11 May 2015
Letter from Mr Paul Johnston
Sir,
Reading JR Thomas’ piece on architects in this week’s Shaw Sheet (Issue 103 “Fading Icons:Modernism”) reminded me of a conversation that I had recently with an architect that my company (a property development company) is currently using on one of its schemes.
I introduced him to someone saying “this is Richard, who is working for us on X”
To be quickly corrected by Richard who said “working with, Paul, not for”.
I maintained my usual Zen like countenance but in other times and in other places he might well have been quite forcefully reminded that he was very much working for us – along with all the other professionals on the project who are contracted to provide a service for a fee and who do not appear to have quite such an elevated opinion of themselves.
Paul Johnston
