7 Fallacies of Architecture

1. The Solo Artist

● Individual buildings are not coherent with their background
● Urbanism became focused on individualism instead of building for a community with
building designs that compliment one another
● Buildings used as self expressions rather than social role of architecture
○ Role of architecture is to build an environment that showcases culture and
prioritizes community
● Balance of individual and team effort
○ teamwork/collaboration can help in making good coherent buildings
○ individual effort still important cause they may lose their light under those who
shine brighter

2. Mandatory Invention Policy

● Architecture is built on existing ideas and formal precedents seen in other architecture,
other domains, or in nature
● Be creative instead of original
● Creativity through stimulating the mind or meditation
● Need reasons beyond personal preferences to justify formal moves
○ No to “i wanted to,” “this interested me,” “because i like it”
● Keep students creative but not to the point whArere they feel hooked to create crazy
things
● “..forgetting yourself, escaping the bonds of ego, losing the subconscious, opening up to
both your fantasies and a spiritual realm, surrendering to a larger ethos, losing yourself
in time, even stopping time, can all liberate even greater creativity.”

3. La Tendenza Estrema
● Trends keep changing from one extreme to another
● Give more value to balance and moderation

4. Architecture Trumps Urbanism

● An architectural circus of styles does not make a city

5. Global Trumps Local

● Honor your local architecture background, culture, history
● Design specific to site, climate, culture, history, building materials, and practices holds in
check globalization

6. The Forgotten Middle

● Middle class majority of the market
● Design does not always have to be luxurious or caters to poverty
 ● “We need architects who can consistently design good buildings on a regular sustainable
basis without perfectionist zeal or luxurious budgets
● Rare to find a good building not set apart from the norm
● We need achievable architecture that can be delivered in ordinary circumstances, that
can transform, enliven, and add meaning to the everyday environment rather than the
student/architect doing what they want

7. More, Bigger, Higher

● Always keep in mind sustainability and environment as an architect
● Build better but with less, recycle and reuse more
● Love of esthetics joined with love for environmental sustainability

And two more things

● Schools should design more at the scale of buildings
● “Theory”
○ Greater results in outcomes and broader results in community

Being slow in a fast, mediated world

● Grounded architecture and local community are potent tonics in a world of increasing
flux and uncertainty
● Balancing tradition and change is more natural, liberating, and sustaining than
embracing one at the expense of another
(a) "Why do you think Architects need to be familiar with fallacies in
thinking", and

(b) Explain how you think these logical fallacies can be applied in
your Architecture education and design thinking, Design decisions,
and Future architecture practice/profession/business.

a) Answer:

Architects need to familiarize themselves with fallacies so they can apply critical thinking
in their decision making and design skills. By being familiar with these fallacies, they stray from
mental cages built by their predecessor and gain their own individualistic philosophy in their
career as Architects.

In Professor Doug Kelbaugh’s Seven Fallacies in Architectural Culture, he discusses the

Architectural industry and several points of improvement that could be made in terms of how it is
practiced and taught. The first fallacy, the Solo Artist, discusses how architects focus more on
individual self expression instead of the coherence of design within their community and how
this could be solved by more teamwork. The second, the Mandatory Invention policy, teaches
us the importance of creativity over originality. Then the third, La Tendenza Estrema, points out
the constant switch between extreme trends and how balance and moderation should be given
more importance. The fourth, Architecture Trumps Urbanism, could relate to the solo artist
fallacy where an architect prioritizes being an artist and adds more to the cons of mixing a lot of
individualistic styles in urbanism. In the fifth fallacy, Global Trumps Local, we are taught to honor
our own local culture and history in terms of Architecture to avoid the globalization of design. In
the sixth, The Forgotten Middle, it is learned that we are in need of more architects who create
good sustainable designs without having to be zealous or luxurious. Lastly, the seventh fallacy,
More, Bigger, Higher, highlights the importance of sustainability, environment, and producing
better designs while working with less resources. Aside from these seven fallacies, he also
discusses the need for more building designs in Architecture schools and the reality of not being
able to keep up with the fast-paced, media-based society but the importance of being a slow
industry.

Overall, I believe that the fallacies teach architects how to move better in the
contemporary industry. It influenced me to view the industry in a new light, especially in terms of
being an architect instead of an artist. The fallacies can be applied in my education, design
decisions, and future practice by taking into account the multiple factors that come into play
when constructing a design instead of focusing on the esthetics. These factors include my local
culture, predecessors’ designs, coherence in urbanism, budget, and sustainability and
environment. These are the factors that I believe can help an architect fulfill their social role and
avoid designing for ego within their career.