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| Section of University of Lund (Sweden) superimposed over photograph |
Monday, August 30, 2010
Balance - Visual response
______ is architecture.
Architecture is the ordering of nature, the imposition of human intent upon the existing condition. Architecture is design. If design is the purposeful rearrangement of some thing, then architecture is the purposeful rearrangement of space. Architecture does not exist intent, purpose, meaning. Without these things, architecture is merely a building. Like each of these adjectives, architecture can be good or bad, depending upon the preference of the implementing person. Architecture should be willful but informed.
We have design buildings to be constructed the same way for hundreds of years. Materials vary slightly and increase efficiency of energy, but the construction process itself has undergone minimal change to accommodate the lofty aspirations of the architect. Buildings are still constructed as if in a temporal vacuum, assuming that the building will not need to change, or, if it does, it will be so far down the road that by then it will be someone else's problem. Changing a building is vastly expensive and simple upkeep requires a dependable income. Architecture is a conflict of will and information. Good architecture is informed by its context. Good architects use context to inform their vision.
We design buildings that inherently resist change. The overwhelming quantity of steps and amount of material that must be completely destroyed in order to alter a building is a staggering insult to the technological capabilities of our generation. Our lives change faster now than they ever have, and yet we have not built this flexibility into our architecture. We as architects have the power to change the status quo by designing buildings that adapt to the user's needs more quickly and efficiently, rather than requiring the user to change their habits to adapt to the building.
Architecture can encourage progress, change and ambition if it can quickly adapt to the needs of its users.
We have design buildings to be constructed the same way for hundreds of years. Materials vary slightly and increase efficiency of energy, but the construction process itself has undergone minimal change to accommodate the lofty aspirations of the architect. Buildings are still constructed as if in a temporal vacuum, assuming that the building will not need to change, or, if it does, it will be so far down the road that by then it will be someone else's problem. Changing a building is vastly expensive and simple upkeep requires a dependable income. Architecture is a conflict of will and information. Good architecture is informed by its context. Good architects use context to inform their vision.
We design buildings that inherently resist change. The overwhelming quantity of steps and amount of material that must be completely destroyed in order to alter a building is a staggering insult to the technological capabilities of our generation. Our lives change faster now than they ever have, and yet we have not built this flexibility into our architecture. We as architects have the power to change the status quo by designing buildings that adapt to the user's needs more quickly and efficiently, rather than requiring the user to change their habits to adapt to the building.
Architecture can encourage progress, change and ambition if it can quickly adapt to the needs of its users.
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