To build or not to build? That is the question
At the beginning of almost all of my studio projects I've done I almost always kinda joke that the best design for the site is no building just leave it alone or make it greenspace. However I never would've though that architects have actually done this. I'd never heard of Lacaton & Vassal before and their project in Bordeaux, France so when David brought them up it immediately peaked my interest to look into them further. In 1996 the Bordeaux City Council wanted to embellish a square in the city, however when they first visited they were drawn to its authentic beauty and how the locals used the space well and spoke to them. After seeing that the space had its own unpolished beauty to it they decided that nothing more was needed other than some simple maintenance to the space. This immediately gained my respect for them, they could have proposed whatever wild modern architecture piece in hope of creating something beautiful and to put into their portfolio. However they recognized the beauty of it and did not give into the potential money of a project or freedom to design whatever they wanted. I think this project is important to keep in mind for future designers and hopefully it could even lend to more adaptive reuse project if a space couldn't be left alone at least it could be preserved if there was something special to it.
Yes! I was completely thrown by this project too and loved it. Imagine if this occurred as often as it should. Sometimes the sites and locations we are given in projects are just so unrealistic that it’s just as difficult to convince yourself to put a building there as it is to convince the reviewers that it’s a good idea. Gary, Indiana? I mean come on.
ReplyDeleteI think this is highly respectable and something we should be doing more often. As a profession who advocates for green design, we should see that not everything needs to be “built” or redesigned including the landscape. We should strive for a circular economy where buildings can be reused or repurposed, but people constantly want something new and futuristic. I think people forget that the majority of our future cities could already exist if we were to just reimagine the built environment that is already there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing it out again, Rachael. It's a gift that the profession of architecture has. To do is not to do. Exercising that gift is often a difficulty. Suppose the architect can convince the developer that nothing needs to be done in such cases - all good. If the architect fails to convince, they must cave into the developer's idea, or someone will always design it for them.
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