Modern Architecture - Domestic and Functional

 In consideration of Tactics and Strategies discussed in Everyday Urbanism by Margaret Crawford, Michel De Certeau and Henri Lefebre argue that there are essentially two conditions of everyday life, temporal (Tactics) and spacial (Strategies). 

As architects, we are grounded into the world of space and how it can be managed. On the extreme side of the spectrum, much of the influential architecture of the last 100+ years has been curated by spacial understanding above all else, often unrelated to the human condition and typically at a cost to it. However, in school and higher-level studio courses, we're taught to avoid this, that space must be created in consideration of the user experience. Ultimately, we should understand architecture as human-occupied spaces rather than the user being incidental to the composition. For the most part, this is where an undergraduate degree might end its teachings, ultimately considering Strategy by Michel and Henri's definition as an end all, or at least, good enough. 

However Tactics take our understanding a step further and also require more study. Tactics rely on moments of opportunity, causal relationships between space and routine that are not filled to the brim with the formalized program and therefore provide the world with excess. This excess can be seen most tangibly when space has been created, and maybe least in practices occurring where they were never intended. This requires increased investment in investigatory techniques and time while perhaps not being applicable to every project.

In consideration of economic and environmental concerns that seem to be at the forefront of our time and place in the built environment, perhaps finding opportunities to capitalize on waste as it relates to practice in Tactics is taking our privileged role a step further. It seems to tie back towards ideas of vernacular architecture as now it has become a necessity to find opportunities to waste less. Therefore maybe architecture in the modern-day should translate back to its execution and impact being based on absolute needs of a society even if they are less readily apparent.