Don't judge a book (building) by its cover (facade)
As we discussed throughout the lectures this previous week, architecture (and architects) of our contemporary have more or less divided themselves into the two camps of ideologies - 1) façade as expression and 2) interior as experience. You would be hard pressed to find an architect who willingly decides to bridge between these sentiments.
After our class, I did find myself somewhat disappointed in thinking about how architects have been relegated to a specific point in the design and construction process. Previously in control of the whole project, it doesn't seem like we have much control anymore over anything but the aesthetic appearance of the building, and leave our consultants to play with the design and integration of the rest of the project.
I will say, I do see myself trending towards 1) more than 2) in a good portion of my projects that I have developed in the past. Most of my design effort will go into developing a façade system, such as a terracotta shading tile or some kind of polycarbonate skin. I feel like for a majority of people who are exposed to our projects and interact with them, a vasty majority will only ever see that exterior design work. I'd even go as far to say that in our indexes of projects, we mostly refer to the exteriors of the buildings to help identify them.
However, I think it is possible to stitch these two narratives together. Afterall, architecture is moreso the control of space than it is the assembly of an envelope. If we are able to control and integrate our exterior and facades into the overall building experience, then we also have the capability to do the same with our other building elements.
Hayden I agree with your response to the class. It is a little disappointing to think that architecture could be viewed or reduced to one element or aspect of a building such as a facade. This is where I tend to aire towards the views of phenomenology in architecture. You can not abandon any element in my opinion in order to truly create a sensational environment that causes one to experience the building physically through its varying aspects such as building materiality, color, and light.
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