Reading and Reacting
Critical Regionalism is a fascinating concept, but is so hard for me to grasp how to make it work in certain areas of the US. We have seen successful implementation of Critical Regionalism in several projects by Dan Harding. With the understanding of the mountainous areas and weather conditions of those in Montana, Dan is able to observe the conditions and respond in a way that works in harmony with the place. Some examples are of the way he uses the mountain stone to design foundation systems or how the building adjusts to the surrounding areas for snow or even golf courses near the site. We even see it in the way he uses natural ventilation and orientation of the building. Dan's projects makes critical regionalism look easy.
On the other hand, we can also see examples of those in European architecture like the Nadir Afonso Contemporary Art Museum by Siza where Siza combines contextual elements from the environment and surrounding architecture with contemporary design techniques to root the project in the place and satisfy what we know as Critical Regionalism. Specifically, Siza uses abstract forms that speaks the same language as the withering granite from the ornamentation of the neighboring buildings. The materials serve as an example to show the passage of time.
These examples fit the definition of what Critical Regionalism really is and make it seem so easy to achieve, but I still find it difficult to wrap my head around when it comes to "not so contextual or cultural" places around the US. Maybe this is just my lack of ability to interpret spaces or the lack of research on my behalf, but places like Atlanta where our project is now... it seems difficult to really implement critical regionalism. I want to be able to design effectively and with meaning to the place, but with the lack of environmental contextual elements and the rather uninteresting architecture surrounding it, how do we make critical regionalism work in this type of place?
Nicole, this is an interesting take on critical regionalism. I think Atlanta is a city that lacks critical regionalism as many consider it emblematic of neoliberalism.
ReplyDeleteThe city involves a reduction in government control in favor of capitalist markets, the privatization of public assets, and the surrender of national sovereignty to multinational corporations and financial capital, such as the almighty corporation of Coca-Cola, just to name a few.
Nicole, I agree! I also find it difficult to grasp what is Critical Regionalism in the United States. To me architecture in the United States is all about profit and return on investment and little about addressing the site. It is up to the architects to take into account the purpose of the building and how it will respond to the site. The small scale project that you pointed out from Dan Harding is a great example on how to design base on the six point of critical regionalism from class. Base on our study, Dan took into account a lot of issues within his designs.
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