Are longer office hours really productive, Mr. Patrik Schumacher?

On the first Dezeen Day that took place on the 30th October 2019 in London, Patrik Schumacher, Principal, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Harriet Harriss, Dean, Pratt Institute School of Architecture clashed over the long-debated issue of inhumane work culture and abnormally long hours in architecture offices!  While Harriet defended the futility of long hours by rightly stating that “What we are doing, arguably, is making permissible forms of labor exploitation, and creating a work-life balance that often triggers mental health [issues]. And we know this is a pretty serious issue in education at the moment,”, Patrik was outright bold with his response- “I don’t like your philosophy.”

This is an open letter to our honorable Mr. Patrik Schumacher, who so dearly believes that long working hours is beneficial and protecting students from working too hard, from late-night working in firms like ZHA is the wrong story. It would be highly advisable for anybody not familiar with the issue to read the original piece before proceeding to read any further.

Dear Mr. Schumacher,

You don’t know me. You shouldn’t be. On the other hand, you are world-famous. And that exactly is the reason why you should think before you speak. What you say has an impact, they are heard by people and discussed worldwide. Your thoughts are, however, personal. What you think, want of this profession and see the world becoming is something on which nobody can/will have any control over. But when you choose to express the same, that has a profound influence on the industry. Because what you say feels extreme-right aligned at it’s best, and delusional statements at its worst.

Why am I saying all this? Because in my world, protecting students and younger professionals from rampant exploitation and incessant over-time under delusional bosses who don’t value labor is the only right story. And the obvious course of action.

So, here I am. Saying, “I don’t like your philosophy!” Because it is exploitatively capitalist, selfish, cruel, boisterously unprofessional and a move with one-sided benefits.

Let me explain. When you say that limiting work hours means a slow-down and will have a paralyzing effect on the office, it means that the call for a better organizational framework is imminent! It means that the managerial and HR skills of the office are soo poor that employees need to work longer hours! Either that or you are understaffed with too many projects at hand! And I cannot decide which one is worse. It’s 2020 almost, and you really are walking backward! If you have so much work at hand, and people need to work more than 8+ hours a day on a regular basis, it is time to hire new people and keep the office running for multiple shifts! But when you worry that exploitation of workers can have a stagnating effect on offices like yours, it is extremely unfortunate. Because this suggests that offices like yours survive on the exploitation of labor! That, Mr. Schumacher, is totally unacceptable a practice.

I understand that extra work is absolutely essential at times. The office definitely needs to pull off an all-nighter on the eve of the submission. Being an architect myself, I know that these tend to be fun, and rewarding as well. Because these are not mere working hours, these are memories in the making, and that has its own rewards. But talk of making this a regular practice and you have instantly cut down all the looking-forwardness of it. Such extra hours only work when they are occasional, say once in a few months, and obviously, sufficiently compensated for. If not, it becomes exploitation.

You might be the boss, but you don’t hold the right to direct your employees to spend hours of overtime in the office. An employee is under a legal contract with the office. Given your recent comments, it feels as if you would be inclined to (or in reality, do) force your employees to stay back and work, even when they don’t want to. I could only hope that the extra hours put in are compensated. Else, the case really is a blind one. Even if it isn’t you, it must be your company policies that endorse working beyond hours, in which case, that needs to change. ASAP.

I wouldn’t go much on work-life balance and the mental issues that crop up when this balance is almost absent because I believe Harriss has rightly pointed out “What we are doing, arguably, is making permissible forms of labor exploitation, and creating a work-life balance that often triggers mental health [issues]. And we know this is a pretty serious issue in education at the moment.”

However, I’d introduce a new perspective to it, one that has the potential of introducing more stress in the already over-stretched industry. I’ll take the example of India, my motherland. You happen to be one of those star figures that the people we work for idolizes. That is, many of our bosses are your followers. Even if not an admirer, they do keep tabs on you. Why, you say? For opportunities like this. You see, the next time a sleep-deprived and edgy architect walks to his boss’s office with the hope of getting an evening off, he will be given examples of how one big architect has said that one can’t do passionate stuff if working beyond eight hours become exploitation. And this will happen in the factor of hundreds. What you say becomes examples. That is why I urge you to think more.

On the other hand, I stand in solidarity with Harriss when she said: “Schools should strive to promote healthy working practices rather than perpetuating the toxic long-hours culture that is common in architecture studios.” You see, this is a responsible statement. Yours on the extreme end is an example that will only feed your personal pursuits.

And this isn’t the first time you’ve issued baseless statements. Remember when you asked for public funding to be stopped for art schools? Or when you called for the scrapping of social housing and public spaces? Do you really feel that social-housing tenants having access to public city-center facilities is a tragedy and your friends throwing key parties in their London-based second homes are amazing events? Good Lord! It was a relief when ZHA, and friends and family of Zaha Hadid distanced themselves from your views! If this is how you intend to start a discussion Mr. Schumacher, you’ll have to issue statements and apologize on an iterative basis.

No wonder there have been eminent personalities who have stated that its time to stop listening to you. A day back, I received a tweet that stated: “Stop Inviting Patrick to speak.”  And I’ll be true for one last time.  You are given a slot to speak not because the fraternity puts irreplaceable faith in your opinions, but because you happen to be a famous person whose fame can be capitalized upon. It’s a typical “cash me outside” scene if you haven’t already realized it! No matter what you say, the statistics go to the host.

Your crony capitalist mentality alarms me! At best, what I feel for your sweet ignorance is pity!

Architects too are humans. They need time off, they need to cool down, go out, socialize, live life and enjoy the same! I have never seen an architect achieve a lot by burning himself up in the studio. On the contrary, I have seen people (architects) who are punctual and on time, achieving their goals, keeping work sorted, and much more!

In an age where multiple companies are trying to reduce working hours and are getting good results, we architects are debating on the fruitfulness of long hours, thanks to insensitive statements made by a few of us! It’s one thing to be elitist yourself. It’s entirely another thing when you forcefully try to impose that on the people you are surrounded by and work with. Think. Empathize. And be a human first. And maybe after that, an architect!

Yours truly,
Shubhayan M.

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