Watching this video is optional but very cool....
Here it is, my second Architect Denied article, trying
to improve architecture and people’s understanding of it. So, how exciting to
read about what you already may know, amazing stuff but yes that is exactly
what I’m going to talk about, the obvious. For those who know it all this is
the time to stop reading, for the rest of you please continue to read about the
astounding and obvious facts I am about to reveal.
So to start our exploration of architecture I think
it is important to know what architecture is. Curiously, this will explain why
you live in the house you live in, so even if you are not an architect or care
not to know about architecture, what the hell, keep reading. As I mentioned in
my first article, I answer the question with my “first fundamental law of
architecture”. It all starts here or right after here, drum roll please; we all
need shelter –fact!!! All humans need shelter to exist –don’t believe me? I
know right now you are trying to think of examples where this is not true but
go ahead keep thinking, I would love to know what human lives exposed to the
elements and survives for very long. So this is fascinating isn’t it? We all
need shelter! Shelter is good a basic necessity that keeps us alive safe and
comfortable through our journey in life. We associate only good things with
shelter because it’s there to help us.
But is shelter architecture? A big resounding NO! is in order-I know some of you are
at this very moment looking for examples where this is not true. A cave is
shelter, a cardboard box is shelter for some, a sleeping bag is shelter for
some (please don’t tell me you think a sleeping bag is considered architecture,
that is a bit embarrassing) a stone out cropping makes for a cozy roof over
your head but not architecture, shelter.
So where does architecture begin? This is so
exciting, architecture begins when we take what is shelter and develop it
beyond the mere function of shelter. Does this make any sense, because that’s
it! No you say? Example please, let me think here, ok, so we have a makeshift
lean-to crudely built structure say from found logs, built solely to keep the rain off your head and the
warmth of the fire in but hey I am thinking I need to add a window because I
need some light and ventilation and maybe a chimney to get the smoke out of
here maybe a door would help and a
flower box to jazz up the place.-viola you just made architecture (but not an
architect –funny isn’t it?). Damn it, I didn’t say it was great architecture.
It’s very, very crude architecture but non-the-less a form of it. Settle down!
Go get your blood pressure medication, breathe deeply, or go meditate come back
and read the rest of this. This I will admit is a bad example but serves to
make my point. For one it raises heated debates as to what constitutes architecture
but it’s really not that complicated. You may disagree (note, I’m directing
this at my esteemed colleagues) however my very astute observation does begin
to answer a very complex question we all ask ourselves, or at least I ask
myself: why in the hell do people choose to live in crappy homes, cookie cutter
neighborhoods, sprawl etc.?
Here is my answer to that question. We all need
shelter to survive as I have mentioned above but not architecture. Shelter is
needed, welcomed and liked even loved, architecture is and is not. I believe if
I made a graph which I won’t, or rated the structures we find in our built
environment with shelter rating as “zero” architecture and the Empire State
Building rated as the best as architecture gets say a “5” then it should be no
surprise that the landscape is littered with one’s and two’s which don’t rate
too high as great architecture. So why should you not be surprised by the preponderance
of 1’s and 2’s found throughout the world? Simple, shelter is needed and liked
even loved I say a second time. Give someone a home lacking in creativity,
built of sub-standard materials qualify it as low grade architecture but it is
home (a step up from shelter) to someone, (violins please) and home is where
the heart is, ah. So don’t be surprised
that people live in cookie cutter neighborhoods with model home repeated over
and over again even when they have the money to do better. It’s not odd to me
that people don’t mind their home is identical in design and color to their
neighbor a few doors down. (more embarrassed are we when we go to an event or to
work and you find your friend is wearing the same outfit down to the exact
color, AWKWARD, but when it comes to the homes we buy (some say the most
expensive purchase of our lives) we have no such qualms. How do we fix this problem? Well don’t deny
the architect to plan-I know of no architect who desires to develop cookie
cutter neighborhoods from a purely architectural point of view. Oh is that
simple? Of course not other simple little factors such as, education,
awareness, economics, geography, culture, politics play a part in the built
world. Read my next 500 articles to learn how we fix the problem. Or just read
Architect Denied for semi-witty reportage.
No comments:
Post a Comment