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Having set up the first School of Architecture at Lancaster University, Professor Ruth Dalton explains how the school’s ‘radical creativity with a conscience’ motto embeds key principles into innovative teaching practice
A meeting ‘pod’ in the woods at Lancaster University W
hile setting up the new school of architecture at Lancaster University, a phrase that we
coined very early on – and have returned to again and again – is ‘radical creativity with a conscience.’ It has become an extremely useful concept against which we are able to measure or test any decisions we are making around how and what we intend to teach, and what kind of graduates we intend to produce. But what exactly do we mean by it? Furthermore, might this slogan have some currency beyond our own immediate focus, and resonate with the wider profession?
Before starting to unpick this phrase – why do we need such a concept at all? A generation ago, different schools of architecture certainly had different reputations, but in a rather ‘fuzzy’ way (one school might be more ‘arty’, another more ‘techy’). Equally, architectural practices also had their own identities, specialising in
ADF MARCH 2020
certain typologies, scales or architectural styles. Nevertheless, these reputations were mostly implicit and ‘common currency’; everyone just knew them.
Rarely did architectural practices have a mission statement declaring proudly their unique selling point – possibly just sensible business practice so as not to deter a potential client seeking something outside a practice’s specialism. And, although having a mission statement feels rather in the realm of ‘corporate America,’ we only have to look a little further back in our own history to find both institutions and companies with mottos. In particular, the ancient trade associations and guilds all had mottos, of which the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects – admittedly a rather late addition to the guilds in 1984 – had ‘firmness, commodity and delight’ as well as the RIBA’s own motto of Usui civium, decori urbium (for the use of the people, for the glory of the
city). Are these really so different from Adidas’ ‘Impossible is nothing’ and Google’s ‘Don’t be evil’? So perhaps it is time for every practice (and school of architecture) to consider adopting their own modern motto (just maybe not in Latin!).
Breaking down the concept Returning to our ‘Radical Creativity with a Conscience’ motto, the ‘radical creativity’ part is predicated on two things, the first being the emphasis on creativity. This stems from an unwavering conviction that the only way we are going to solve the most difficult problems, is via creative solutions. And it does seem that we face difficult problems: we are in a transitional time characterised by numerous environmental, cultural and societal issues, all of which have an effect on, and are affected by, the built environment. American designer George Lois said: “Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit
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