A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice
A fundamental shift in employment patterns among architects in North America during the 1960s and 1970s impacted how particular kinds of tasks were either monopolized or delegated within firms. This article uses the archive of the U.S.-based architectural firm Gunnar Birkerts and Associates to show...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Navarra
2021-11-01
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| Series: | RA. Revista de Arquitectura |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/revista-de-arquitectura/article/view/42169 |
| _version_ | 1818718754566045696 |
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| author | Michael Abrahamson |
| author_facet | Michael Abrahamson |
| author_sort | Michael Abrahamson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A fundamental shift in employment patterns among architects in North America during the 1960s and 1970s impacted how particular kinds of tasks were either monopolized or delegated within firms. This article uses the archive of the U.S.-based architectural firm Gunnar Birkerts and Associates to show evidence of a growing gulf between executive architects and employee architects (particularly women assigned to work on interiors), as well as the persistence of chauvinistic ideals of practice under changed circumstances. The design for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis building (1967- 73) is shown to be illustrative of this gulf between imaginative and interpretive labor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T19:56:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b0e975b17344ec5a0da18c010dc3a66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1138-5596 2254-6332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T19:56:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Navarra |
| record_format | Article |
| series | RA. Revista de Arquitectura |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b0e975b17344ec5a0da18c010dc3a662022-12-21T21:34:36ZengUniversidad de NavarraRA. Revista de Arquitectura1138-55962254-63322021-11-01668110.15581/014.23.66-8142169A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural PracticeMichael Abrahamson0University of UtahA fundamental shift in employment patterns among architects in North America during the 1960s and 1970s impacted how particular kinds of tasks were either monopolized or delegated within firms. This article uses the archive of the U.S.-based architectural firm Gunnar Birkerts and Associates to show evidence of a growing gulf between executive architects and employee architects (particularly women assigned to work on interiors), as well as the persistence of chauvinistic ideals of practice under changed circumstances. The design for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis building (1967- 73) is shown to be illustrative of this gulf between imaginative and interpretive labor.https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/revista-de-arquitectura/article/view/42169professional practicegunnar birkertslabor historydelegationspecialization |
| spellingShingle | Michael Abrahamson A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice RA. Revista de Arquitectura professional practice gunnar birkerts labor history delegation specialization |
| title | A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice |
| title_full | A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice |
| title_fullStr | A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice |
| title_short | A Pyramid of Paperwork: Labors of Imagination and Interpretation in Late Twentieth Century Architectural Practice |
| title_sort | pyramid of paperwork labors of imagination and interpretation in late twentieth century architectural practice |
| topic | professional practice gunnar birkerts labor history delegation specialization |
| url | https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/revista-de-arquitectura/article/view/42169 |
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