DEAR ARCHITECTS… — ARCHITECTURE AS LABOUR

The “Dear architects…” project that addresses architects has something to say again. For the third time, curator Karolína Plášková calls for reflection on the position of architects in society and their working conditions. The Faculty of Architecture BUT, as part of the project Space for Engaged Architecture, is opening the exhibition Architecture as Labour at the Brno Gallery of Architecture on 6 December 2022 at 19:00. The exhibition and accompanying programme will portray and map the situation on the labour market, the position of the professional associations and schools of architecture.
The third exhibition of the project “Dear architects…” deals with the labour conditions in the field of architecture, with a focus on the precarious working and living conditions of the (mainly, but not exclusively) young generation of architecture graduates. The goal is to raise awareness and hopefully contribute to the discussion on the organization of work in architecture, non-paid labour and internships, the structure of architectural offices (hierarchical vs non-hierarchical), and work-life balance (with caring for family members etc.).
Architects often present architecture’s agenda as “finding solutions to contemporary problems”. If architects are expected to work ethically, we must discuss the labour conditions and toxic culture in the architecture profession. Due to the competition in the market, architects are “forced” to work below cost, and the burden is often transferred onto young architects with no security. But not only precarious labour conditions make architectural workers leave the profession. It is also the toxic culture in the workplace, e.g. overtime, all-nighters, discrimination, or humiliation. If architects organise and fight for fairer conditions, they can achieve more freedom to work on projects beneficial to society and, at the same time, not harmful to the planet (or to their health).

Accompanying exhibition program:
10. 12. 2022 13:00 Marisa Cortright: Architectural Workers of Europe, Unite! #round_table
19. 12. 2022 17:30 cosa.cz & m2au: Nehierarchické kolektivy v architektuře? #round_table
14. 1. 2023 14:00 Charlie Edmonds: Future Architects Front - Youtube #round_table
16. 1. 2023 19:00 Tantehorse: Strachy #performative_lecture
21. 1. 2023 14:00 Angelika Hinterbrandner: Practising Architecture #round_table