On a beautiful day, just a few years ago my wife and I entered a hospital near our home in Oakland, California for the birth of our first daughter, Maya. We had responsibly toured the birthing center in advance and yet we were somehow still startled to find ourselves in the place where we would experience one of the most significant moments of our lives. We were stuck in a windowless room with no hint of the bright and sunny day that we had left. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, the paint on the walls was beige and machines beeped inexplicably as a wall clock indicated day turning to night. That clock was placed above a door in direct line of sight to where my wife lay as her contractions increased hour after hour. Now, I've never given birth --
Jednog prelepog dana, pre nekoliko godina, moja supruga i ja otišli smo u bolnicu blizu naše kuće u Oklandu u Kaliforniji da bi moja supruga rodila našu prvu kćerku, Maju. Iako smo odgovorno unapred otišli u obilazak bolnice, ipak smo bili zbunjeni kada smo se našli na mestu gde će se dogoditi jedan od najznačajnijih trenutaka u našim životima. Bili smo zaglavljeni u sobi bez prozora, bez naznaka lepog i sunčanog dana iz koga smo došli. Fluorescentna svetla su zujala iznad naših glava, boja na zidovima je bila bež, a mašine su neobjašnjivo pištale dok je zidni sat najavljivao pretvaranje dana u noć. Taj sat je bio smešten iznad vrata sa direktnim pogledom na mesto gde je moja supruga ležala dok su se njene kontrakcije pojačavale iz sata u sat. Nikada se nisam porađao -
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
but she assured me that the last thing that a birthing woman would ever want is to watch the seconds tick by.
ali me je uverila da je poslednja stvar koju bi žena na porođaju ikada želela je da gleda otkucaje sekundi.
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
An architect by training, I've always been fascinated watching people experience design in the world around them. I believe design functions like the soundtrack that we're not even fully aware is playing. It sends us subconscious messages about how to feel and what to expect. That room that we were in seemed completely misaligned with the moment that we were experiencing -- welcoming a human being, our daughter, into this world.
Kao arhitekta po obrazovanju, uvek sam bio fasciniran dok sam posmatrao kako ljudi doživljavaju dizajn u svetu oko njih. Verujem da projektovanje funkcioniše kao pesma koje nismo u potpunosti svesni. Ona nam šalje podsvesne poruke o tome kako da se osećamo i šta da očekujemo. Ta soba u kojoj smo bili delovala je potpuno neusklađeno sa trenutkom koji smo proživljavali - dolazak ljudskog bića, naše kćerke, na ovaj svet.
At one point a nurse, without any prompt, turned to us and said, "I always think to myself, 'I wish I had become an architect, because I could have designed rooms like this better.'"
U jednom trenutku, medicinska sestra se odjednom okrenula ka nama i rekla: „Uvek razmišljam: 'Volela bih da sam arhitekta jer bih mogla da mnogo bolje da projektujem ovakve prostorije.'“
I said to her, "An architect did design this room."
Rekao sam joj: „Arhitekta i jeste projektovao ovu prostoriju.“
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Despite the immense joy of our daughter's birth, the messages of that hospital room stick with she and I to this day. Those messages are, "You are not at home, you are in a foreign place." "You are not in control of anything. Not even the lighting." "Your comfort, simply, is secondary." At best, a hospital room like this might just be described or dismissed as uninspiring. At worst, it is undignifying. And I use it to point out that none of us, anywhere in the world, are immune from bad design.
Uprkos neverovatnoj radosti zbog rođenja naše kćerke, poruke iz te bolničke sobe ostale su u njoj i meni do danas. Te poruke su: „Nisi kod kuće; na stranom si mestu.“ „Ne kontrolišeš ništa. Čak ni rasvetu.“ „Tvoj komfor je prosto sekundarna stvar.“ U najboljem slučaju, bolničke sobe poput ove mogle bi biti opisane ili odbačene kao neinspirativne. U najgorem slučaju je nedostojanstvena. I koristim je kao primer da istaknem da niko od nas, nigde na svetu, nije imun na loš dizajn.
I went into architecture because I believed it was about creating spaces for people to live their best lives. And yet what I found is a profession largely disconnected from the people most directly impacted by its work. I believe this is because architecture remains a white, male, elitist profession -- seemingly unconcerned with some of the greatest needs in the world or even the relatively simple needs of an expectant mother. Students are trained in school using highly theoretical projects, rarely interacting with real people or actual communities. Graduates are funneled through a long, narrow unforgiving path to licensure.
Išao sam u arhitektonsku školu jer sam verovao da je u pitanju stvaranje prostora za ljude kako bi živeli najbolje verzije svojih života. Međutim, otkrio sam da je to zanimanje koje je većim delom nepovezano sa ljudima koji su najviše pod uticajem radova arhitekata. Verujem da se ovo javlja zato što arhitektura i dalje predstavlja belu, mušku, elitističku profesiju - koja je naizgled nesvesna jedne od najvećih potreba u svetu ili čak relativno jednostavnih potreba trudnica. Studenti se obučavaju u školama uz korišćenje veoma teoretskih projekata i retko ostvaruju interakciju sa pravim ljudima i zajednicama. Diplomci se oblikuju kroz dugi, uski, surovi put do licence.
Meanwhile, the profession holds up a select few through relentless award programs focused almost exclusively on the aesthetics of buildings, rather than the societal impact or contributions of them. It only goes to reinforce a warped view of professional responsibility and success and yet this isn't why so many young, hopeful people go into architecture. It's not why I did. I believed then, though I didn't have a language for it, and I know now, that design has a unique ability to dignify. It can make people feel valued, respected, honored and seen.
U međuvremenu, profesija podržava tek nekoliko odabranih kroz neprestane programe nagrada, fokusirane gotovo isključivo na estetiku zgrada umesto na društveni uticaj ili njihov doprinos. Ona jedino teži da ojača iskrivljenu sliku o profesionalnoj odgovornosti i uspehu, a to ipak nije razlog zašto mnogi mladi ljudi puni nade ulaze u profesiju arhitekture. Ja nisam zato ušao. Tada sam verovao, iako to nisam mogao da izrazim, a sada znam da dizajn ima jedinstvenu sposobnost da oplemeni. Može učiniti da ljudi osećaju da vrede, da ih poštuju, cene i primećuju.
Now I'd like for you to just think about some of the spaces that you inhabit. And I'd like to have you think about how they make you feel. Now, there are places that make us feel unhappy, unhealthy or uninspiring. They may be the places that you work or where you heal or even where you live. And I ask, how might these places be better designed with you in mind? It's a really simple question and it can somehow, sometimes be very difficult to answer. Because we are conditioned to feel like we don't have much agency over the spaces and places that we live, work and play. And in many cases we don't. But we all should.
Voleo bih da pomislite samo na neka mesta na kojima živite. Voleo bih da razmislite o tome kako čine da se osećate. To su mesta koja nas čine nesrećnima, nezdravima ili neinspirisanima. Mogu biti mesta gde radite, lečite se ili čak živite. Pitam vas, kako bi ova mesta mogla biti bolje projektovana za vaše potrebe? Veoma je jednostavno pitanje i, nekako, nekada može biti veoma teško odgovoriti na njega. Predodređeni smo da se osećamo kao da ne možemo mnogo da utičemo na prostore i mesta u kojima živimo, radimo i igramo se. U mnogim slučajevima nemamo, ali bi trebalo da imamo.
Now, here's a potentially dumb question for any women watching: Have you ever stood in a disproportionately long bathroom line?
Sledi verovatno glupo pitanje za svaku ženu koja ovo gleda: da li ste ikada stajale u nesrazmerno dugačkom redu za toalet?
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Did you ever think to yourself, "What is wrong with this picture?" Well, what if the real question is, "What is wrong with the men that designed these bathrooms?"
Da li ste ikada pomislili: „Šta ne valja ovde?“ Šta ako je pravo pitanje: „Šta je muškarcima koji su projektovali ove toalete?“
(Applause)
(Aplauz)
It may seem like a small thing, but it's representative of a much more serious issue. The contemporary world was literally built by men who have rarely taken the time to understand how people unlike them experience their designs. A long bathroom line might seem like a minor indignity. But the opposite can also be true. Thoughtful design can make people feel respected and seen. I've come to believe that dignity is to design what justice is to law and health is to medicine. In the simplest of terms, it's about having the spaces you inhabit reflect back your value.
Možda deluje kao mala stvar, ali predstavlja mnogo ozbiljniji problem. Savremeni svet su doslovno izgradili muškarci koji su retko posvetili vremena da shvate kako ljudi drugačiji od njih doživljavaju njihove projekte. Dugačak red za toalet bi mogao da izgleda kao minimalna uvreda. Ali suprotno može takođe biti tačno. Dobro promišljeni projekat može da učini da ljudi osećaju da ih poštuju i primećuju. Počeo sam da verujem da je poštovanje prema dizajnu isto što i pravda za pravo i zdravlje za medicinu. Najjednostavnije rečeno, mesto u kom živite odražava vašu vrednost.
Over the past two years I had the opportunity to interview over 100 people from all walks of life about their experience of design. I wanted to test my hunch that dignity and design are uniquely related.
Tokom prethodne dve godine imao sam prilike da razgovaram sa više od 100 ljudi iz različitih oblasti o iskustvu koje su imali sa projektovanjem. Želeo sam da testiram svoju slutnju da su poštovanje i projektovanje istinski povezani.
I listened to Gregory, a resident of this cottage community designed specifically for the 50 most chronically homeless people in Dallas. Gregory had been living on the streets, drifting from town to town for over 30 years. A broad coalition of social service agencies, funders and designers, created this place. Each 400 square foot cottage is designed beautifully as a permanent home. Gregory now has a key to a door to his own house. He describes the sense of security that it brings him. Something he had lived without for three decades. When he arrived with little more than the clothes on his back, he found everything: from a toaster, Crock-Pot and stove to a toothbrush and toothpaste awaiting for him. He describes it simply as heaven.
Slušao sam Gregorija, stanovnika ove naseobine sa kolibama projektovanih posebno za 50 najhroničnijih beskućnika u Dalasu. Gregori je živeo na ulicama, lutajući od grada do grada više od 30 godina. Veliko udruženje agencija za socijalne službe, donatora i projektanata stvorilo je ovo mesto. Svaka koliba od 37 kvadratnih metara je prelepo projektovana kao trajni dom. Gregori sada ima ključ od vrata svoje sopstvene kuće. Opisuje osećaj sigurnosti koji mu to donosi. Nešto bez čega je živeo tri decenije. Kada je došao sa nešto više stvari od odeće na sebi, našao je sve: od tostera, ekspres lonca i rerne do četkice i paste za zube koje su ga čekale. Jednostavno ih opisuje kao raj.
On the other side of the world, I listened to Antoinette, the director of this training and community center for women in rural Rwanda. Hundreds of women come to this place daily -- to learn new skills, be in community, and continue rebuilding their lives following the country's civil war. These women literally pressed the 500,000 bricks that make up the 17 classroom pavilions like this one. Antoinette told me, "Everyone is so proud of it."
Na drugoj strani sveta slušao sam Antoanetu, predsednicu ove zajednice i centra za obuku za žene u ruralnoj Ruandi. Stotine žena dolazi na ovo mesto svaki dan - da stiče nove veštine, bude u zajednici i nastavi da iznova gradi svoje živote nakon građanskog rata u državi. Ove žene su doslovno ugradile 500 000 cigli koje sačinjavaju više od 17 učionica poput ove. Antoaneta mi je rekla: „Svi su veoma ponosni na ovo.“
And then back here in the US I listened to Monika, the director of a free clinic primarily serving the uninsured in Arkansas. Monika loves telling me that the doctors, who volunteer at her free clinic routinely tell her that they've never worked in such a beautiful, light-filled place. Monika believes that even people experiencing poverty deserve quality health care. And what's more, she believes they deserve to receive that care in a dignified setting.
Zatim sam ovde u Americi slušao Moniku, načelnicu besplatne klinke koja prvenstveno pruža usluge stanovnicima Arkanzasa bez osiguranja. Monika voli da deli sa mnom priče o tome da joj doktori koji volontiraju u njenoj besplatnoj klinici stalno govore da nikada nisu radili na tako lepom mestu, punom svetlosti. Monika veruje da čak i ljudi koji su siromašni zaslužuju kvalitetnu zdravstvenu negu. Štaviše, ona veruje da zaslužuju da dobijaju tu negu u dostojanstvenom okruženju.
People like these are invaluable ambassadors for design and yet they are roundly absent from architectural discourse. Similarly, the people who can most benefit from good design often have the least access to it. Your cousin, a homeless veteran; your grandma or grandpa who live in a house with a kitchen that's no longer accessible to them; your wheelchair-bound sister in a suburban area planned without sidewalks.
Ovakvi ljudi su neprocenjivi ambasadori projektovanja, a ipak uopšte nisu uključeni u razgovore o arhitekturi. Slično tome, ljudi koji mogu da imaju koristi od dobrog dizajna često imaju najmanji pristup tome. Vaš rođak, beskućnik-veteran, vaša baka ili deka koji žive u kući sa kuhinjom koja im nije više dostupna, vaša sestra u kolicima u prigradskom naselju bez isplaniranog trotoara.
If good design is only for a privileged few, what good is it? It's time designers change this by dedicating their practices to the public good in the model of firms like Orkidstudio, Studio Gang and MASS Design Group. Their clients are orphaned children in Kenya, foster children in Chicago and pregnant women in Malawi. Their practices are premised on the belief that everyone deserves good design. Dedicating more practices to the public good will not only create more design that is dignifying, but it will also dignify the practice of design. It will not only diversify the client base of design, but it will also create new, more diverse forms of design for the world.
Ako dobar projekat postoji samo za privilegovanu manjinu, šta je u tome dobro? Vreme je da projektanti promene ovo tako što će posvetiti svoj rad javnom dobru u modelima firmi poput Orkidstudija, Studija Gang i MASS Dizajn grupe. Njihovi klijenti su siročići u Keniji, štićenici u Čikagu i trudnice u Malaviju. Njihov praktični rad se zasniva na verovanju da svako zaslužuje dobar projekat. Posvećivanje više praktičnog rada javnom dobru neće samo stvoriti više dizajna koji je dostojanstven, već će učiniti proces projektovanja dostojanstvenijim. Neće samo učiniti bazu klijenata raznovrsnom već će i stvoriti nove, različitije forme projektovanja za svet.
Now, in order to do this, my architecture and design friends, especially my fellow white guys, we must simultaneously and significantly diversify our ranks. If we want the public to believe that design is for them and for everyone. Today, barely 15 percent of registered architects in the United States are women. And a far smaller percentage are persons of color. Other professions, like law and medicine had made far greater strides in these crucial areas. How might our shared built environment -- our homes, our hospitals, our schools, our public spaces -- be shaped differently if women and people of color were behind half of the proverbial blueprints? It is not a question of whether, but to what extent our buildings, our landscapes, our cities and our rural communities are less beautiful, less functional, less equitable and less dignifying because women and people of color are less likely to be creating them.
Da bismo to ostvarili, moji prijatelji arhitekte, posebno kolege belci, moramo da paralelno i značajno preinačimo svoja zvanja. Ako želimo da javnost veruje da je projekat za njih i svakoga. Danas, jedva 15 procenata registrovanih arhitekata u Sjedinjenim Državama su žene. A značajno manji procenat čine ljudi druge boje kože. Druge profesije, poput prava ili medicine, načinile su daleko veće korake u ovim najznačajnijim oblastima. Kako bi naše zajedničko okruženje - kuće, bolnice, škole, javna mesta - moglo biti oblikovano drugačije da žene i ljudi različite boje kože čine polovinu uobičajenog plana? Nije pitanje toga da li su, već do koje mere naše zgrade, pejzaži, gradovi i naše ruralne zajednice manje lepe, funkcionalne, pravedne i dostojanstvene jer je manje žena i ljudi različite boje kože koji ih stvaraju.
As Winston Churchill famously noted in 1943 when he called for the rebuilding of London's war-damaged parliamentary chambers, "We shape our buildings, and afterward, they shape us." The good news is that we can change how we build and who we build for. Be that a health worker in rural Rwanda, or a birthing mother and nervous new father in the United States. We can do this by recommitting architecture to the health, safety and welfare of the public. This will pay dividends. Because once you see what design can do, you can't unsee it. And once you experience dignity, you can't accept anything less. Both become part of your possible.
Kao što je Vinston Čerčil proslavljeno izjavio 1943. godine kada je pozvao na ponovnu izgradnju londoskih kancelarija parlamenta oštećenih u ratu: „Mi oblikujemo svoje zgrade, a zatim one oblikuju nas.“ Dobra vest je da možemo da promenimo način na koji gradimo i za koga gradimo, bilo da je to zdravstveni radnik u ruralnoj Ruandi ili trudnica i nervozni budući otac u Sjedinjenim Državama. Ovo možemo ostvariti tako što ćemo ponovo posvetiti arhitekturu zdravlju, sigurnosti i blagostanju javnosti. Ovo će se isplatiti. Jer jednom kada vidite šta projekti mogu, ne možete ih ignorisati. Čim doživite dostojanstvo, ne možete prihvatiti ništa manje od toga. Oba postaju deo vaših mogućnosti.
One of my favorite conversation partners is my 90-year-old grandmother, Audrey Gorwitz, from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After one of our conversations about design, she wrote me a letter. She said, "Dear Johnny, I thought the other day, as I sat in my doctor's office, how depressing it was, from the color on the wall, to the carpet on the floor.
Jedan od mojih omiljenih sagovornika je moja 90-godišnja baka, Odri Gorvic, iz Oškoša u Viskonsinu. Nakon jednog od naših razgovora o dizajnu, napisala mi je pismo. Rekla je: „Dragi Džoni, razmišljala sam pre neki dan dok sam sedela u ordinaciji svog doktora, kako je deprimirajuće, od boje zidova do tepiha na podu.
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Now I will have to call to see who is responsible for the drabness in that place."
Moraću da zovem i vidim ko je odgovoran za bezdušnost tog prostora.“
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
In the same letter, mind you, she said, "I did call, and I got the man in charge, and he said he appreciated someone calling him. My doctor's office is now on the list for an upgrade."
U istom pismu, rekla je: „Pozvala sam i dobila odgovornog za projekat, a rekao mi je da ceni što ga je neko pozvao. Ordinacija mog doktora je na listi za adaptaciju.“
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
She signed it by saying, "It is always good to express one's opinion if done in a proper manner."
Završila je pismo rečenicom: „Uvek je dobro izraziti svoje mišljenje ako je izraženo na odgovarajući način.“
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
(Applause)
(Aplauz)
I love my grandma.
Volim svoju baku.
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Like my grandma Audrey, you deserve good design. Because well-designed spaces are not just a matter of taste or a questions of aesthetics. They literally shape our ideas about who we are in the world and what we deserve. That is the essence of dignity. And both the opportunity and the responsibility of design for good and for all.
Kao i moja baka Odri, zaslužujete dobar dizajn. Jer dobro projektovani prostori nisu samo stvar ukusa ili pitanje estetike. Oni doslovno oblikuju naše ideje o tome ko smo u svetu i šta zaslužujemo. To je suština dostojanstva. Kao i prilika i odgovornost za dizajn za sva vremena i za sve.
Thank you.
Hvala.
(Applause)
(Aplauz)