Dear Zisanda Zulu ,

I think you pose an interesting question. I was just wondering, are you talking about building design or art design?

Eitherway, I think much of this discussion has been going on surrounding the emergence of EBD, also in the context of healthcare building design. Is there still space for creativity if there are too many rules and too much knowledge? I think this is well described in the work of Hamilton and Lundin.

Article Creativity, Decision Making, and Evidence-Based Design

As a designer myself I always felt that there is much creativity in finding ways to apply the reserach in design in different contexts. I think creativity would be lost if it was possible to find one generic solution for all design questions. But as i see it, the context (site, culture, regulations, materials available, economic etc) requires each designer to be creative very time. Also, if i look at the work of my students i can see they are creative finding very diverse solutions for the same task with the same research to back it up. And, lastly, the research seldom seems to be so clear cut that the whole design will be decided before the designer had a chance to do something about it. Design research findings may give indications, but seldom give straight-forward how-to-do lists. So, for me it never felt like I was 'bending the knee', rather creativity feels like 'bending the rules' so they fit that certain project.

About art, or other types of design. Even there you will use findings form research, if only material science and research from gravity.

I hope this gives you an alternative perspective on the relation between creativity, research and 'pure' design.

Elke Miedema

Thank you

Dear Zisanda,

Plato (V-IV centuries BC) believed that people forgot the world from which they came. Many people dream about this world, but only some have the strength, means and power to restore it. His student Aristotle did not agree with the teacher like many others who believed that the idea should develop as an embryo.

In the 20th century, the Plato method was used in some architectural schools. The teachers have been talking to them: “come on the building place and the spirit of the place will tell you what needs to be built".

I studied in the second school in which my teachers said: "learn from the idea." According to these views, the idea should initially be materialized for itself in a visual form, then it should be presented in a model. After the model has acquired a geometric shape, it should be presented in the architectural design, including all its main sections. When an architectural design is ready, it should be tested using tests with experts. Usually, after these tests, the geometric shape will change and you will discover something new. Tests will fix the project and bring it to the required quality condition.

Designing is an amazing opportunity to observe as a designer take control over the process of birth and development of an idea. The happiness of seeing how the original concept is strengthened so much that it itself finds the means and support of other people.

But it should be remembered that if an idea arose in the head of one person and did not find support in the community, then its fate will be the same as a grain thrown into bad soil. You need to know what kind of spatial idea is useful for which society and territory.