Recognition of practical skills to be applauded - Ric Blenkharn
Over the past few days I have been mulling over the current debate regarding the merits of a technical or academic education – or in fact a balance of the two.
I’ve been thinking back to my own education and work history, which has had a bearing on my profession as an architect.
At the age of 11 prior to leaving primary education, I went to visit the two local schools in my catchment area. One was a secondary modern mixed school with a strong technical emphasis, the other was an all boys grammar school with a strong academic emphasis. I was enthralled by the secondary modern school since it had a rich curriculum of metalwork, woodwork, art and associated subjects. I was less enamoured by the local grammar school.
Events transpired that my parents ended up moving from Lancashire to Wakefield and me studying at a grammar school, having won a scholarship there. I can’t say that I enjoyed secondary school save for projects such as art, geography and mathematics. To balance this academic educationm, I spent a number of summer holidays helping in a local mechanics garage and a number of local building sites as a general labourer. It was on these sites that I learnt about construction and the weight of materials. It was pre-health and safety, so unloading hundredweight bags of cement and hurling bricks two by two up to the scaffold were commonplace!
I witnessed first hand how materials were put together and this knowledge would be key to my education as an architect. I understood that theory had to be matched to practicality. They go hand in glove. Moving into practice, I learnt from being in an open office with a wide range of colleagues. I overheard conversations, and learnt about the skills of communication. I wrote letters long hand and learnt to phrase them with clarity and to the point. I learnt from older colleagues who shared their experiences.
As my practice developed, I was always keen to help younger members and in return learn from their own recent education. It is on site that the real joy of architecture can be experienced. I am always captivated by the skills of those on site to translate ideas into built form. Each trade has a role to play, be it the excavator, electrician or plumber. It’s great to see the pride of seeing a task completed and for this to be shared by the whole team.
Great architecture is only achieved when everyone in the whole design, procurement and delivery process buys into the idea. The academic ideas translated into practical reality. I’m really encouraged therefore to hear that technical and practical skills are being fostered once again – since there is a need and positive reward for such an approach in the workplace. I’ve written before about the role of education in the world of architecture. Creativity which stems from early years education with an emphasis on learning through play. This thread of education should greatly assist those of a practical rather than an academic bent and in turn deliver value and appreciation by those who witness the great buildings of today.
With the onslaught of AI there will always be need with for those with practical skills to help shape our built world. The recognition of practical technical training is to therefore to be applauded.