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Original interview taken from 12 Los Angeles Architects.
Charles Slert ; 12 Los Angeles Architects; Graphics Communications Department, Cal Poly Pomona; 1978
Beyond the fact that its a way of making a living, why do you practice architecture?
There's a poem by Robert Frost that says: "...yield who will to their separation, my object in living is to unite my avocation and my vocation as my two eyes make one insight." I've had the good fortune of finding a career that I would love as a hobby.
What do you have to offer the profession?
The determination to bring all of my skills-- and those of my associates-- to every assignment we are given. Too often there is a tendency to fall back on a prior solution, when many of the conditions are different, and demand a different solution.
Are there any changes you would like to see in the profession?
I would like to see the architect more involved in urban problems. But to do so, he must broaden his training. More architects should involve themselves in political activity -- not lobbying for jobs, but lobbying for solutions to problems. More architects should run for office. Only one architect, and an amateur one at that, has reached the White House and that was Thomas Jefferson. In this era of concern for ecology, the architect should be well qualified to participate in all levels of governmental activity.
4. What period of architectural history do you relate to, or enjoy, most?
Generally, to the work of those who, like the Chicago School, the Bauhaus group, and Le Corbusier, struggled to bring architecture into synchronization with the changes brought about by the industrial revolution.
What architect has had the most influence in your attitude towards your design philosophy?
Walter Gropius. As a student of his, I developed a deep respect for his philosophy, for his teaching methods, and for his simplicity and integrity as a man. When I read criticisms of him, I only wish those critics had had the opportunity that I had, to know him and to learn from him.
How do you see the role of the architect in twenty-five years?
If the changes I spoke of earlier should occur, then we will see the architect much more in the mainstream of social and political activity. This is not to say he should de-emphasize his technical skills -- because these will become even more complex.
Do you have a 'typical' design program that you use when approaching a project?
There is a similarity to the process that is followed whatever the size of the project, such as learning about the user and his needs, learning about the site, relating to the desires, budget and time frame, then designing within these constraints. These steps always apply, although the relative emphasis may change.
Is "form follows function" at all a consideration in your design analysis of a project?
It must be or the building will not function. How it does and by whose definition is another matter.
Do you feel that designing to conserve energy is a critical part of designing?
It is going to be an increasing concern in architectural solutions. This may not however, in all cases mean great changes in form. For example, a recent survey of office building in Chicago showed that the new IBM building by Mies used the least energy per square foot- and the survey included many buildings with small windows and deep walls.
In our recent work we have recessed all glass surfaces in order to reduce the sun on glass- hence heat intake - time during the summer months, and to admit it at least on the south exposure in the winter.
What advice would you give someone entering the field of architecture?
In architecture, we unfortunately do not have the same type of teaching apprenticeship or internship that the medical and law professions provide. The newly graduated architect must be very selective about where he first works, and he must not be reluctant to move from job to job in his first years of practice in order to broaden his experience.
What determinants do you consider to have the greatest impact on architectural forms which make up Los Angeles?
Los Angeles's form- which essentially has developed as a sprawl, is the result of several factors: First, geography, excepting the Pacific Ocean, did not place any significant restraint on horizontal expansion. Second, the climate, and the lifestyle of the early settlers, suggested low, sprawling, outdoor oriented single family residences, requiring large lots. The early seismic restrictions on high rise construction further accentuated this direction. Third, being essentially a post automobile age city, Los Angeles grew horizontally as rapidly as the automobile industry provided the means for people to move long distances between home and work. Fourth, the Federal Government program of insured loans for veterans after World War II provided the means for families to move into new outlying homes for virtually no down payment. Finally, all of the above factors encouraged the "white flight" from the ghettos, to the suburbs. Now, however, the traditional form is beginning to change. Higher land costs, excessive travel distances, and increasing with change and fuel costs are going to inevitably bring about the reexamination of our inner areas. Greater concentration of buildings and people, and new transportation systems will surely be the new pattern. The architect's problem is going to deal constructively and still maintain some of the earlier amenities of outdoor living and privacy that have been traditionally identified with Southern California.
Architecturally speaking, what do you consider the future to hold for a megalopolis like L.A.?
What I think and what I hope are two different things. But concentrating on the positive, I hope we will once and for all cast aside the American 'disposal' philosophy and dedicate ourselves to renewing our city, to build on our special heritage, and to bear in mind that energy and time are both precious commodities. The forms that will derive from this redirection are yet to unfold.
Do you feel that L.A. architecture can compare to architecture in San Francisco, Chicago, or New York?
Southern California architectural schools have in the past been amazingly provincial, and this has tended to stifle truly creative architecture. It is not accidental that the major architects that earlier influenced the direction of Los Angeles architecture, such as Neutra, Schindler, Green and Green, Gill and to some extent Wright, all were trained elsewhere. This is changing, however. There is more cross fertilization of ideas both in architectural schools and in the practice of architecture in Los Angeles. Given an equality in the ability of the architects, the next determinant of the quality of architecture is the attitudes of the client groups, and here we probably trail the other older cities. A Los Angeles building by a Los Angeles architect has not won a national A.I.A. award in 11 years.
What would you consider a solution for the problem of low income housing?
The "project" approach to low income housing has already proved to be a failure so new planning and design approaches must be used to incorporate greater individuality. Then the matter of graduating the quality of housing to match increasing income must be explored so that the occupant of low income housing has an incentive to increase his income and improve himself. As it is now, if he increases his income to a certain level, he loses his eligibility and must pay more for housing on the private market, often more then his income increase.
How do you feel about outside architects coming into L.A. and doing buildings?
I applaud it. Not only does it act as a stimulant to our local architects but also, and equally important, to our clients.