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Comment by TrevorJ | Hacker News Reader

My dad is an architect, he once challenged me to find some area of study that architect's don't potentially need to know something about. I still haven't come up with one.

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What counts as an area of study? Integrated circuit design? Astrobiology? Nuclear fusion? Veterinary medicine? History of warfare? Textile manufacturing? I'd definitely like to hear his some of his answers. Heck, this might even be the basis for a game. There is a deck of cards with professions (architect, banker, doctor, actor, etc.), and another deck with subject matters, and your goal is to try an come up with some tenuous reasons for why that profession needs to know about that subject. Maybe there is a timer, and there are two "professionals", and the other players judge which one had the most credible idea?

I'd buy that game if it had input from the professions included in the game.

That would be an interesting game!

I think the basis of his argument generally stood on principle that most human activities involve or interact with architecture in some less-than cursory fashion. Most of the examples you gave require purpose-built architecture in their pursuit so somewhere along the line there was an architect that needed to understand the requirements of say, a IC chip factory, or a biology lab, or a history museum.

The role of long-term trusts in jurisdictions without any rule against perpetuities?

I just finished a three-hour lecture on that one. Didn't see any architects.

Hmm, that's a tricky one ^.^ I can see how you'd need to know a fair amount about the legal system to understand the requirements when designing a courthouse, but down to particular aspects of common law probably not. I may have to see if this one stumps him. I guess it hinges on how you define an area of study: are their lawyers who specialize in this area? How much can they change an hour? (Can they afford the corinthian marble I'm specifying for their new office? :P )

Gynecology?

For real?

I'd assume that there's certain requirements for the size of exam rooms based on an understanding of the equipment and exam tables, as well as privacy considerations: the doors should not open into a space visible from the waiting room for instance. How do you design the waiting area to put people at ease before a potentially intrusive and stressful medical exam? Does the client have the ability to bring personal items into the exam room or are their cleanliness requirements that preclude this and require you to design a coat room with storage?

Tertiary symbolism in Byzantine erotica?

For a museum or a plaza with statuary? Sure :) I think his real point was that architecture is linked to nearly every other human activity from caves to cathedrals and everything in between.

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