Architects Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample of the firm MOS discuss the concept of "polycrisis"—the intersection of economic, political, and ecological failures—and its impact on architectural form. The conversation highlights a growing void between the formal aesthetic project of architecture and the urgent political realities of the modern world. Sample specifically addresses how the dominance of political and regulatory restrictions in collective housing has stifled formal innovation, often reducing architecture to a mere byproduct of governance rather than a tool for social or cultural expression.
This dialogue matters because it challenges the architectural discipline to move beyond its history of "autonomous form" toward a more inclusive, socially engaged practice. By examining the tension between design and maintenance, housing, and labor, MOS argues for a practice that integrates support spaces like clinics and schools into residential projects. Their perspective offers a critical framework for how architects can navigate a landscape where political forces often dictate the limits of physical space, suggesting that the role of the architect must evolve to address systemic crises directly.