Make Architecture Coooooool Again !!!
This week reading "Sustainable Suburbs" has me thinking about the realm of design and the many and countless opportunities that come with being able to retrofit or in other words, "rethink architecture."
Hmm, let's see, there was that quote that said, "Consequently, the most effective redevelopment will be those that retrofit the streets, blocks, and lots, to provide a compact, connected, walkable mix of uses and housing types. Unfortunately, projects at this scale often evoke criticism as "instant cities" or "faux urbanism." In my opinion and experience, incremental change to a building or a street is a catalyst and an opportunity for designers to not just rethink architecture, but the purpose of spaces and how they can be used effectively to promote social and economic wellness of a city, village, or neighborhood.
Taking the example of Portland and its many food trucks, one would say, this has nothing to do with architecture, but it does. Urban planning of course is one thing and architecture is another, but with the current social trends and the mix between design disciplines (architecture+landscape+interior design+fabrication), it is obvious that the architect is kind of the one whose effort can't always be recognized when it comes to retrofiting spaces. I say this because looking at food trucks by example, we can see how some of them are factory made while other are self-built with salvaged, cheap and sustainable materials. Some food trucks call for criticism instead of support and understanding. I think humans have different needs and each one of us has their own perspective about something and then again, how do we implement great retrofiting projects into the urban fabric. Here is my answer, let's make architecture cool again.
I believe that as architects, the things we might enjoy the most out of the office and after spending almost 8 hours stuck on a chair and laptop, questioning Revit and just looking at black and white lines no stop, are getting out and drinking beer, or again just getting some vitamin D while enjoying great food and silly conversations with our friends or people we just meet. That is so cool right, but why don't we create an architecture that promote those things we want to do not just after work but during and even before (Not to say you got to get a beer in the morning, no! go get some coffee instead).
One would ask, "and where is the architecture in all this?" I would say that from making a food cart to crafting the most impressive and comfortable wood bench and wood frame dining pavilion, there is architecture in that, and maybe it is not big but it has a purpose that is not purely aesthetic in nature but green, creative, and useful to the mass (design doesn't need to be big, small details matter and I am pretty sure that building a food truck has its own challenge, lets not get into the environmental stuff, "Blouin here to help!!!")
It is obvious that designers can contribute in making an architecture that is not just big convoluted spaces with beautiful walls and nice facades (that sucks sometimes), but things that are useful, things that allow us to actually live and enjoy life in the best possible ways. Again, the purpose of retrofitting is to help us rethink what actually is cool and enjoyable rather than beautiful and useless. I believe in the power of creating incremental design and include it in the overall fabric of a cityscape rather than create a building that will just be used from 9 to 5.
Urbanism will keep evolving due to many factors such as migration and advancements in technologies and human needs, etc. Architects can draw floor plans and structures and they can spend some of that energy by thinking out of the bubble they are stuck in, get outta here and build a food truck or whatever they might call it, and just make sure that it is cool enough for humans to enjoy and share some laughter.
Spending a day in Chi-town and walking by the city, it was interesting to see how they retrofitted some restaurants and made cool and beautiful greenhouses for people to come in and socialize during the pandemic. Again, in no way is it the perfect model, but what I am getting at is that we can use architecture in the spaces that are in-between to replenish our streetscapes and increase user experience because to me, that is where catalyst change can happen, R E T R O F I T.
Retrofitting I believe is A GREAT altough not the best way to Make architecture coooooool again and spread good vibes around. But hey, don't just make whatever you want, but design something that is well crafted, beautiful, and sustainable.
..........You made it thru my post, now get outta here and go build some cool stuff.......
Let's design buildings that people want to be around, that create a sense of street - that is part of what we can do.
ReplyDeleteI agree and thats the whole point. For humans beings.
DeleteI totally agree. Architecture is so much more than buildings -- it's about the way we experience the built environment. It's what makes cities special, not just that they're full of great buildings but that full of nodes that just work because they're some perfect combination of a tree and building and a bench and a tiny greenhouse or a bucky ball full of outdoor diners and the windowbox that one person has done up just right. It's stuff that's hard to orchestrate but is magic when it comes together, and the more cool stuff that's around the more likely is is to happen.
ReplyDeleteYou said it right.
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