Author : Kiki Gkavogianni
Team work. Take a moment and think about this phrase. Many people say that we live in a society of egoism and social isolation, where young people prefer to interact in a web-world than in the real one and aren’t capable of verbal and real-time communication. Architects are the reason to believe this is not true.
Since we first enter the school of architecture, we are forced to collaborate with our fellow students. Our professors insist that only in this way we will learn how to communicate and that listening to other opinions will help us enhance our knowledge and our way of thinking. After four years of studies and many team projects, I have to admit that they are right! Especially during the learning process, it is really crucial to work with partners because they give you the opportunity to consider things and ideas that maybe you would have never come up with alone. Moreover, during this collaboration you meet new people with whom you share at least one common interest – architecture – and interact with them.
At the same time, there are other events that demand team work and are very common between architects and students of architecture. These are lectures, seminars and of course the architectural workshops! Workshops happen between students, professionals and are always a great opportunity to meet new people, to become familiar with new ideas, new trends perhaps, on architecture. If the participants come from one country or two or more of them, then certainly the situation becomes more and more interesting and they all have a really good time at the end! Learning how to communicate and exchange opinions on architecture in a very specific context and creating projects is really helpful and always leaves the best memories.
But what happens to team work in the office? Do architects continue to collaborate or they prefer to work alone? I believe they do both. But I’m still a student and I cannot be sure of what really happens. I prefer to be an optimist and believe that we will never stop listening to other people’s opinion because architecture is a team sport!
Featured image © Kiki Gkavogianni
About this Author : Kiki Gkavogianni