How do you know when a building has been completed?
A simple answer might be that it looks like it will stand up for 50 plus years. A more nuanced response would cover the details of structure, decor and facilities - when all of these appear to be right, then the building is done, for the moment at least before an extension or a renovation.
The same applies to a PhD thesis.
It’s ready when it seems that it will withstand a serious examination by academic experts. This process gives it a form of intellectual longevity - until the next thesis comes along and blows it out of the water. But equally it’s about the details; are they sufficiently evidenced to warrant new arguments you’ve made that may outdate any prior research? Reputations are at stake here …
In many parts of the world all the above would seem like a trivial luxury. You just need decent shelter to get you through a harsh winter or a torrential monsoon season or a devastating earthquake. Sure, it’s nice to have some pleasing aspects in and around your living space, but what really matters is staying alive. Put more bluntly, wishes and desires for a more beautiful world are reserved for the privileged few. Such is Building #18.
Building #18
My Phd thesis is entering its fourth year and I’m hoping the finishing line will soon loom into sight. It feels a bit like completing Anton Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona - how do you really know when you’ve achieved the original objective, which may have changed after many years?
Can one therefore find a compromise between the two extreme positions? Is there a ‘just OK’ building or thesis, strong enough to withstand any serious blows, but also with some key elements of delight to it?
Yes, I think so.
The difficulty is settling on that compromise position. Ultimately the commissioner or owner has to find it for their building; just as the doctoral student has to find it for their thesis. The views of others will matter of course, but not in making the final adjustment to suit the balancing point.