The best relationship is: architects and occupancies achieve each other
What's your first impression when you see a Pulitzer Prize winner's design like this?
My first reaction is, "what? Are you kidding? Most students who have studied architecture can design something like this, even better. "But when I carefully learned the design background, the occupancy, and other contexts, I laughed at myself. It all happened when the Pritzker Prize winners were announced last year.
Before After
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal had designed some social housing. Still, they are the most successful architects who have created high-quality living spaces for this user group under limited funds and time constraints. Instead of directly demolishing their dimly-lit homes, they opted to use the funds from the demolition and rebuilding to provide them with a higher quality of life. And use cheap materials to create comfortable spaces. Even living in social housing, these people can enjoy bright rooms, balconies, gardens, etc.
If you asked: Who do they design for?
The answer must be occupancies.
Xin, I really appreciate your analysis and gut reaction to the Lacaton & Vassal photos. To me this shift is exciting and attainable for us to learn from in our eventual practices. The firm approaches design challenges with priorities that are unfortunately uncommon. We as designers should challenge to make small-scale (financially, environmentally, socially) interventions that carry immense positive impacts on the lives of the users.
ReplyDeleteXin, I like how you analyze this project. I think moving forward in architecture, there would be more adaptive re-used projects like this rather than having the luxury of complete new build. Sometimes I feel like it is hard for me to look at an existing building and imagine it differently. But it would be an essential skill to have given our current stage. Just looking at this housing structure, by adding something as simple as a screened in porch made all the different. It is an incredible precedent to study from.
ReplyDeleteI find it so interesting that your initial reaction was tied to your understanding of form. Our school canons have pushed us towards complexity upon initial impressions instead of focusing on occupant-centered strategies and design. The beauty of this story is that the design intervention focused on the users; simple strategies, simple materials, transformative results.
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