.

The ‘how’ not the ‘why’

Let’s take sustainability.

The architect might genuinely want to make the world a better, more sustainable place and their design may be built around this strategy. But they need materials that demonstrably meet their needs. They need to tick all the necessary boxes, whether it’s low embodied energy, sustainably sourced, 100% recyclable, etc.

They are likely in a chain of people from contractor to client to end user who all need ‘proof’ they are living up to their responsibilities. And they are all looking at you to provide it.

Architects don’t build buildings. Contractors don’t build buildings.

Sub-contractors actually build buildings.

Using materials that you supply them.

Of course, I am being a little reductionist here, but the truth is:

The architect wants you to do most of the work for them. But they also don’t want to compromise their ideas. (Back to the property wanted near the beach but is 3miles inland)

What does this mean?

• You need to ensure you have the right information and in good order, including investing not only in BIM and NBS, but also the EPD certificates, membership of reputable trade bodies, assessed CPD, etc.
• You need good case studies with inspiring images (that may not just focus on the product BTW – more in another video about this).
• Your information also needs explanation – for the less experienced architect.
• You need to be able to offer a compromise solution where necessary that the architect can live with. Or at least be able to show them their vision won’t be lost.

In other words, and I’m sorry about this, but you need to do pretty much all the work for the entire value chain.

In the end, it's all down to you.


Paul Iddon ARB RIBA