January 03, 2008
Office for Unsolicited Architecture (OUA)
An architecture of action, rather than re-action
Counter-pragmatic: Architects unsolicited
As it is practiced today, architecture is all too often a responsive profession. Architects take direction from their clients, providing solutions to a set of problems and desires described in a project brief. While this sort of responsive architecture is, admittedly, the most pragmatic way of working (since Financial remunerations are secured in advance), it affords little agency to the architect. Instead, clients alone determine architecture’s agenda.
The Office for Unsolicited Architecture proposes an alternative: a new form of practice that pro-actively seeks out new territories for intervention, addresses pressing social needs and takes advantage of emerging opportunities for architecture. All of this is motivated by a desire to fight interpassivity, self-doubt and perceived (or real) marginalization of architects while hunting for an architecture that is interesting, innovative, subversive, creative, transgressive, reflective, sustainable, attainable, idealistic, profitable and above all forever unsolicited.
The Office for Unsolicited Architecture
founded by Ole Bouman
Management
Andrea Brennen – Strategist
John Snavely – Financial consultant
Ryan Murphy – Design advisor
Concept development
Andrea Brennen and John Snavely