ORDINARY USAGE
Modern architecture strove to find a solution to a common style of architecture. One that can be utilized across the globe and be used by all. The prime example is Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye. The popular modern architecture example is hailed as the "internationalist masterpiece" with its ability to translate Corb's 5 Points of Architecture in a systematic way that can be replicated. John Habraken's "Questions that won't Go Away" creates interesting points that this architecture was made to move past local connections. However, it may have provided a way for people to express themselves as an individual that is separate from the overall society and create a house that is completely their own. This idea is found in Alejandro Alavera's social housing project. It provided people with a blank slate to customize their own environment through a replicated design in the complex. The question remains: should the everyday home be one that is unique to a person or part of the larger social fabric of the community?
I see your point, but I also feel as though if we dove deeper into the project we might find that this question is answered by more minute details.
ReplyDeleteI think the answer to that question is Yes. People want to be able to make the spaces they use their own, especially where they live and spend a large amount of their time. Many people also have a desire for community. I think both can be achieved in projects like the one you mentioned, though perhaps the model still has room for refinement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Austin. A home should be able to feel personal, but also have a sense of belonging in its context. I feel like one example of this that has worked fairly well is German apartments. None of the spaces are made for anything specific, including the kitchen. The apartment is given to the residents, and the residents can organize the layout in any way they please.
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