Stop dreaming
The building envelope is the most direct way in which a building
communicates with its context and site. And, up until this point, it is the
element of the building that has been left completely for architects to
develop. The façade is also where we have the most free-reign and ability to
impact the surrounding environment. Why should we continue to fight a system in
which there are other experts that control and design the interior space of
buildings? Can’t we just be happy with what we have, the building envelope (which is already a massive responsibility)?
When asked in class if people thought we should be give up on
trying to influence the interior spaces of a building and focus on the façade,
most people threw out some bullshit Utopian situation in which they want to be the
master architect, chief of all elements of the building, including the interior
space. They want to be some giver-of-design believing that because we are architects
we are masters of everything built (in the words of Donald Trump...WRONG) What an incredibly inefficient way to influence
and build upon the profession.
In today’s practice, we allow (even though there isn’t much choice
involved) for the interior space to be a functioning program prescribed by a
client or end user. This is not bad. Why should we fight for a cause that
will inevitably have little to no impact on the bigger picture? If you spend
your entire career trying to prove that architects can design and master interior
spaces you may shift the scale ever so slightly, but the effect would be so
insignificant that it would not change the way we practice. The way in which
buildings are designed is moving in a certain direction, and you’d be wasting
your career to believe you can fight against a system and make change. Let's allow others to layout and design interior spaces. It's hard to believe, but there are actually people out there that know more about it that we do.
However, we have been able to hold onto the most important part of
the building, the envelope, "it assembles the building’s interior, which it protects, and the external public realm with which it communicates. The surface of the building has a kind of double
existence intervening in two disparate worlds: the private inside and public outside."(Zaera Polo). Just imagine if we were able to focus on buildings' facades, the element that connects your beloved interior space with the world
that happens on the other side, we would be able to advance and develop new
ideas and methods at a much faster pace and prove that we truly are the masters of this realm.
Stop trying to be an architectural god, stop dreaming, it’s never going to happen because you're trying for too much control. Let’s focus on the façade and actually put our
energy into something in which we can influence.
Al Bahar Towers (Aedas Archtiects)
Facade design from ARCH 8510
James Gill is sounding like Tomi Lahren these days. Just as we were all leaning too far left for you in our debate in class, your post and thoughts seem to be too far right. That's the problem we see today, people cannot find a middle ground. I don't think we want to be Gods and the master architect, rather just the mediator and be in the middle of all parties. That doesn't mean we are trying to be in control of everything, rather just be aware of the disciplines. Your acceptance to so easily give up is what leads to greater compartmentalization. Before you know it, your precious facade will be gone too and then you'll have something new to bitch at all of us snowflakes about.
ReplyDeleteMediators are middle men that push paper. They slow down the process and make for an inefficient system. If you want to be a mediator so that it makes you feel like your accomplishing something, that's great. However, i still stick to what i said, if you want to have a steak in the profession going forward, the facade is where it's at bro.
DeleteSometimes we have to throw out "far right ideas" (or far left ideas for that matter) just so we can think in a different way. If we constantly live in the middle ground, then we will still manage to find left and right views, but just at a different scale.
Lastly, my post isn't bitching about the way the profession is going, it's accepting whats happening and finding the positive in what we can actually influence. If anything, it was bitching and all the people bitching about your precious interior spaces. If you want to mediate the people that know more about what they need.want than you, g for it, but you'll still be wasting your time.