Critical Regionalism: The Tactile

 "The tactile resilience of the place-form and the capacity of the body to read the environment in terms other than those of sight alone suggest a potential strategy for resisting the dominations of universal technology. It is symptomatic of the priority given to sight that we find it necessary to remind ourselves that the tactile is an important dimension in the perception of built Form."

-Kenneth Frampton

This quote taken from Frampton got me thinking a little deeper about critical regionalism and what that means in design. According to Frampton architects should analyze the local character of a place and then work to reinterpret it in a new light. In other words, to recreate this character with contemporary terms, rather than simply adapting the existing or past traditions exactly. Frampton believes that architecture should not be captured by technology and history.

My understanding of critical regionalism is architecture to look to and derive new meaning from what exists in a place, but to reimagine an architecture that feels relevant in a sense… so not far off from what Frampton is suggesting. I liked this quote because it kind of makes you think in a different way about how someone experiences architecture…aka not from sight alone which I thought was an interesting point. According to Frampton, both visual the other senses’ experiences should take a part while designing. He says that the cooperation between all senses makes architecture deeper and more unique in the end. This concept supports the usage of all materials which target all senses and that will allow variable emotional reactions. I feel like this is extremely relevant and makes me want to look at my studio project and see if I am engaging more than just sight in my building.