architect, verb.: The New Language of Building

Leading architect Reinier de Graaf punctures the myths behind the debates on what contemporary architecture is, with wit and devastating honesty. No longer does it suffice to judge a building solely by its appearance, it must be measured, and certified. When architects talk about ‘Excellence’, ‘Sustainability’, ‘Well-being’, ‘Liveability’, ‘Placemaking’, ‘Creativity’, ‘Beauty’ and ‘Innovation’ what do they actually mean? And what does this say about for the future of our homes, cities, planet? architect, verb. also includes a biting, satirical dictionary of ‘profspeak’: the corporate language of consultants, developers and planners from ‘Active listening’ to ‘Zoom Readiness’. ‘With dry wit, humor, and honesty, sets out to debunk the myths of contemporary architecture.’ Jaxson Stone, Metropolis ‘feels like a stealth mission – an effort to slip something explosive into the carry-on luggage of the TED Talks class.’ Will Wiles, Literary Review ‘Reflects on the current state of his field, arguing that constraints on creative autonomy, overcommercialization and a poor understanding of good design have transformed ‘spaces of spontaneity into preprogrammed, overdetermined areas.’ The New York Times Book Review ‘No one else is identifying the problems or suggesting potential exits from them as wittily or as intelligently as he is.’ Tim Abrahams, Architectural Record