Samuel Mockbee: The Social Responsibilities of an Architect
Posted January 17, 2018
Samuel Mockbee was more than one of the greatest architects of the 20th century – he was an educator and an artist with a firm belief that “architecture is a social art.”
"Everyone, rich or poor, deserves a shelter for the soul." - Sambo Mockbee
One Man’s Desire to Better the World
Samuel Mockbee was born in 1944 in Mississippi. He grew up under the influence of the Civil Rights movement and was affected particularly by the treatment the African – American people received in the South. After finishing high school, he served for two years in the U.S. Army and then moved to Auburn to study architecture.
He graduated in 1974, and after a three-year internship in Georgia, he returned to Mississippi to pursue his work in architecture.
Through his work, he intended to reveal the economic and social contradictions of the time, stating that “All architects expect and hope that their work will act as a servant in some sense for humanity–to make a better world.”
A few years later, he opened an architecture firm with Coleman Coker, which helped him hone his social responsibility ideas.
Auburn University and the Rural Studio
In 1992, he got a job at Auburn University, where he seized the opportunity to help those who could not afford a proper shelter.
One year later, he co-founded with D.K. Ruth, the Auburn University Rural Studio program. The primary objective of the studio was to create the environment in which students could learn not only the technical parts of architecture but also the social responsibilities that the job carries.
In the same year, the work he did while documenting his book, The Nurturing of Culture in the Rural South an Architectonic Documentary won him a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. The money received from this grant helped to publish the book.
The Complex Art of Architecture
The work of an architect surpasses the mere design of a building or commercial structure. A specialist’s job is to consider the legal requirements of the area, the client’s needs and expectancies, and the most important principles in architecture – balance and harmony.
Creating buildings and residencies means creating communities and societies. And Mockbee knew that very well. He once said that “it is our social responsibility to make sure that we are delivering architecture that meets not only functional and creature comforts, but also spiritual comfort.”
The Rural Architect
Known for his deep connection with the rural places and his empathy towards people who could not afford a sustainable home, Samuel Mockbee has beautifully stapled the 20th century’s architecture and society.
Because both Mockbee and the program he fathered were inclined towards residential architecture, today, the studio continues to provide safe and well-constructed homes for the poor communities in the rural areas of Alabama.
According to www.samuelmockbee.net the Rural Studio has constructed more than 80 homes and civic buildings in Hale County Alabama. These structures are often a perfect storm of design-build ingenuity that includes sustainable, cost-efficient and bold approaches.
