Design Tight Rope Walkers

       There is a balancing act that comes with almost all facets of the life of a designer. Balancing the aesthetic with cost, the functionality with the surrounding context, the client’s opinions with that of your own, etc. are all good examples. These balancing acts can be handled in a variety of ways, with compromise, or with the decision to go in one direction at the cost of the opposition. We could sacrifice beauty for budget, iconicity for blending into the fabric, and even our own dignity for the sake of happy clients. These obviously aren’t ideal solutions. Something else we experience as designers is the balance between the envelope and the interior. 

        Often, we are faced with this decision of focusing our energy on the inside or the outside of the building. Modernity tells us to focus on the outside and the interior will follow, but tradition tells us the exact opposite. In class, the example of old gothic cathedrals was brought up. I found this to be the perfect instance to show just exactly how the design process of traditional architects flowed from inside to out. In fact, the reason they are called “gothic” comes from an Italian writer Giorgio Vasari who used the term as a slander against the way they were designed in opposition to the beautiful and carefully crafted facades of the Romanesque style. 

        We all know just how breathtaking these buildings are inside though, and thus, even at the sake of the exterior experience, it was worth it for the architects to focus on that experience. Particularly with sacred spaces, this balance can be challenging. With any building however, you want the exterior to be a reflection of the internal experience as a way to invite the user in. At the end of the day though it is really that interior experience that is the most important, as that is what the occupant really experiences in an intimate way. How many times have we all walked into a building that looked "cool" only to be disappointed by what we experienced inside? Wouldn’t you rather be surprised by the beauty that a moderately attractive building contains?