The developer demands face . . . ‘expensive trim is applied to an ill-formed basic building'
by careful detail combined with over- all conceptual ability and an efficient professional service have met the de- mands of society and those of archi- tectural achievement.
Their architecture created out of the very nature of the problem is in the best traditions of architectural history. If such architecture is not transferred readily to the glossy pages of international reviews as of world importance and as an example of egotistic, formal pyrotechnic display, it is an achievement nevertheless which shows that even in the rapacious at- mosphere of Hong Kong, which does not have the political incentives of a newly born nation to look for expres- sive symbolism in its building program. me a level of architecture is possible.
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The conclusion to be drawn from the juxtaposition of even these few facets of society and ourselves shows that the architectural institute needs to re-analyse its role in making effec- tive its professional raison dètre. The problem is always where best to begin. Without an 'educated' patronage some will argue architectural achievement is impossible. No one but the pro- fessional body is likely however to do much about this situation.
Firstly therefore it can be main- tained that we must convince society of the worthwhileness of our aims. Do we as one of the oldest professional organisations have that respect which society accords to, for example, medi- cine or the law? Surely respect is needed. We need to be effective at the highest political level by acceptance on our own terms and this in turn can only be achieved by putting our own house in order, and showing that it is
So.
Secondly, of course, this needs to
Far East BUILDER, January 1970
be coupled by an intensive effort to tell society what we, as a profession, are capable of. And the message needs driving home repeatedly by word and by deed. Only perhaps by repetitive example can we prove that architec- tural quality can be coupled with com- mercial viability, and how the quality of the environment can be slowly improved by the use of trained pro- fessional advice.
Shortcomings
These interlinked aims and require ments mean that we must first start by examining the shortcomings of the institute itself. A good strong active local institute must be a basic aim.
Some of us have wondered whether a fresh start needed to be made. We cannot achieve the respect of the society which we serve unless all our members subscribe to professional codes of the highest order. Perhaps a pruning of our membership is desirable so that the organisation could become representative of the ideals of a sort of architectural Hippocratic oath.
This might be regarded by some as a drastic action but it could have start ling results in overall effectiveness. The very practical issue of being able to effectively control our members activi- ties is really a problem here and until registration to practice is one of the functions of the institute itself its dis- ciplinary powers will remain, as they are now, nil.
Quite reasonably the Government Building Authority, at present the Re- gistration Authority, is only interested in a man's ability to erect a safe build- ing in accordance with the law. It is not its job to be interested in the wide issues of our architectural profession. (Although government should certain-
ly be a little more interested in the environment).
The Architects Registration Act which is still under consideration by the Hong Kong Society is one step toward correcting this situation but remains as yet a hope rather than an achievement.
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The young and in many ways the more vital set of architects, trained overseas, return to Hong Kong with a set of ideals inculcated in them there. Very few of these or even our own student body in Hong Kong belong to the professional society. What does it in fact offer them in return for mem- bership which they cannot obtain by joining a declared social club?
It does not provide the sort of ser- vices to which they have become used in the countries of their training, nor could it within the present organisa- tion, depending entirely on voluntary labour.
We have working together with a joint group of quantity surveyors and engineers, after lengthy gestation, pro- duced our own Forms of Contract, but this is really only a small beginning. The effectiveness of the organisation would be immediately increased if we helped our members in practical ways with their daily problems.
We have no documentation centre (although the university has), no library facility. We have little or no interest in the maintenance of profes- sional levels of competance, little be- yond individual voices to be put for- ward in debate at any under profes- sional level.
The pruned membership policy might well somehow be related not only to codes of ethics but to levels of competance as well with great ad- vantage to our service to the com- munity. It is of course easy to list shortcomings of this type and if one considers the example which has been set in recent years by our great parent society, the Royal Institute, it is even easier to say that we are too small, too poor, too lacking in facilities to do anything about it.
But this is not the Hong Kong des- cribed above. Hong Kong usually finds a way. If we are convinced architects we should be able to find a means.
One way has already been pro- posed, and the necessary help offered. Strength could be found in the col- laboration with other professional bodies of high standing. The proposals for a professional centre with Com- monwealth Foundation assistance need to be studied by a representative joint committee instead of being hand-
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