thoughts on the ark hotel

There's a video circulating the Internet that shows a Chinese hotel being erected in six days. On more than one occasion, architects have ventured into the realm of mass production for buildings and much thought and print has been devoted to the idea that all buildings could benefit from mass production strategies. The Ark Hotel project reinforces the myth that a large scale object can actually be built at great speed and that these techniques can be transferred to the AEC industry. Indeed, there are exceptions that prove the rule, but the great efficiencies that can be applied to Ipods and automobiles will probably elude architecture for the forseeable future. (What a term--"the forseeable future"--it's an invitation for a Black Swan)

The Ark Hotel video conceals the planning process, the meetings, the time spent in the factory, the transport of the building panels, and most significantly, the changes to the design that were driven by the need to have the building spaces conform to the construction process. Customization has ever been the hallmark of architecture. My profession specializes in one-offs. Labor inputs per unit of area have always had, and always will have an impact on perceived quality. Sitework is always site specific, and buildings are as well.