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Provocation 5
Identify, in order of priority (1st, 2nd, 3rd), the three most important characteristics any work of architecture must embody to be worthy of the name, and worthy of our culture. Elaborate with a paragraph for each.
1st Be Memorable
ReplyDeleteThe most important characteristic of any work of architecture must embody insightful meanings that would leave a mark on anyone who experience the work. Using Zumthor’s Theme Vals as an example, the use of stone in combination with water invokes sensual and poetic qualities that transform and deepen your understanding of stone. It leaves a mark on you, so you will never look at stone the same way again. Like a great story, great architecture carries the power to refigure you through experiencing the work. Thus the work of architecture becomes memorable; a special place you always want to return to.
2nd Build to Last
A work of architecture should be built to last, that is not to say using the most durable materials or the most advance technologies to build a building that can not be taken down, rather, it should have a cultural significance in itself that people want to preserve it. We all have inner desires; some desires are recognized, some are unknown to us. The genius behind a great architecture is the ability to answer these inner desires through the combination of environmental, physical, psychological and cultural responses. By responding to these desires, the value of the architecture is realized by the people. A building that lasts is a true reflection of its cultural significance. Architects should strike to design buildings that last.
3rd Make Sense
Any work of architecture must make sense – in terms of structure, function, circulation, spatial experience, environmental and cultural responses. NO arbitrary decisions. Everything from orientation to the choice of material to the placement of a room needs to serve a function that contributes to the unity of a work of architecture. In other works, no sacrifice of one choice over the other choice needs to be made because every choice is the only right choice. Also the work of architecture needs to make sense to anyone who comes to experience it. It should be logical that people can understand how to move through the space and how to engage the architecture.
1.Be well functioned to meet the need, both physically and social/psychologically.
ReplyDeleteAs a special product designed for the targeted customers, architecture is created to serve the needs of people. A good architecture is one which at least meets the basic requirements of the entity that funds its existence. As part of the untold rule, it should also provide human comforts to all the people who are engaged in the daily activities and interact with it.
2.Be responsible to the context.
Like Mario Pei said “good architecture lets nature in”. Any work of architecture should show respect to the natural and cultural aspect of locality and needs to be blended in with its surrounding background. Architecture is considered to be unsuccessful if it does not fit in the community within which it is located at.
3.Be able to bring meaningful aesthetics to the public.
One of the three architecture's obligations Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect, described in "The Ten Books of Architecture” is to provide delight (venustas) which refers to the aesthetics. Architecture is subject to evolving concepts of beauty, just like the other art forms. Aesthetically successful architecture comes from integrated approach that always combines the thoughtful compromise of the function, structure, environment, beauty and economics.
1. Function
ReplyDeleteForm follows function. A simple yet controversial statement, but try to name an historic, memorable building that did not function well. Buildings that do not function well will not last, we will not remember them, and their existence is too temporary to accurately represent any culture. Buildings that function well are more likely to sustain through generations and centuries. For a building to be worthy of our generation and our culture, it must function.
2. Comfort
Idealistically, any building that formally functions well will be successful. It is the finer details of a space that allow us to experience a wide range of comfort. By comfort, I do not simply mean the indoor air quality. More specifically, I am referring to the scale, the materiality, the lighting, the relationship to other spaces, the relationship to the outdoors, etc. All of these things contribute to the overall comfort one feels in a space. While comfort is subjective, there must be an large consensus of comfort when people occupy a space for a building to be successful.
3. Timeless
This may be the hardest for an architect to accurately judge when designing a building. What constitutes a timeless building? Architecture has seen countless trends and styles from Classical and Modernism to Art Deco and Parametrics. These styles have all produced beautiful buildings as well as complete failures. The Portland Building is an obvious example of a trend gone terribly out of style, but how can architects predict what will fall out of style? I don't know how to make an argument for that. All we can do is continue to learn from both our mistakes and our successes and strive towards making an architecture that builds on and elevates the successful elements of building design.
1.Intentional thought to evoke emotion through built form:
ReplyDeleteThis is what defines architecture for me. Sometimes this will to influence people's emotions goes too far and finds itself in the realm of caricature. To counter this, the power to influence must extend beyond the big exterior move to the perception of occupants as they move through the space. A sense of calm can be induced by creating spaces meant to be easily maneuverable by the human form. The emotions conveyed also do not have to be solely positive. Instigating a feeling of discomfort is as legitimate a use of architecture in some cases.
2.Incorporating forward-thinking methods to tackle ecological concerns:
Forward-thinking does not necessarily mean technologically advanced. Sometimes the most innovative ideas utilize low-tech materials (the use of mirrors for a solar cooker) or a return to less complicated building concepts (smart daylighting instead of relying on electric lighting). That is not to say technology has no place in architecture. New materials have to potential to increase the quality of life for us both as individuals and as a planet. LED lights and engineered wood products, for instance. Part of this concept may also involve biophilia, or looking to nature for answers to our building problems.
3.Reinforcing our connection to the universe around us:
Whether using local materials to honor our being in a particular region or using light to evoke a spiritual connection with the heavens of our choice, architecture has the ability to place us within our context.
1. Inspire
ReplyDeletePieces of architecture that societies treasure most are places that stimulate and provoke. People seek environments that inform meaningful experiences. Great architecture has the ability to consume its occupants and transport them to a realm of artistic expression that is unique to our species. Architecture must inspire, otherwise it fails to be architecture. The ability to inspire may be the clearest line between “building” and “architecture.” Critical thought and true emotion must pour form the designer in order for the design to be worthy of the word “architecture.” Great architecture is the fruiting body of human dreams.
2. Logic
A design must have logic applied to it in order to claim to be a piece of “architecture.” Decisions must be informed by some notion for a design to succeed – or even qualify as a design, for that matter. While logic is necessary, it can vary in its degree of rigidity. There are exceptions to any rule, but a rule must be present.
3. Contribute
Architecture must affect its context positively – that is, in the eyes of the people who inhabit and interact with that context. Great architecture speaks to a larger whole, and is not a singular entity. I truly believe that places have identity and uniqueness beyond the building site. This idea of ‘contribution’ is one I find myself constantly debating. What is a contribution? We inhabit an urban fabric, not singular buildings. Contribution comes about when singular structures speak to this larger situation - often in creative and uncommon ways. It is the job of the architect to find the best way to make their design contribute to place.
1st [ Site ]
ReplyDeleteArchitecture is always sited within the natural landscape or an urban setting. All sites have climatic implications and regional biospheres. The orientation of the building which an architect chooses can greatly impact the design and overall human comfort levels of a single building. All sites are surrounded with built or unbuilt context. Architecture should become the context while continuing to enhance the surrounding richness and beauty of a location.
2nd [ Daylight ]
Natural daylighting is a powerful tool that architects must use to sculpt space. Daylighting stimulates happiness in humans, and happiness promotes healthy individuals. So perhaps daylighting can change the way people perceive the world.
3rd [ Place ]
Within an spacial environment it is important to demonstrate a sense of place for humans. Your experience within architecture should be memorable. Developing a idea into an environment involves designing for meaningful experiences. Providing a sense of place is what makes up our culture.
1. It must provide a meaningful experience for the inhabitants/users and enrich their understanding of place.
ReplyDeleteAs human beings we have the tendency to move through space without recognizing our presence in the space that we inhabit in; therefore it impedes us from having an interaction and engagement with place. A good work of architecture should re-establish our connection with place by creating a moment(s) to capture us and help ignite our senses and awareness of place. Through that awareness we can begin to gain an understanding of place and the value of place
2. It must be a good neighbor to the surrounding buildings and the environment.
Whether responding to height, materials or styles; a building should be design in a way that should have commonalities or differences that can create a dialog between each other. It should not try to stand alone, withdraw itself from the context, and/or outshine the others. But instead it should try to elevate itself by recognizing the presence of its neighbors; in that sense it can create a harmonic relationship between buildings and together they can strengthen human’s sense of place. In a larger context, a good work of architecture also has the responsibility to the earth it is penetrating through, the sky above it, and all of the other natural phenomena. A good work of architecture should be designed to recognize and celebrate those phenomenons.
3. It must challenge the traditional purpose of buildings and provide new meanings.
What can architecture provides to its inhabitants aside from the necessity of shelter (Protecting us from the wetness of the rain, the coldness of the snow, and heat of the sun). As human beings we require more than just having a floor, four walls and a roof. We demand a place that can provides us with a sense of groundedness and a place that can provides an understanding and meaning of inhabiting in this universe. To avoid meaningless experience, our body and mind must be able to connect to place.
Architecture must:
ReplyDeleteBe Relevant
Relevant to context, relevant to the time in which it is being designed, and relevant to the user it is serving. Architecture is a practice of constructing an artifact that embodies the time and place it is created. Great architecture has relevance long after its been constructed. It becomes a learning tool to generations that follow. Architecture has the ability to teach how space can be arranged to produce a poetic and functional program, how material can be composed to provide tactile, experiential moments as well as illustrating how a built artifact can illustrate ideas that are/were important and innovative at the time of construction.
Be Multi-faceted
Architecture must be more than a collection of one-liners. When the form is the only thing that makes the building exciting the architect has failed at the task at hand. A great building does not have one definitive role. It must serve its program but the building but more importantly has to be a setting in life where many diverse people with diverse life/cultural experiences can come together. Tall people should benefit in a unique way from encountering a great piece of architecture, keeping memories forged long after departing from the building.
Consider the Journey
Architecture must be a collection of moments that reveal themselves to the user. The entry experience occurs long before the building is entered, the procession begins from the street. A threshold then meets the user, where he/she is introduced to the space unraveling the building’s narrative of purpose and identity. In navigating through the building the user should encounter points where the concept of the building is echoed through elements at all scales, the surface of a wall, the framing of a view, the feel of a doorknob.
1st Respond to humans
ReplyDeleteArchitecture must adhere and uphold to the physical needs and psychological desires of the human body. Scale determines the body's ability to engage and transverse the built environment. Does the design respond to the walking, talking, breathing, seeing, temperature and texture conceiving-the living. Accommodate the body and psyche with light, air, accessibility and psychologically uplifting space. Architecture must evoke the senses to reveal meaningful new connections with the spirit.
2nd Respond to environment
Architecture needs to exist not in lieu of nature, but as an integral part of the Earth's ecological fabric. Architecture has the responsibility to sustain life. Not only its immediate occupants, but also the occupants of the areas in which its materials and processes are resourced. Architecture needs to exercise stewardship by responding to region or climatic zone through choice of materials and the juxtaposing of components.
3rd Respond to cultural context
Architecture must be respectful of culture. Each culture is tied to myths, symbols and linguistics that imbue meaning that cannot always be translated from one to the next. These nuances have a profound effect on a person's ability to read and perceive. Architecture has the responsibility to be aware and of its audience and sensitive in its use of imagery and symbolism as to not confuse, dismantle or insult its cultural context. Architecture needs to be considerate of the inherent myths of a place, as well as suggest new stories which narrate themes of the present.
1st Coexist
ReplyDeleteFor architecture to be worthy of its name and culture it must coexist with its context. Consideration of context evokes respectful, considerate, honest, and harmony. An example of coexistences if Peter Zumthor’s Thermal Baths at Vals, Switzerland; the building understands and respects the place in which it inhabits and demonstrates it through its form and careful gestures to the landscape. The materials used to develop space weave the structure into the landscape. Coexist is a top priority for me in architecture because it brings harmony with place and culture.
2nd Functionality and Flexibility
There is nothing worst then a building that doesn’t meet the needs and demands of the user. A malfunction building leads to a short life span, waste of resources, time. Buildings with proper function deal with considerate circulation, and spatial experience. In today’s architecture, building are playing different roles, it’s not as before where buildings had one sole purpose. There is a great demand for multi functional buildings.
3rd Aesthetics
We as architects are known to make things pretty. A side from having a building that protects us from the natural environment, we need a place of which individually and culturally we are proud of. Michael Graves Portland building with the Portlandia sculpture is a building which has been view as unpleasant with the urban context. Some in Portland reject the building as being one of their own.
1.foundation
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason we do architecture because there is human need to create living spaces or spaces with specific functions. The act of producing architecture must then go back to the foundation. Before all we should be sure that we construct spaces that create solutions to our needs, once this has occurred the rest can occur on it’s own.
2.Context
. The object of design must be related to the surrounding environment it should not be peculiar in order to create harmony in its proportion and scale. Each architectural object must respond to a particular scenario, by doing this, the architecture becomes an interpreter of its environment.
3.Meaning
. Finally architecture should ultimately have meaning. It must be a whole that is associated with multiple parts, it should be capable of producing sensations that the observer can experience and convey a sense of existential logic that lasts through time.
Speaks to Site Context
ReplyDeleteWith every great work of Architecture the site with which the work is placed, plays the most important role in how the work transforms how people see the work of architecture. The way a building works within and around the site can either work with or against the buildings external forces.
New use of technology
The importance of new technology within a work of architecture has a profound impact on how people can interact and view the building processes. For example, the ability to advance the technical mechanical systems, building envelopes and material advancement can dramatically improve upon a work of architecture.
The Success of Program
Program even though it is my third choose is a very important to the success of an architectural work. The way in which the architecture is used and meant to me used can leave an everlasting impact on peoples opinion of the work. People easily recognize how a space is utilized and it potential to be another space. If the program does not work within the architecture the architecture becomes just a form.
Safe Shelter
ReplyDeleteSafe shelter is one of the most important aspects of architecture. First and foremost, humans need to trust that the space they inhabit is not going to hurt them. Some of the most obvious safety aspects like structural systems have been codified. Though, there are more subtle aspects such as pollution, toxicity and open electromagnetic loops that are ignored and cause allergies, hormonal imbalances, cancer, etc.
Lack of functionality could also cause harm once actions repeat over time. Dysfunctional buildings are also prone to cause “accidents”
Belonging
Architecture should not only be part of its environment, but an intimate interdependent collaborator with place, with its geology, flora, fauna, resources… With people’s trades craftsmanship and local industries.
Architecture most understand the collective memory of the place it intents to interact with. At a minimum, the built environment should enter into dialogue with people’s psique. Good architecture finds opportunities to facilitate healing and re-creation, resulting on the strengthening of that particular society sense of place, identity and cultural preservation
Beauty
Some of these are words that describe beauty in the Merriam -Webster’s dictionary:
“The quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit…”
…particularly graceful…
…excellent quality…
…brilliant, extreme, or egregious example or instance…
For now I’m going to say that beautiful architecture first doesn’t harm. It is functional, collaborative, not greedy, participatory, and contributes to a better understanding of the human condition.
Function
ReplyDeleteThe form created must address specific needs of user and work efficiently within those guidelines. Function can encompass many aspects of design, from daily occurrences to ephemeral qualities which may only have moments to be alive. Function also plays a role in how a building can live after its first intended use. How will the design be able to adapt to changes in program and purpose while accommodating subsequent users.
Context
How does the building respond to what has come before, what is there now and what will come later. Site specific placement, appropriateness of materiality with proper regards for vernacular languages, culture and environment. Contextual characteristics are significant to assimilate with a greater whole, in order to have the architecture of time match place.
Aesthetics
The beauty of object must speak in poetic durability of many contributing factors including but not limited to; site, geography time, context and materials. How does the built environment make a lasting impression on how you engage it. Engaging a place visually is but one way to absorb place. How do we conjure images from past and future to create what we know as real by experiences that are held today.
1. Richness – The architecture must be present on many levels. It should be thick with meaning, provide a sense of place, and reveal itself gradually over the course of the experience.
ReplyDelete2. Memorable – While the making of architecture is, at its most fundamental level, making a mark on the earth, the work must in turn make a mark on those that encounter it. It must be potent enough that we carry the experience with us long after we have left its physical presence behind.
3. Locality – Architecture must be distinct. It must exist in but one place and be indicative or reflective of that place. It cannot be airlifted into place but rather should grow out of its surroundings. It can exist in this form only here because it is here that gives it form.