Architects' Websites

Why do so many well known architects have such badly designed websites?
I'll give you some examples.
Grimshaw Architects
Zaha Hadid
Richard Rogers
Gumuchdijan Architects
In fact, just about every architect's webpage I've visited had an annoying flash based page.
Problems with flash:
A: Hard to navigate. you can't press back, without leaving the site.
B: You Can't link to a certain page.
C: You need to install software to view them
D: You can't save images. Seeing as these sites are basically ads for the firms, you'd think they'd want you saving their work.
E: Site isn't indexed on Google. I searched for "gumuchdjian think tank boathouse" in google, and Gumuchdjian's site wasn't even listed.
F: A lot of them open in popup windows, which is very annoying.
and a special mention to OMA for resizing your browser every time you go to their website.

Sure, Flash based sites look nice (I was gonna say flash, but I decided not to. Whoops, too late), but aren't architects supposed to be able to design buildings which are functional, as well as beautiful. I wouldn't consider any of those sites to be very well designed, from a functional point of view.

I was going to finish this post, by giving an example of an architect's page, which was well designed, and was an example of what every architect's website should be, but, I swear to god, I couldn't find one. In fact, the only non flash based one I found was Michael Graves' Website., Which is not even that great, to be honest.

Sorry if this sounds like a big rant, It's just something that annoys me.

Future Systems Bridge

Future Systems Bridge
Originally uploaded by Crapfork.

I just added my Flickr Account to my Blog, so lets see if this works, and I'll be able to post pictures I take to my Blog, because, after all, an Architecture Blog without pictures would be a bit crap.

This is a picture I took of the Bridge designed by Future Systems, one of my favourite firms working today.
It's located ay West India Dock in Canary Wharf. I really love Canary Wharf at nighttime. It's quiet, and the buildings look beautiful all lit up and reflecting off the water. I really like being surrounded by tall buildings, I don't know why. I suppose it gives a feeling of enclosure and security. Like city walls used to in the past.

First Post

Since it's my first post, I should introduce myself. I'm in my third year of Architecture in London South Bank University in London. I'm originally from Dublin, Ireland.
I bore my non architecture friends to death whenever I talk about architecture with them, so I thought I'd start a Blog to express my opinion on architecture, and spare them from it.

The title of the Blog, Pet Architecture refers to a type of architecture, found in Japan, which is basically small buildings built in small undeveloped spaces around the city, which are like pets, to the larger buildings around them. There's a book about it, the pages of which, for some reason turn left to right, so the ends at the front. Crazy japanese publishers.

Anyway, I just like the name, not particularly the architecture (It's a good idea though.), so I probably won't mention that book again. What I will talk about is anything that comes to mind, related to architecture. I'll try and keep it interesting.