Functional Honesty

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about how our style interests have changed since we were both in our first semester of Interior Architecture. I often lean towards very obviously “sustainable” buildings that clearly express some relationship with, or appreciation for, nature, but I didn’t always used to. Today my friend likes the same things I do and we send each other inspiration all the time, but just a few years ago we had vastly different tastes in design. Her change in taste could be for a variety of reasons, but mainly she changed her views on the environment, and that shifted her appreciation for more obviously earth-friendly buildings. 

This conversation popped into my head when thinking about building facades, sustainability, and politics because to me the expression of a goal through the facade is super useful and something I think we should embrace. It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out what the Zaera reading was really trying to say, but I think he was arguing that buildings should be more active participants in contributing towards a goal rather than just a representation of an idea. I think this is why my friend and I lean towards obviously green design. Concealing the functions of a structure doesn’t contribute to the advancement of an idea or movement. But using the envelope to express the contents is a really powerful way for architects to highlight their or the owner's values.