Regionalism at a Global Scale
Part of the discussion in classes this week
centered around the scale of critical regionalism and the location in which
some of the best examples of critical regionalism exist. Most of the architects
we discussed, Aalto, Siza, Scarpa, Murcutt, etc., lived, studied, and worked in
a specific location. They were able to know the area better then anybody
looking in from the outside. They knew the history, the local materials,
construction techniques, and the people. This knowledge provided them with the
framework to design in line with the idea of critical regionalism. But what
would thy design if they didn’t know the area as well? In the connected world
we live in today, how do you design with the idea of critical regionalism? Is
it possible to not know an area personally and still have a successful design?
Is it only possible with a lot of time and a big budget?
I think you're bringing up some good questions here. I often even wonder if many architects worry about being critically regional, and honestly I think it not only comes down to time and budget but the architects level of interest in the local culture.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there is no way architects can do good design if they know nothing about the place, culture or local life. So sometime I feel kind of ridiculous when some studio work on the site which is impossible to go to visit and with totally different cultural background.
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