A man with a plan
October 26, 2008
By Sheila Ring
UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock (well, at least you can be spared the worry concerning escalating mortgage interest repayment costs!), you’ll have noticed monumental shifts in the global economy of late.
Rising fuel prices, poor bank credit ratings, an increased cost of living (rising by 0.3% last month), pricey house maintenance services charges, as well as housing market horrors.
With about 30,000 jobs lost from construction thus far since the housing market has contracted, firms have accordingly been hesitant to build houses. The recovery in the housing market is being slowed by the availability of credit, now that lenders have substantially tightened up guidelines on approving loans.
The supply of mortgage money has also been reigned in. All in all, construction workers and current or aspiring home owners are now united in a woeful simpatico.
But what about those who work in the architectural field? How are they navigating their way through these stormy seas?
Declan McManus, a Mayo-based self-employed architect, is a firm believer in good quality work practices sustaining a business.
He is well-placed to eschew the rigidity and, oftentimes tediousness, of quality control systems- such is his commitment to ensuring his own work is up to standard.
He says, “I am a one-man-band and do not apply International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) or other such quality control systems. As it stands – between marketing, IT maintenance, VAT and tax returns, education and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), research, and invoicing – I cannot afford another non-productive exercise.
I am not a great believer in these systems, yet their implementation is the most important thing. I feel that if that if the quality of my own work is not up to scratch, I will not survive- enough of an incentive.”
With his client base running the gamut of “other offices and private individuals”, Declan admits that he has yet to be dealt a personal blow by the changes presently afoot in the industry. “I have not seen evidence of this yet.
However, I would not expect to receive the shock waves until three-four months after impact.” One would wonder if a nation’s economic adversity would hamper the approach to building design. Yet, the limitations of a developing economy can actually result in a creative response, rather than constraining architectural solutions.
For instance, India ranks amongst the largest construction markets in the world. While perhaps much of its construction facilitates rudimentary needs, it has also managed to generate inspired and compelling architecture.
Its architects, urban designers and planners are responding to the challenges and opportunities of rapid urbanisation in their developing world.
They are also equipped with the foresight to recognise the future potential in environmentally friendly buildings. Where builders regularly flout environment rules for profit, it’s hard to believe that Mumbai is becoming an eco-friendly city.
But it is true. Of the 259 buildings in the country that are waiting to get accredited as green buildings, more than 70 are from Mumbai. Five of them have already received accreditation.
If developing countries such as India - and not forgetting China - can flourish in their architectural output with such limited resources, a developed country like Ireland could do worse than to take a leaf out of their book during these testing times.
Qualifying in 1977, Declan spread his vocational wings to London and, further afield, to Australia and the Middle-East; arming him with a varied cultural reference from which to draw on in his work. Returning to Irish shores in mid-2004, he soon opted to put his entrepreneurial spirit and expertise into action.
“It was mid-2005 when I decided that I was going to commit to working at architecture here. Since then, I have tried my hand at anything- structural surveys, domestic design, and contract administration for other local practices,” he reveals.
Further broadening his portfolio was his undertaking of executive architecture for the Office of Public Works (OPW) , where he developed its design while on-site as part of a team.
Of particular interest in the coming years will be the direction architectural design will take- especially in tandem with the availability of, or deficit in capital.
While Minimalist and Modernist buildings evince a stark and pristine appearance (take New York’s Guggenheim Museum), they can inevitably become weathered with time; somewhat undermining the initial desired effect. They are also expensive. I ask Declan if he thinks Minimalism is superseding more classical forms.
He offers, “I think that we have gone away from ornamentation already and replaced it with bold statements. They tend to be more expensive simply because they are not mainstream. It would be real pity to see these recede.
There is a lot of very good architectural design in Ireland and it would be a real shame to see that sort of courage give way to the old tried-and-tested, but ill-informed approach. At the same time, I have not seen any evidence of a change in direction yet.”
Fusing an innate idealism with a sturdy, no-nonsense work ethic, Declan – like all of those spearheading architectural practices - is not immune to the everyday concerns of running a business.
“I have had some cash flow problems this year due to trady or reluctant clients. I always insist on an advance payment for any major commission and I then try to stay on top of things. In future I may look at sub-dividing the Royal Institute of Architects Ireland (RIAI) payment stages, as one can be badly caught if the client develops problems.”
He is realistic in appreciating the reality of people’s financial situations, finishing, “It can be hard enough to manage that one sensitively.”
Declan’s passion for his work has always been very much ingrained in him from an early age, as he shares, “I always liked making things. I enjoy discovering how things work and ‘creating’ something new- whether it is a technical or an aesthetic solution. It’s also very satisfactory to see a happy client.”
On the subject of aestheticism versus technicality, he feels that “good architecture balances these two requirements.” Predictably, money again factors largely.
He continues, “But there is always a bit of a compromise in that you cannot always satisfy both aims simultaneously- especially if economics are included under the practical heading.
Good aesthetics achieve a practical goal in that they enrich our lives, but they must always be balanced by their need to serve a practical purpose.”
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