Architects as storytellers

As a journalist, stories are my bread and butter. Finding stories that will appeal to readers, convincing architects and clients to explore them in print, then getting editors to agree to publish them; that’s all part and parcel of being an architecture journalist.

This week it occurred to me that architects are storytellers of a kind too. Architecture is the art and science of giving form to stories.

Stories about people, places, events, materials. Architecture captures single ideas or the mood of a community. It pays homage to history, while always looking to the future.

Architects are master storytellers, when it comes to buildings, places and spaces.

Case in point? Architect Sally Wilson’s own home in Adelaide, which I wrote about for Australian House & Garden magazine.

Sally’s design responds to an oak tree planted in the backyard by the previous owners. It grew from an acorn from a tree down the road; which grew from an acorn brought from England.

The new addition respects that lineage, and Sally and her husband poured themselves into the build, so now they are also an intrinsic part of the home’s unique story.

Project homes don’t do that. There is no story in razing a block and starting from scratch. Which gives Architects an incredible marketing edge, if they can succinctly and accessibly explain what sets architecture apart, and how that quality can benefit future clients.

There is a snag though, because in my 17-years as a journalist, I’ve noticed that Architects struggle to put their stories - which they intrinsically know and understand - into words. Especially words that resonate with non-Architects.

Is telling the story of your practice and your projects something you struggle with? Or have you mastered it? Jump over to Insta and let me know how you approach storytelling in your practice. I love a good tale…