Why Questions Matter More Than Answers–

Always focus on asking the right questions for breakthrough insights

- Vivek Sabherwal

Is there a discourse in the architectural profession today? Envision the end of a seminar when the moderator invites questions from the audience. There are seldom any takers. Is the discourse meant for the panelists alone? On the contrary, it is meant to provoke thought and discussion. It requires deep contemplation to pose the right questions. Questions that pertain to realistic contexts. Questions that enable the growth and knowledge of a generation. At the outset, there is a need to engage in a discourse in any profession. In doing so, we keep it alive and growing. And why must we ask the right questions? Simply because it gives us a deeper insight into any study, enhances our learning experience, and enables us to find better answers, which often lie in the questions themselves. More importantly, they make us better humans and subsequently, better professionals.

Is the architect’s role today reduced to just being a problem solver and adhering to the client’s and the market’s expectations? Why is there a lack of vision that once motivated architects to work beyond the edge and for the ‘overall’ good? Are architects questioning the modern developments in architecture, or are they simply falling into the trap of requirements spelled out by developers without asking the fundamental question: “What is really needed today?”

Great architects have always asked the right questions to give us a better world, one that challenges deeply set assumptions. To get fresh ideas, one needs to ask bold questions. By asking the right, insightful questions, we open our minds to new ways of thinking, where unexpected answers emerge and promising new angles lead to innovative solutions.