I believe that this post may be a deviance from what is usually shared in this community. Other than the image above taken on vacation, there are no visuals, no description of amazing architecture, art, interior design or the likes contained in this post. I must further concede that being new to the community, I have not taken the time to read through every post – though I plan to read-up as much as I can.
Now that confessions are out of the way, I humbly invite you to indulge me in this endevour (however frivolous it may seem compared to your usual activity); to find out if I’m am a mad architect, or not.
"I Know that I Know Nothing"
The power of historical hindsight exposes some of antiquity’s greatest thinkers to be inconsistent with reality, even though their thinking was consistent with the knowledge of the time. Socrates is credited with the adage “I know that I know nothing.” This saying has always helped me to remain humble in whatever knowledge I pursue. The same attitude accompanied me as a student of architecture – and in life generally; that knowledge is never complete. For a person to maintain objectivity and integrity in their work, they need to continue learning and asking questions even after they acquired their qualifications.
Of course, it is simpler and inextricably more convenient to simply continue life within the known and prescribed boundaries of doing things – there is a lesser chance of failure when venturing into the known. Based on this observation, one may reasonably argue that it is in our nature to seek COMFORT, to live a pleasant and tranquil life. Nevertheless, the same argument may be proffered for knowledge seekers, that human beings are UNCOMFORTABLE with ignorance. This dichotomy needs to be looked at with a keen eye; that the pursuit of the same thing may result in conflict between the opposing parties – even though the two parties are not intrinsically opposed to each other.
There is a very popular African word that resonates with all of humanity – “Ubuntu”. A direct translation leaves us with the unsatisfying “humanitarian” understanding of the word. For a more fulfilling description of ubuntu, the word can be extrapolated as meaning “I am because you are” or “Do the best that you can for the next person”. The popular open source Linux operating system (Ubuntu) is based on theses principles.
In as much as seeking knowledge is an honourable thing, it doesn't always result in honourable actions. History is proliferated with entities using their knowledge (power) against other human beings; to conquer and subjugate - to fool, control and abuse. No trace of ubuntu. Infact, one my accurately argue, that historcally, the power of knowledge has been predominatly used (by other humans) more against the spirit of humanity than for the benefit of humanity. We have learnt, through millennia of suffering, that power in the wrong hands is akin to a flame in a dry forest.
The forest has been afire for a very a long time!
Notwithsatnding the above, the work of Satoshi et al. has given humanity more than a fighting chance to realise UBUNTU. The invention of blockchain (an immutable ledger system) coupled with the openness and integrity of open source is not only challenging the status quo (the flame in the forest), but also presents humanity with a total paradigm shift. Only if we are willing to take that leap. The future of finance, politics and global affairs will change forever; there is a light at the end...
However your eyes squint at this gleam, I believe that the main objective of blockchain is to free human beings from corruption and dishonesty. Of course, not everyone is delighted by this invention – it is a stubborn and prickly thorn on the thrones of those in control, and they cannot find comfort.
If you’ve been patient and kind enough to read thus far, you’re probably wondering “what on earth does this inarticulate verbiage have to do with architecture?” Well, lets delicately delve deep in it then. (Thank you for reading)
The "How" Vs The "Why"
Since blockchain (like mathematics, finance, philosophy etc.) is a conceptual approach to practicality, it has naturally seen gradual acceptance and practical application in the conceptual world. However, it is my firm belief that the practical application of blockchain in the physical world, will not only solidify decentralised systems – but more importantly, bring them into the mainstream. Of course, the “how” of doing things never done before has always been more difficult to achieve than the “why” things should be done. Such journeys are uncomfortable because they threaten to expose our limited knowledge - and our bias views.
Nevertheless, being a mule to process and immune to ridicule, I humbly posit the “how” of the matter as follows:
I’ve been a practicing architect for about a decade (not that long), and only learnt about the power of blockchain last year (2023) when I stumbled on the book Digital Gold by Nathaniel Popper. Yes, the cave man has finally left his comfy lair! Prior to this, my views on cryptocurrency had been marred by skepticism and disinformation. The blockchain bug got me and I’ve been transformed ever since! I’ve always privately pursued egalitarian ways of living.
As an architect who enjoys the freedom and fairness that comes with open source blockchain, I can see the immense value in receiving payment for my services in the cryptocurrency of my choice. This is important for me because the value of such a currency cannot be manipulated by governments and bankers or any other nefarious characters — amongst many other benefits. But of course, this is not a lesson in cryptocurrency, there are better and more qualified people to speak on the subject.
Beyond simply getting paid in cryptos; I would really love to be one of the first architects to participate in a fully blockchain architectural (construction) project – from Inception to the Close-out stage. A project that is fully funded by blockchain.
Besides the opportunity of being paid in cryptocurrency for your services, you may genuinely ask why this is important for the blockchain community in general. Indeed, why is this important?
Blockchain can assist in the efficient management of construction projects – from appointing the professionals, to procuring construction services, finalisng the construction process, and completing the final account. The advent of BIM (Building Information Modeling), smart contracts and web3 technology make this dream much more palpable.
Settling disputes and making payments to stakeholders can be handled by blockchain technology, thus shielding investors, service providers and professionals from bad characters, inflation, geopolitics and so much more. Beyond it being a more efficient approach towards initiating and managing a construction project (or any other project for that matter), the use of blockchain technology in real-life projects will exponentially proliferate the use of cryptocurrency, and the remove the stigma that the general public holds against cryptos and blockchain technology.
Build It And They Will Come
It takes people of vision and determination to build a tourist attraction in the desert; Las Vegas and Dubai attest to this.
Imagine a crypto whale or a group of crypto holders deciding to pool their cryptos and invest them in a multipurpose high-rise building with shops, apartments, offices and so on. Because the owners of the building are blockchain enthusiast, it naturally follows that the building will foster a blockchain ecosystem. Even managing such a property can be simplified through blockchain – building maintenance can be done through blockchain technology – with the potential of generating a new kind of token or crypto for the industry.
Further to this, shop owners, landlords can promote the use of crypto currency for goods and services they provide. Thus creating a palpable blockchain community. The more such projects are created, the better it will be for the success of blockchain and solidifying the adaption cryptos into the mainstream. You could be a landlord in Cape Town while enjoying your tea in Cairo. The possibilities are endless! Architecture (and the built environment in general) has always played an important role in creating stable societies. I believe it is time that professionals in the built environment, and in all industries, begin engage with blockchain technology in a meaningful and practical way.
There’s a saying in my mother language “Molomo o tsela noka e tletse” – loosely translated; "the mouth can easily jump over a flooding river” – in other words, talk is cheap!
Well, I can assure that this is not just talk. I would like to be part of a meaningful discussion with technologists, developers, architects, engineers or anyone willing to work towards this endevour. And if such talks ot projects are already, kindly invite me.