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Architecture For Us
I love design in general and architecture in particular. Before going any further, however, I’d like to draw a distinction between architecture and construction. From my perspective most of the built world falls into the category of construction, and there is nothing wrong with that. Construction keeps me warm and dry. It gives me a place to work, study, and sleep. A place to eat and share with family and friends. It is very serviceable. But it does not touch my heart. My life is not elevated by being in and around it. Again, while there’s nothing wrong with that, I don’t consider it to be architecture. It is construction. Architecture, on the other hand, makes my life better in many ways. My work day is lightened because of the architecture I inhabit. Dining is better because of the architecture around me. On really good days the built world may lead me to moments of wonder and awe. I’ve long considered architecture to fall into one of three non-exclusive categories: entertaining, engaging, or transcendent. Entertaining architecture is playful. It lightens my spirit. It makes me happy. Engaging architecture grabs my mind. I want to study it, to figure out what makes it tick. Transcendent architecture speaks to my soul. It makes my life better and may actually change the way I live. Within a single built environment all three of these categories may be at play. |
How to distinguish these categories? Hmmm. I’ll talk about that more in the postings that follow, but depending on where you live I suggest that you first visit your most popular big-box store and consider its built environment. It is highly unlikely that you will find any of my three categories. Instead, you'll find a very serviceable piece of construction. Next visit the oldest nearby religious building. Though it is no guarantee, and certainly many modern religious buildings are no different from big-box stores, you may find something in the religious building that grabs you in a different way. (You need not be a religious person to observe these things.) Sitting quietly you may notice that people using the space seem to know how to use it. There is a shared quality to the way they move through and in the space. You may find yourself becoming engaged. Now notice how light falls through the windows. Is there something special about that light? Walk around a bit and consider how the floor feels underfoot. Does the floor creak, or are you possibly hearing your own footsteps? Does something feel “special”? If so you may be in the realm of architecture and possibly the transcendent.
I’ve walked through hotels where the character of the lighting and wall finishes has actually lifted my day. I’ve visited homes where I longed to just sit by the fireplace, read a book, and connect with something greater than me. I’ve been in retail stores where typically mundane shopping was elevated to a nearly spiritual level. I’ve washed my hands in restrooms where the design was such that the simple act made my day a little better.
I’ve lived long enough that I’m in no way surprised that many building developers are completely uninterested in the quality and character of the environments they produce. They are all about construction and the bottom line, and that’s just fine. No problem here. I’m saddened, however, by the many people I’ve met who feel like architecture is for someone else: the elite. Or some feel that architecture is “that goofy stuff with the strange materials and angles.” Whatever the reasoning, architecture is not for them. And then there’s the age old argument that architects and architecture are too expensive. An old friend in a position to make serious decisions about building design explained that his institution could never afford the types of buildings a quality architect would design.
I get these things: I understand. Some of the popular images of architects and architecture are genuinely grounded in reality. Some buildings have been notoriously expensive to build, almost impossible to maintain, failed to meet the heralded standards for sustainability they initially claimed, and seemingly are about the ego of the designer and/or serve as a type of click bait. But it need not be that way. There are many, many wonderfully good architects, interior designers, and landscape architects.
Does good architecture cost more? Well, yes and no. Consider home design. During initial design the decision to place a bedroom on the east or west side of a site is quite important, yet it has few if any cost implications. On the other hand, the decision to plant semi-mature shrubs or a tree outside a bedroom window will cost more than simply planting grass. More about this to come…
I’m making the argument for an “Architecture for Us:” an architecture that is truly for everyone. An architecture that entertains me, that engages me, and that on a good day may improve the quality of my life. An architecture that is affordable and where tradeoffs are clear. To make this argument I’m going to tell a series of short stories that invite readers to imagine - to picture a built world around them. Some of the stories offer considerations for new construction while other stories suggest simple things that most of us can do on our own.
Architecture is for everyone. All of us. We should insist on it. We should not settle for mere construction when real architecture is possible. We just need to sit back and look to our minds and our hearts.
On to the Stories...
I’ve walked through hotels where the character of the lighting and wall finishes has actually lifted my day. I’ve visited homes where I longed to just sit by the fireplace, read a book, and connect with something greater than me. I’ve been in retail stores where typically mundane shopping was elevated to a nearly spiritual level. I’ve washed my hands in restrooms where the design was such that the simple act made my day a little better.
I’ve lived long enough that I’m in no way surprised that many building developers are completely uninterested in the quality and character of the environments they produce. They are all about construction and the bottom line, and that’s just fine. No problem here. I’m saddened, however, by the many people I’ve met who feel like architecture is for someone else: the elite. Or some feel that architecture is “that goofy stuff with the strange materials and angles.” Whatever the reasoning, architecture is not for them. And then there’s the age old argument that architects and architecture are too expensive. An old friend in a position to make serious decisions about building design explained that his institution could never afford the types of buildings a quality architect would design.
I get these things: I understand. Some of the popular images of architects and architecture are genuinely grounded in reality. Some buildings have been notoriously expensive to build, almost impossible to maintain, failed to meet the heralded standards for sustainability they initially claimed, and seemingly are about the ego of the designer and/or serve as a type of click bait. But it need not be that way. There are many, many wonderfully good architects, interior designers, and landscape architects.
Does good architecture cost more? Well, yes and no. Consider home design. During initial design the decision to place a bedroom on the east or west side of a site is quite important, yet it has few if any cost implications. On the other hand, the decision to plant semi-mature shrubs or a tree outside a bedroom window will cost more than simply planting grass. More about this to come…
I’m making the argument for an “Architecture for Us:” an architecture that is truly for everyone. An architecture that entertains me, that engages me, and that on a good day may improve the quality of my life. An architecture that is affordable and where tradeoffs are clear. To make this argument I’m going to tell a series of short stories that invite readers to imagine - to picture a built world around them. Some of the stories offer considerations for new construction while other stories suggest simple things that most of us can do on our own.
Architecture is for everyone. All of us. We should insist on it. We should not settle for mere construction when real architecture is possible. We just need to sit back and look to our minds and our hearts.
On to the Stories...