Preview: Architizer Design Clinic
This architectural triage unit will be staffed by a team of experts ready to tackle potential clients' biggest design dilemmas—for free. It's a win-win situation for all involved. Visitors get answers to their burning design/build questions, and architects get a high-profile forum where they can flex their design muscles. "The practicality of the Design Clinic suits our mission to a tee: revolutionizing the way architects communicate their work," says Kushner of Architzer's rapidly-growing, open-source network of architects and their projects. "The old model is strictly word-of-mouth, but a platform like Architizer shows good design directly to clients. They can browse by category, region, scale, material, or any other filter to find architectural projects that suit their taste. The Clinic reinforces that credo—it's another tool that demystifies the architecture profession and shows those potential clients how useful architects can be."
The Design Clinic is calling for participation from two crucial parties: architects (doctors) and clients (patients). Architects can put themselves in the running to be doctors-for-the-day by listing their projects on Architizer (if they haven't already) and tagging them with the hashtag #designclinic2010 to enter. Kushner is looking for a well-rounded group of designers that can satisfy the varying demands of the patients. Potential clients who would like to play patient simply need to sign up on the Dwell on Design site for a free half-hour consultation appointment with some of L.A.'s top architects. Patients can come prepared with blueprints or show up with a blank slate, says Kushner. "The most important thing is that they come with an open mind about how the architect can solve their problem."
Architizer promises no crowded waiting rooms or hefty insurance premiums, just straight talk about design and smart, honest solutions (although we're still holding out for lab coats and gurneys to make the experience authentic). There's also the potential for this fun event to morph into some serious business, as Kushner reminds us. We're betting that more than a few of these pretend doctor-patient pairings will blossom into real-life architect-client relationships. The Architizer Design Clinic will be open at Dwell on Design, June 25-27 in Los Angeles. Register now at dwellondesign.com
Published
Last Updated
Get the Dwell Newsletter
Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.