The results are already known. Mr. Jose Maria Ezquiaga Domínguez was chosen as new dean of the Architects' Official College of Madrid (COAM) in the elections to Junta de Gobierno. The team led by Ezquiaga, under the initials of "Abierto", obtained 48,5% of the votes opposite to 40,3% obtained by the group “Integra”, led by Jose Luis Torroba Álvarez, and 8,7% obtained by "A4C" led by Javier Alonso Madrid.
So, we begin saying congratulations to the winners, something that we always wish for the sake of the architects of Madrid and that we always wait not to have to lament, as it has happened in other occasions.
Till now, in the same way as to many political parties and politicians, the ones who have had this responsibility, between the architects, have ignored the deep change that the Spanish society and equally, its architects have experienced in the last years. A society much more mature, experienced, with judgement and demands, that has educated a group of young architects who, as we have already commented several times in METALOCUS, are eating Europe and the world, despite the fact that, often, their decision to go out has not been to export architecture but to emigrate.
We were the first ones who dedicated a space, over two seasons, to what the architects who had been forced to go out of this country thought and to tell their experiences. (Intraiment I y II).
We have been gathering the transformation and the group forms with which the architects were starting to answer to a new social and economical context, transformations to which the Architects Associations haven't been able to respond, they have done it late or simply they have just ignored them with ways that remind us of very long ago and that have nothing to do with the current situation.
The proof is in the pudding.
Among these situations, lets remind some very well known from the everyday life: Control systems using archaic procedures (with obsolete computer programs and processes, not renewed for more than a decade).
The superhero, or the young architect and collegiate member.
Few have understood, why young architects are moving away from professional associations?
I've said on some occasions how COAM showed no interest on the situation of detachment of young architects. The answer to what they think of young Spanish architects, of their detachment and the bad image they have of these collegial institutions, is simply that they are not members, so they are not their problem (the snake that bites its tail).
But imagine what happens if one of these young architects asks himself why should he become a member and doubts will arise. Difficult to answer, because in fact the function for which these institutions were created was basically because they supplied the deficiencies of staff and lack of training in supervising of public administration. At present it is something that was resolved many years ago. And if, in addition, Associations have been involved in the same sins of economic management as our politicians and if we add the lack of transparency in many of its processes and inefficiency demonstrated while defending the profession, (remember the LSP and its derivatives, the past and the ones to come), doubts are not totally clarified for our young architect.
If this seems like too few, let our young architect attempt to obtain a visa for a project with the computer he bought yesterday, a year ago, two years ago... doesn't matter, because he will be surprised that it will not be with a Mac, why? because it is impossible to manage an electronic visa, because it has to be through the Explorer browser and the latest version compatible with the Mac is 2004. That is, if as it happens increasingly, as they work best in graphic treatment processes (fundamental weapon for our young architect in his profession), the young architect has spent his savings in a good Mac, disappointment right away and run to buy a PC. But beware that the problems do not end here. Hopefully this pc-computer was purchased not too modern. Why? because if you have a 64-bit processor, you won't be able to obtain a visa in many Architects Associations, it has to be a slower, 32-bit (in retreat and disuse).
With all this, lets imagine that this young architect, in a supreme act of courage becomes a collegiate member in Madrid, lets suppose that only three years ago he finished his degree, and it turns out that he is commissioned a small house in Castilla la Mancha, joy, joy... Watch out!! Do not start celebrating, because even if you paid your association fee in Madrid and the law says that one license applies to the entire country, in Toledo, the COACM requires you to pay a double tax-rate for visa there. A rate that will be more than 200 euros, which, along the more than 200 euros of initial fee, will turn out to be almost 500 euros to start the design phase of that little dream house that he is commissioned (not to mention insurance quotas, 200 euros per trimester, the cost of being freelance and payment of social security or fee to an insurance company, 200 euros more per month, to which must be added some more costs to come during the design...). If he becomes a collegiate member in October and procedures are extended until January (of course the Architects Association will always tell you it is not their fault) they will charge him the double taxation due to the new year, so that the sum is already rising, only with association fees, to at least 1,000 euros, plus much more than 2,700 euros for social security or fee to insurance company, plus 800 of liability insurance...
And what does the Architects Association offer this architect? How many projects does he need to achieve per year to live on the minimum wage? The architect thinks about it, sees the management they offer and sees the cost, and thinks about it and stops thinking about it… the image of what he sees is clear.
The reality of what happens seems clear to everyone but to those in charge.
If to all this, we add the nonsense in competitions (Sol, Plaza de España…), we just ask the newcomers to please not keep up the Architects Association for a few, to "open the eyes" for once, to open the Association, that the reality of the architects has long changed and increasingly, the Association is seen as something very distant and unnecessary.
COAM press release.
Las seis candidaturas presentadas han obtenido representación: Reset en Abierto (liderada por Ezquiaga), 40 escaños; Activo Arquitectos (liderada por José Luis Torroba), 26 escaños; Renovación Otra Cosa (liderada por Joaquín María Gómez), 13 escaños; y Asociación de Arquitectos (liderada por Almudena Espinosa), Procoam (liderada por Fernando Landecho), y A4C (liderada por Javier Alonso), 7 escaños cada uno.
Ezquiaga, que sustituye en el cargo a José Antonio Granero, compatibiliza su trabajo de arquitecto urbanista con la enseñanza en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSAM). Anteriormente ha desempeñado diversos cargos de responsabilidad en el ámbito del urbanismo desde el Ayuntamiento y la Comunidad de Madrid y fue Premio Nacional de Urbanismo en 2005.
En su programa, la candidatura Abierto propone adaptar los servicios colegiales a la situación actual y a las diversas actividades que hoy desarrollan los arquitectos, con acciones concretas como un plan específico de reciclado profesional o el apoyo en la internacionalización. El grupo de Ezquiaga también plantea implantar una estrategia cultural a largo plazo que convierta el COAM en un instrumento de comunicación y pedagógico sobre arquitectura y ciudad para la sociedad.
Nueva composición de la Junta de Gobierno:
• José María Ezquiaga Dominguez, Decano
• Carlos Federico Lahoz Palacio, Vicedecano
• Elena Sarabia Castelló, Secretario
• Isabel Saiz de Arce Amigo, Vicesecretario
• Norberto Mario Beirak Kohan, Tesorero
• César Ruiz-Larrea Cangas, Vocal 1
• Mercedes Díez Menéndez, Vocal 2
• Carlos Rubio Carvajal, Vocal 3
• Patricia María Fernnández Haring, Vocal 4
• Juan Coll Barreu, Vocal 5
• Izaskun Chinchilla Moreno, Vocal 6
• Francisco Pol Mendez, Suplente 1
• Marina Siles Arnal, Suplente 2
• Gabriel Allende Gil de Biedma, Suplente 3
