160. Restoring Traditional Architecture - Zach the Architect Interview

160. Restoring Traditional Architecture - Zach the Architect Interview

Author: Nick Jamell October 13, 2020 Duration: 50:25

The art of architecture has been corrupted. It is no longer aiming at beauty, but either purely utility or novelty. Instead of aspiring to lift up people's hearts and minds to beauty, ugliness that adheres to leftist ideology is put forth as architecture. So, I talked with an architect about the problems he sees with the art and the industry - as well as some solutions to the problems he sees.

Several Problems with the State of Architecture:

  • Architecture schools are ideologically possessed
  • Modernism encourages novelty over beauty
  • Traditionalism is scoffed at or ignored
  • Architects in the professional world are beholden to their clients
  • Traditional buildings are expensive to build
"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization."
-Frank Lloyd Wright
https://youtu.be/MHLcSTIZ-ZQ

The goal of the architect should be to combine beauty and functionality. However, that's not what we find. What we often get instead is insolent designs, many of which serve no other purpose than inflating the architect's ego. So, we need people to step up and push for beautiful architecture again. Then, we might actually see a change.

Buildings like Penn Station attract our protective instincts not only because of their beauty but because we fear what will come to replace them.
-Roger Scruton

What Solutions Are Available?

Well, the fact is that solutions will require a lot of energy and determination to bear fruit. With dedicated and talented people, things can change. Here are a few things Zach and I discussed. There are surely more potential solutions, but I figured it would be good to offer these for your consideration.

Firstly, we can promote traditional schools of architecture like Notre Dame's. Secondly, professional architects should educate the next generation in the traditional way. This is easy to do with cheap online courses. I believe there are solutions, but I also don't have all the answers. If you listen to the episode and have your own solutions, let me know.

Some of the accounts mentioned in this podcast:

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Nick Jamell hosts Conversation of Our Generation, a space where urgent contemporary questions meet enduring ideas from history and philosophy. Rather than reacting to the noise of daily headlines, this podcast deliberately steps back to examine the deeper currents shaping our society and culture. Each episode is a long-form dialogue that treats topics like politics, religion, and social change not as fodder for debate, but as puzzles to be understood with patience and intellectual humility. The aim is to move beneath entrenched partisanship and surface-level takes, searching instead for clearer perspectives and foundational truths. What you’ll hear are thoughtful explorations that connect modern dilemmas to the wisdom of ancient and modern thinkers, asking how we might navigate today’s complexities with a more grounded sense of principle. This isn’t about quick answers; it’s about cultivating a more meaningful and less reactive way of engaging with the world. For anyone feeling adrift in a polarized age, this podcast offers a sustained, earnest conversation that values depth over speed, and understanding over winning an argument. Tune in for a respite from the frantic news cycle and a chance to consider what it means to be part of this particular moment in time, armed with the best ideas from across the ages.
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