Holistic Design
The world is full of idiosyncratic moments; some we choose to enjoy, some we choose to ignore. Crawford describes Everyday Urbanism as organic space that naturally occurs within an urban environment. How can we allow for these moments to happen without over-programming them, without commodifying them? She states, “We believe that lived experience should be more important than physical form in defining the city.” (Crawford, 10)
In many ways a hospital functions as a city. The system must work holistically. However, each piece is like that of a machine that must function to its best ability in order for the whole system to work efficiently. But what happens when the pieces must change? A city must have room to change, just as a hospital must. As designers, we must remember to allow for the spontaneous, the organic, and the everyday happenings of the world which we are designing for.
Rendering for MetroHealth Cleveland campus. The hospital is taking a proactive role in developing the local community to support healthy living and a positive relationship with the city.
Just as hospitals, many office spaces and educational buildings function as a city. There is a need for adaptations and additions for which the design must always account for in order to be successful. How inhabitants use the spaces is totally up to them and this is what makes the organic nature of the non-programmed spaces so interesting.
ReplyDeleteI like to compare the idea of holistic design to music. Every instrument used in a song contributes to the overall composition. Even if there is an instrument used for only a moment such as crash cymbal, it makes the song that much better when it's produced properly.
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