"Critical regionalism is interested in specific elements from the region, those that have acted as agents of contract and community, place defining elements, and incorporated them 'strangely', rather than familiarly, it makes them appear strange, distant, difficult, even disturbing." - Tzonis & Lefaivre
When I first moved to Texas I saw too many buildings that looked familiar yet very different. Growing up in Mexico I knew we shared a lot of Spanish Architecture with Texas so I knew some stuff would be very similar. Yet, there were projects that definitely caught my eye while traveling around. These buildings weren't completely familiar, they were weird, difficult to understand, strange and sometimes distant but still "of the region" and to me, familiar.
The more and more I learned about Ted Flato and Critical Regionalism it all made sense. I do think they are one of the best examples of good critical regionalism that we can learn from. Personally, I am a fan of this style because I think that it does a good job of respecting the local culture while not trying to imitate it. It gives itself a place in the urban and architectural fabric but most of the time it is not too imposing.
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| Mission San Jose, San Antonio, TX |
Work in San Antonio, TX by Ted Flato
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| The Witte Museum |
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| Confluence Park |
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| Briscoe Western Art Museum |
Good topic. The architect should design something belong to the site. That means the building should only work on the site because you designed for the site. It is not a warehouse can be put in anywhere. That means the building is only a product that can be put in anywhere.
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