Submitted by D. Lucian ILIESIU, Dec 18, 2007 00:14

Congratulations for a very good article and its excellent conclusion. However, in the first paragraph you make what may easily be considered as an insulting assumption and a conspicuous omission. This approach in analyzing the present state of architecture and the way of teaching it is identical to keeling the messenger for the message he/she is delivering. Of course architects and schools of architecture are the most obvious scapegoats for the condition of architecture now, but, in the final analysis they are, respectively, just earning a living and preparing younger generations to continue doing the same. But, as an old saying states: "you should see farther than your nose." What about the building and neighborhood developers as representative gamblers on and of the public opinion? What about the market forces of leasing and buying designed or recipe-built spaces, and how they influence and learn from each other? What about the public participation in the planning processes via community boards and/or other interest groups? What about the slow-but-steady process through which the public is educated in all fields - including planning, architecture and interior design - via the omnipresent media?

D. Lucian Iliesiu, R.A., S.M.Arch.S.

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