Architecture has always been intimately intertwined with its social, political, andeconomic contexts; major events in world history have had correspondingly dramatic effects on thediscipline. The Great Depression, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Hurricane Katrina, for example,were all catalysts for architectural response and resulted in a diversification of the architect'sportfolio. Yet far too often, architects simply react to changes in the world, rather than servingas agents of change themselves. This issue of Perspecta -- the oldest and mostdistinguished student-edited architectural journal in America -- takes a broader view, using theconcept of agency to explore the future of architecture. The retreat fromliability, the barricade of theory, and the silos of specialization have generated a field that isrisk-averse and reactive, rather than bold and active. Instead of assuming that architects can onlythrow up their hands in despair, the editors of this issue of Perspecta invitethem to roll up their sleeves and get to work. In Perspecta 45, prominentarchitects, scholars, and artists investigate how architects can become agents for change withintheir own discipline and in the world at large.
