White paper on creativity - ebla center

Chapter 12also conditioned by taste and currenttrends. Excellent buildings and publicdebate on new works influence theculture of potential clients and theirwillingness to accept novelty. Fosteringa climate generating new opportunitiesfor young architects also requires publicacknowledgement of the value ofcreative works. Meetings and eventsmust be open to a non-specialist public,supplemented with teaching activities inschools and communicated for use bythe contemporary media.Public-sector clients play an importantrole, as does encouraging the practice ofdesign competitions. Comparing ideasstimulates competitiveness andcreativity. It brings out the bestsolutions and highlights the mostinnovative, thus improving the chancesof commissions to build contemporaryworks being given to quality architects.3. Rewarding innovation. The courageto break down the barriers ofentrenched practice and overcomeeconomic difficulties and culturalconditioning must be rewarded. Thesekinds of actions include design prizesand awards for enlightened clients, butalso actually constructing the works incompetitions, which thus rewards thosewho have invested in research andenables emergent practices to continueto experiment. For a youngarchitectural practice, systematicallytaking part in competitions involveshuge outlays, but in Italy far too oftenthe prize-wining projects are neveractually built. This process must beimproved, also through the use offeasibility studies and financial cover fordesigns entered in competitions.4. Instruments and mechanisms tosupport research and technologicalinnovation. The widespread Italianmodel does not encourage the kind ofdialogue between research and theproduction of new materials, buildingsystems and innovative solutions whichin other European countries hasproduced a large number of patents.The Italian model cannot be changed inthe short term but a number ofimprovements can be made to createmore favourable conditions, such aspromoting the creation of andsupporting centres of excellencefocused on research andinterdisciplinary experimentation.Similarly, energies can channelled intothe strategic sectors in which we havebuilt up the kind of expertise that canmake a considerable contribution toglobal research and innovation, as forexample in the sector of restoration orthe innovative field of the relationbetween redeveloping historicarchitecture and energy savings.5. Launch action programmes atinternational level for Italianarchitectural creativity. Italian architectsencounter difficulties in participating ininternational competitions and tenders,due to shortcomings in information,language skills and in understandinglocal regulatory frameworks. PrizewinningItalian architects in majorinternational competitions cancontribute to improving Italy’s overallreputation and be a driving force forItalian firms in the sector. Goodsupport could be provided by thecreation of “bridgeheads” in the mostdynamic countries. They could have thetask of making updated sector studies,supplying local support for constructionWHITE PAPER ON CREATIVITY 294