Limits of Play
In the excerpt from The Structure of the Ordinary, Hrbraken notes that "there is no absolute distinction between those who create and those who use" (p.3 of PDF). While the role of the user and the ability to impress themselves on the built environment can be changed from project to project, this notion that use is equal to design is fascinating. Architecture is non-existent without inhabitants and the presence, or lack thereof, of people is what gives a space its identity. As much as a design can suggest what a space is for, the manner in which people see fit to use it is even more telling.
Whether we accept this notion is less important than understanding that we are a part of an everyday environment that has the ability to shape our impressions of the the world. This environment is in constant flux and while some changes are predictable or controlled there is nothing ordinary about them. One of us may design a high-rise in a big city, the other paint a wall in a home, but both possess the opportunity to be impactful in the eyes of their inhabitants.
Whether we accept this notion is less important than understanding that we are a part of an everyday environment that has the ability to shape our impressions of the the world. This environment is in constant flux and while some changes are predictable or controlled there is nothing ordinary about them. One of us may design a high-rise in a big city, the other paint a wall in a home, but both possess the opportunity to be impactful in the eyes of their inhabitants.
http://swankivy.com/pictures/calendar/apr08/04.19.08.jpg
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1593684/images/n-170813001-large570.jpg
Comments
Post a Comment