Critical Regionalism
"Ever since the beginning of the Enlightenment, civilization has been primarily concerned with instrumental reason, while culture has addressed itself to the specifics of expression-to the realization of the being and the evolution of its collective psycho-social reality. Today civilization tends to be increasingly embroiled in a never-ending chain of " means and ends"
I don't have an issue with this "never-ending chain of means and ends". I look at this as progress. To me, every design should in one way or the other reflect the region it is in. If it is being designed with the particular site in mind then the sun, wind, and surrounding area should speak to the form / construction of the design. This to me is the same as means and ends. Means: design process and regional consideration to and End of a successful building. The typology of a region will be constantly changing as it goes. Following trends and technology. Holding onto a form / typology of the past is counterproductive. The challenge is implementing a new design that respects and compliments the past, with modern technology / typology. Taking note of what / why architecture of the past is successful in the region and learning from it.
Excellent description of "means and ends." I agree with you in that there is nothing inherently wrong with it, rather it is simply part of the design process. The quote seems to be overanalyzing what is a pretty straight-forward concept.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think if architecture doesn't have a strong base in where it is located and what came before it, than it will have a tendency to stick out in a bad way and not become a useful part of the city fabric.
ReplyDeleteI think the job of an architect is to acknowledge and respond to the context they are designing for while at the same time try to implement new technologies into the building for more sustainable efficient buildings.
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