The best laid plans ... Photograph: Martin Godwin
We've been in the jungle, in the kitchen and at the hairdressers ... and now the world of reality has found another arena which is all about life at the sharp end - the architectural practice.
Focused on a group of American students in their final year of architectural study, Archiculture is a full-length documentary just going into production (its original title was Architorture). Those for whom Grand Designs kicks up bad memories might want to give the film a wide berth, but otherwise early indicators suggest a documentary with the potential to be as compelling as the award-winning Spellbound, which the architecture film-makers cite as a similar tale of a group of young people under pressure.
Archiculture is described as "a documentary about the architectural thesis, shot by architects, to be viewed by all." Its co-producers and directors, Ian Harris and David Kranz, are both recent archtecture graduates: Harris graduated in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati, while Kranz, studied Landscape Architecture at Clemson in South Carolina and has taken time out from his job as a land planner to work on the project.
Their West Coast-based film aims is to tackle several contemporary urban issues, including low-income housing, the ethics of design, the cultural impact of architecture, and gender and minorities within the architecture profession. Harris and Kranz are already sounding out the opinions of, amongst others, the US-based National Organization of Minority Architects and the Association for Women in Architecture.
With sustainability high on the agenda, the film-makers are also particularly interested in the environmental impact of various forms of architecture. Kranz has brought on board his former tutor at Clemson, Todd Steadman, as the project' s academic advisor. A former editor and publisher of Landscape Architecture, Steadman recently founded the Alabama Green Building Resource Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to "the demystification and promotion of sustainable development."
The film also aims to give its audience the opportunity to engage with its reality stars - not by voting them off, but by giving them advice. As the film's website states:
"For the five months of production our cameras and crew will be in front of thousands of college students and professors. The film will begin to reach out to our core audience with a sneak preview tour featuring a customised mobile theatre. As this tour crosses the country moving from universities to film festivals, a vast audience of students, professors and professionals will have early access to the film."
Archiculture is inspired by Kranz and Harris's own experiences. "In an environment where students spend multiple days in a row locked inside the studio, often with only a toothbrush and design supplies, dramatic interactions are commonplace." This is more than can be said for most reality scenarios, but will it produce enough real tension to sustain a full-length feature? We'll have to wait and see.
