Regional and Urban Design Committee

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  • 1.  Can Placemaking and Architecture Create Wellness and Happiness?

    Posted 07-10-2023 10:51 AM

    Beyond Walls - Can Architecture Make Happy? 

    "The materials of architecture communicate through resonance and dissonance, just as instruments in musical composition, producing thought and sense-provoking qualities in the experience of a place." Steven Holl Architects.

    The power of architecture

    Architecture is about designing buildings. Is its an art, an applied science, or simply the craft of building? Design is a very vague term which doesn't make it easier to understand the desired outcomes or the process to achieve them. What is good design? Is beauty really in the eyes of the beholder as popular sentiment has it, or are there metrics to measure good design? 

    Blue Mosque, Istanbul (Photo: Philipsen)

    The quote from Bjarke Ingels (below) casts a wide net encompassing buildings and cities as well as the relation between the physical world and society and our lives. All these aspects will play a role in this article.

    "Architecture is the art and science of making sure that our cities and buildings actually fit with the way we want to live our lives: the process of manifesting our society into our physical world. - Bjarke Ingels

    Historically design was a local expression closely related to craft and materiality with beauty being derived from the appropriate use of available materials, cultural values, and power structures.  By comparison design today is no longer constrained by local materials, conventions, or traditions.  Industrial production makes building elements and styles available globally. This stylistic freedom, however, comes with many new constraints that are not rooted in esthetics, such as efficiency, cost effectiveness, code compliance, liability and now considerations of climate impact or resilience as well as societal issues of equity, access and social justice. The French philosopher Henri Lefevbre focuses on.... RED FULL ARTICLE HERE



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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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  • 2.  RE: Can Placemaking and Architecture Create Wellness and Happiness?

    Posted 07-12-2023 08:46 AM

    Good morning

     

    One should be careful how you phrase the question!

     

    A better question would be: What role does placemaking and architecture play in the Creation of Wellness and Happiness?

     

    I believe Wellness and Happiness comes from within. In my opinion Good Architecture plays a big part as a catalyst for us to experience the need to be happy and choose places accordingly to live work and play.

     

    Thank you for this, you made me pause!

     

    Werner Slabber, Senior Project Manager

    AIA, LEED® AP

    tinker ma                  

    (423) 243-2403 Mobile

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  • 3.  RE: Can Placemaking and Architecture Create Wellness and Happiness?

    Posted 07-12-2023 11:35 AM

    Thanks for your comment. The title of a piece has to be cathy but also not misleading. I agree that your version would be more accurate.

    As far as where happiness comes from, if you read the entire article, you can see that I went deep into the question of human perception of space and its relation to well being and eventually something like happiness.

    I know it is a long read but I felt that it wouldn't be a bad idea for architects to familiarize themselves with the philosophical and scientific background of how architecture and space is perceived. At least I had un when I researched it more while writing this. 



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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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  • 4.  RE: Can Placemaking and Architecture Create Wellness and Happiness?

    Posted 07-13-2023 08:16 PM
    Well said. It is often how we pose the question that creates points of attachment for further conversation with out limiting the focus of the discourse.
     
    Keep us thinking,
    JSD

    J S Dugger, AIA & Associates

    John S Dugger, AIA

    Principal Architect

    978-618-3391