It isn’t often that HumanistFreedoms.com expects to feature a job opening for a major architectural firm. We don’t even have a classifieds section! But we’ve come across something that we couldn’t overlook. According to Archinect, Selldorf Architects is searching for an Advanced Architectural Designer and a Project Architect. Not ready for “Wow!” yet? Keep reading.
What caught our eye was the job ad’s assertion that “Selldorf Architects is a 70-person architectural design practice founded by Annabelle Selldorf in New York City in 1988. The firm creates public and private spaces that manifest a clear and modern sensibility to enduring impact. Since its inception the firm’s guiding principles have been deeply rooted in humanism. At every scale and for every condition, Selldorf Architects designs for the individual experience. As a result, its work is brought to life–and made complete–by those who use it.” Sounds like a pretty good reason for any architect who happens to be a humanist to pay attention right?
How about Annabelle Selldorf’s 2018 essay Pressing for Evolution in the Field – (NewCities.org), when Selldorf advocated for greater equality in architecture, “For us to move forward as a society and within our architectural coterie we need to tackle the structures that seek to curtail women’s progress. This is both an issue of policy and individual responsibility. Ultimately, gender equality is an issue of humanism and respect. It is only until we eliminate the notion of “the other” that we will begin to truly achieve a fully evolved and equitable society. It is both an internal and personal endeavor to overcome our own biases as well as an external one to push for change within our field and broadly.“
And then there’s the amazing projects the firm has been involved in: The Frick Collection, Luma Arles, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Steinway HAll and one our favorites (see featured image) The Mwabwindow School in Southern Zambia, a project to increase education in rural Africa.
Firms like Selldorf Architects are helping to make humanism an exciting feature of contemporary society. Definitely a company that ought to make a humanist say, “Wow!” If you know an architect who happens to be a humanist – maybe the July 6 job postings we found are something they will want to hear about!
Selldorf Architect’s Employment Page
Citations, References And Other Reading
- Featured Photo Courtesy of: https://www.selldorf.com/projects/the-mwabwindo-school
- https://www.selldorf.com/
- https://archinect.com/jobs/entry/150272692/advanced-architectural-designer
- https://newcities.org/the-big-picture-pressing-for-evolution-in-the-field/
- https://aperture.org/editorial/annabelle-selldorf-interview/
- https://archinect.com/jobs/entry/150272689/project-architect
The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.
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