Saša Randić

Krunoslav Ivanišin: For more than a decade now you have been a strong presence on the Croatian architectural scene – in professional associations, in publishing, in the general debate – and also outside the strictly architectural domain. How important is this 'public' presence for your work as a practising architect?

Saša Randić: I think these different disciplines are very much connected. In fact, if your ambition is to engage in the transformation of a territory, then relying on form alone does not work; you become marginalized and get pushed aside from the process. Many practices have taken on board the concept of combining research, production and interdisciplinary collaboration.

I have been involved with the Croatian Architects' Association from the beginning of my professional practice, back in the 1990s in Rijeka, simply because I lacked an interface for communication. It seemed logical to me to try to create one. The second reason is that I get bored with routine.

Getting involved in different activities proved to be an effective working strategy. The association's active role in public life helped to improve the position of Croatian architects in general. Thanks to the activities of professional organizations, competitions have become a standard procedure for public architecture projects. Of course, there are limits to the influence an architect can have on society. Nonetheless, architects should get involved in the processes and not avoid them if they want to be taken seriously.