If a Tree Falls
Newly finished Exchange Square, Liverpool St. By Maylim
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The age old philosophical question regarding observation and perception. This might not seem to have much to do with Architecture, or photography, but it sort of has everything to do with it, at least as far as practices are concerned.
If a practice delivers a great piece of Architecture, and no-one sees it, does a future client hire them?
While not being quuuuite as succinct or as much of a head scratcher, and perhaps not making it into many philosophy books, it is a relevant question. The best Architect could be working with the most understanding and deep pocketed client, using the finest materials and workmen, in a location with stunning views. But until the building is captured, and shown to people, its existence remains unknown to all but a few. This seems an obvious point to many, but it’s surprising how many websites of companies in the industry (Architects, engineers, developers, contractors) just don’t have good images of their work available on their websites. Of course, for some, repeat work is the main source of revenue, so photos may seem an unnecessary indulgence that skims a fraction of the profit. That is until they decide to switch things up; go after more lucrative projects, land a piece of a new bit of infrastructure, and have little to show the new client apart from a few renders or phone photos of their last multi million pound scheme.
Keeping an up to date website and social media presence is an increasingly important task in the modern world. Even if your business model is repeat work, when recruiting, it can also play an important role. I’ve passed on applying to practices before due to their lacklustre websites, some of which only showed photos of the ‘important’ people who work there (one of which actually showed photos of people who used to work there, next to the name of someone who now works there, which was strangest). It’s much the same as my new role; I can take all the great photos I like, but unless Directors, Marketing teams, Comms people in practices see them, I won’t get hired! This is also why I get to spend time writing small pieces like this; I enjoy it, I want to connect with people, and I want to do something that someone enjoys, or makes them think.
While it’s an unfortunate fact that all Architects and practice founders won’t necessarily have a natural business flair, it’s safe to say that they do recognise the importance of aesthetics, and understand that we’re deeply visual creatures; it’s why we spend hours a day watching screens for pleasure, why Instagram is worth $100 Billion, and why film studios are spending over $300 Million on new productions. If £1000 worth of photography helps land even a relatively modest £1,000,000 project, that’s a stunning ROI. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying to get affirmation that all your work, months, hours behind a screen and (hopefully not) late nights have all been worth it in creating something useful and beautiful.
Share it with everyone.
