Notes on Opening Plenary – Joshua Prince-Ramus

Joshua Prince-Ramus opens the main conference and discusses how he drives the design process using data visualization analysis.

He started his speech with the obvious need to tell a room full of people who call themselves ‘Architects’ the actual definition of an architect and the legal terms for describing oneself as an ‘architect’. 

	2      Restriction on use of title “Architect” (1)    Subject to the provisions of this Law, it shall not be lawful for any person to practise or carry on business under any name, style or title containing the word “architect” unless the person is a registered person: Provided that nothing in this Article ….(blah, blah blah)
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After getting that out of the way Joshua took us on a journey of his design process.  From requirements to ’skin’, he shows how the visualization of the requirements translates directly into design.   How the design is self evident and that instead of an architect’s ego driving avant-garde design, and the design process starts with empirical data; the needs of the project - these evlove into a “model”.  His process includes deep and broad analysis of understanding the client, their needs, the needs of the environment, cost and the buildings’ intended users.

Joshua acknowledged the striking similarity to the processes used by information architects even admits that the practices of ‘big A’ and ’small a’ architecture are merging…