There is room for much more study of the teaching of this subject in schools of architecture, and room for its greater integration into the over- all teaching. For instance, in the in- troduction of a net-work analysis pro- gramme into studio design projects, in order to inject the idea that man- agement plays a part in the design process.
It is hoped that the employing ar- chitects will appreciate that seeds have been planted and that they have the opportunity of bringing on the flowers. To this end the development of the graduate into the qualified and com- petent architect must be done by a conscious programme of instruction and training. In each office one of the senior staff should be made res- ponsible for this professional training and this should not consist of being merely "shunted off" to "the site" from time to time, but should consist of a proper programme of work, in- cluding exercises based on the work in hand. Whether the results are usable or not should not matter.
The study of Management has its particular problems. Many architects. eschew the subject altogether, on the grounds either that it is something that the profession has always managed to do without or that it is anathema to creative activity. Any good book on the subject (including the RIBA Handbook) will break down these
views. The whole point of manage- ment is that it must be done by con- scious effort.
When considering the teaching of the subject in schools of architecture, it may seem a little absurd to talk to students about the advantages and dis- advantages of large and small or- ganizations, of line and federal rela- tionships, when he has no oppor- tunity of seeing it all in operation.
Much depends of course on the way the subject is taught, and here is an- other case where principles and not details, and where theory and not techniques are dealt with. But unless the student is provided with "eyes to see" or criteria for making judge- ment he is not able to recognize situa- tions requiring management treatment, nor to assess merits or demerits of management situations before him.
In Hong Kong in particular, the understanding of humanity, particular- ly its motivations, its ambitions and its aspirations is not likely to be too easy to attain in the average com- mercial environment.
Like so many other aspects of the architect's education, the teaching of architectural practice and management is very much a matter of endeavour- ing to provide a background from which to operate and a vocabulary which gives enough appreciation of the subject for it to be assimilated in later life.
1968 exhibition of students' work
THE 1968 Architectural Exhibi- tion of the Department of Ar- chitecture, HKU, will be held in the City Hall. Hong Kong, from June 7 to 11.
It will show the year's work of the students of the Depart- ment and will include models, technical details, drawings and full-size prototypes of various projects.
The subjects range
from a large-scale urban renew- al project to a small emergency living unit, of which a full-size mock-up will be displayed.
The exhibition is designed to emphasise the Departments' con- cern with Hong Kong's environ- mental problems, to show that it has the ability to deal with such problems, and to encour- age wider use of the univer- sity's research facilities.
Two further aims of the ex- hibition
illustrate to are to secondary school children what is involved in a career in archi- tecture, and to show the archi- tectural profession the type of instruction given to newcomers to their offices.
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Far East BUILDER, June 1968,
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