Committee on Design

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  • 1.  RE: Measuring Design Excellence

    Posted 06-16-2011 08:22 AM

    Good morning;

    I've just read Mr. Farris' post and I think he has said it very well. The study of art, beyond pure esthetics, is the study of the culture and environment in which it was created. If the goal is to create buildings that communicate something about and to us, and to serve their owners, then studying successful communications that came before us is obviously very important. Otherwise, we spend our careers trying to re-create the wheel.

    With no intention of stepping on anyone's toes, it's worth noting that the modernist movement began by rejecting lots of stuff. Stuff like detailing in buildings, because detailing was associated with class. It rejected the notion of context, because that was un unwarranted restriction on personal creativity (i'm in favor of personal creativity, I just think that, if it really is personal, it should be done in private). And then there was the inconvenient individuality of the Owner- that had to go; because the coming industrial mass production could provide one of the same thing to each person, whether the needed it or not, but could not cheaply solve a single individual's unique needs (kitsch).

    I like a lot of modernist buildings. The movement produced some great sculpture (e.g., Barcelona Pavilion) and some wonderful detailing studies, (the urge is irrepressible, despite the dogma). But a huge number suffer from being intentionally disconnected or ignorant of who their users are or will be. 

    With apologies to Mr Farris if I have misunderstood his message, we're in a situation now in which building technology (referring to the forms you can and cannot build within their budgets, not what you build into them under the hood), is taking architecture further and further away from the individual owner/user. Fun as it may be to consider, what do I actually have to say to a 250' long amoeba? We may well pay for this folly over and over again into the future (Pruitt-Igoe). But one of the solutions is clear and simple: study art, architectural history and esthetics; treat them as important parts of our designing.

    Thanks,
    Ray Strang
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    Raymond Strang AIA
    Raymond Strang & Associates, AIA
    Stevensville MD
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  • 2.  RE:Measuring Design Excellence

    Posted 06-16-2011 09:02 AM


    I hate to belabor this since I think our positions are understood, but I have added a final sentence to clarify mine. Most of this is a repeat from my earlier post. The addition is underlined. As a further clarification, I prefer "warm and fuzzy"; but an idea must be connected to reality with more than emotion if it is to be understood by future generations. Inspiration is not knowledge, but it may lead there.

     

    I realized the error of my sentence, "The warm and fuzzy world of artistic opinion is a dead end" and amended it to read:

    "The warm and fuzzy world of artistic opinion may be a catalyst but it is not a solution."

    There are so many copies of "Measuring Design Excellence" on this site because I could not figure out how to edit the original sentence and made a mess in the attempt. The revision is more in line with Mr. Ferris' comment, but I think our opinions diverge because of emphasis. Mr. Ferris emphasizes the building as a singular accomplishment. I know the argument is that the public benefits from this accomplishment, but I believe that the public also benefits from the context this building contributes to the city. I mentioned that I believe the public lives in the city and survives in buildings. They benefit from both; but if I were trying to convince the public of architectural benefit and value, I would rather emphasize the places created than single out the building mass and pavement introduced to serve a special interest. This emphasizes intensity rather than context. The real public benefit will occur when the context and intensity of architecture shelters the activities of growing populations within a sustainable Built Domain that does not sacrifice their dignity and quality of life. Successful fine art will emphasize the decisions made but it is not a substitute for the decisions needed.

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    Walter Hosack
    Author
    Walter M. Hosack
    Dublin OH
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  • 3.  RE:Measuring Design Excellence

    Posted 06-20-2011 01:17 PM

    With all due respect to opinions posted here, I beg to differ on the some of the views regarding modernism and what it represented.  As someone who attended IIT in the 1980s and studied Mies and modernism extensively, it is not accurate to say that modernism moved away from detailing in buildings.  In fact modernism as originally conceptualized was all about it and depended on understanding materials and construction methods, value, cost, and availability with truth and openness as the goal. When there is less, detailing is crucial. This is no longer true in the last 20 years or so.  Architecture programs and offices have moved away from teaching and encouraging construction materials and methods, engineering studies, and more into graphics and computerization (even at IIT) and losing these skills have resulted in a downgrading of skills that have been detrimental to the profession.

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    Gisela Schmidt
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE:Measuring Design Excellence

    Posted 06-16-2011 09:46 PM
    Response to Raymond Strang, "in which building technology (referring to the forms you can and cannot build within their budgets, not what you build into them under the hood), is taking architecture further and further away from the individual owner/user".  How is building technology taking architecture away from the user?  And what is the point of the distinction between what is and is not "under the hood"?  These are questions, not challenges.

    Mike Mense FAIA