Beauty Among Complexity
So much of envelope design is about solving the many problems that it faces such as water, light, heat and wind. Each of these all need to be managed in effective and sensible ways, but Zaera proposed that it is even a place that engages in the economic, social, and psychological. This reading brought to mind a quote by Buckminster Fuller:
“When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful I know that it is wrong.”
How do we address all these complex problems while still maintaining a sense of beauty?
We’re at the point in our profession where we have access to some incredible technologies to aid in the design and construction process, solar studies, wind analysis, radiation potential, all of these are incredible tools that I believe are essential, but we cannot let the tools design for us. As architects its our duty to strive for a sense of beauty. Peter Zumthor talks about spaces that stir something in the user, an awe-inspired feeling that he likens to hearing a beautiful piece of music, while this is a subjective feeling each of us know exactly what he means. It is this subjectivity that shows there can never be a tool to replace designing that feeling, and underscores our responsibility as designers.
Jared, I feel that we are not cent percent dependent on these tools, but they can be something which can guide us in giving estimations of solar studies, wind analysis, etc. in a short period of time which otherwise would take may take longer time period. But that doesn't mean that these tool are designing for us. It is upon us either we choose to stop what the tools are suggesting or explore beyond!
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