Cape Dutch Home-Graaff Reinet

It has been argued that architects' taste is in stark contrast with the rest of society. A career or aspiration which is not related to the built environment is often perceived by architects as a stereotype in taking for granted what good architecture is.

From another perspective, the over analytical habits of an architect or designer can result in drudging company for someone who is not related to the built environment.

It is important however, for society to appreciate good architecture and not to be alluded to the sham of pretentiousness which is often used to satisfy the tasteless greed of certain individuals in the upper class.

The image above is a house in Graaf Reinet which is well maintained. This is a good example of good architecture which can be appreciated by architects and designers as well as the general public. This design is honest and tells a story of it's time, when the style of Cape Dutch architecture was popular.

An architect's taste and perception of their built environment are very different to the general public. What is just as important, is for the public to be able to identify what is sublime and what is pretentious in the built environment, in order for the places where we live and work to be better environments.