Robinson had three propositions—based on imagination, creativity, and innovation—for AIA architects about meeting the changing, growing built environment:
“Don’t take things for granted. Many things that we take for granted are not true, or may not be true for much longer. Recognize that as architects you are engulfed in this revolution. With digital technology, the world is becoming more complex. But people are failing to recognize that this is a revolution like the industrial revolution. Essentially, all that the AIA has learned in the last 150 years may not be enough.”
“Meet this revolution.” It is vital that you get a sense of this new agenda. Children starting school now will be retiring about 2070. While nobody knows what the world will look like then, your profession is one of the key players in shaping the world in which we will live.
“Behave and act differently. Do not have a limited view of your creative capacity. Think differently about the nature of your resources. Use your imagination. It is the most important feature in architecture. Use imagination and creativity … ask, “‘what if?’ Think outside the current algorithm and challenge what you take for granted in your profession.” Robinson added that architects need to “cultivate the creativity of everyone in your organization, not only the creative departments,” emphasizing that “we all can be innovative and creative.”
Rely on intelligence, concluded Robinson. “Intelligence is distinct—we all have a relevant sense