01

THE FRESHMANS
GUIDE TO
ARCHITECTURE
THE FRESHMANS GUIDE TO ARCHITECTURE
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CONCEPT PG.6
CONTEXT PG.114
PARTI PG.48
DIAGRAM PG.82
STUDENTS INTRODUCTION PG.03
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STUDENTS INTRODUCTION
This is the forum that started it all. . . We were
wowed at the indiscriminant stupidity of the design
community as a whole. I mean, . . .having a
guide to something could mean having someone
or something who has experienced it before and
will lead the way,. . ., what third-rate architecture
school did they go to? That is clearly precedent.
Though some of the commentators were doing
their best to rectify the misunderstanding, none of
us felt anymore comfortable letting freshmen at
our university struggle to interpret the contorted
gob of information being thrown at them which
supposedly describes concept, parti, diagram, and
context. To the upcoming freshmen of architecture
schools everywhere, here is your guide to good
architecture.
-Disgruntled Architecture Students of LaTech
DIRECTIONS TO READ BY:
I ALSO FEEL THE HUGE NEED TO WARN
WHOMEVER IS ABOUT TO READ THIS. THIS
IS NOT A REGULAR BOOK AND SHOULD NOT
BE READ A SUCH. THE NOTECARD SECTIONS
OF EACH BOOK WERE UNCENSORED AND
UNEDITED (EXCEPTING THE OCCASIONAL
RESIZING). WHICH I FEEL ADDS A REALITY
TO THE BOOK ITSELF. THE NOTECARDS FOR
EACH SECTION ARE ARRANGED SO THAT THE
FIRST FEW YOU READ ARE FROM SECOND
YEAR AND ASCEND IN CLASSIFICATION UNTIL
THEY ROUND OUT WITH THE GRADUATE
STUDENTS. TAKE EACH ONE WITH A
GRAIN OF SALT, I DONT TAKE EVERYTHING
SAID IN THESE SECTIONS AS ABSOLUTE
TRUTH. THESE THINGS ARE QUITE OPEN TO
INTERPRETATION AS YOU WILL FIND OUT.
FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS, BUT MAKE THEM
INFORMED OPINIONS. . .
ALSO, THE NOTECARDS ARE PRINTED SO
THAT YOU, THE READER, COULD RECREATE
THEM BY CUTTING THEM OUT WITH A HANDY
PAIR OF SCISSORS. IN RETROSPECT, THAT
WAS NOT REALLY A GREAT IDEA, HOWEVER
IF YOU WANT TO CUT UP THIS FAIRLY PRICEY
BOOK, FEEL FREE TO. IN FACT HAVE FUN.
NO SERIOUSLY, NOW THAT IVE MENTIONED
IT TO THE EDITORS WE MIGHT CHANGE THE
NAME TO CUT THIS BOOK UP.
BUT I DIGRESS, THE SIMPLEST WAY TO
EXPLAIN HOW TO READ THE NOTECARD
SECTION IS EXPLAINED IN THE DIAGRAM ON
THE FOLLOWING PAGE.
-EDWARD LAMB
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CONCEPT
INTRO PG.08
NOTECARDS PG.09
CONCLUSION PG.27
PRO EXAMPLES PG.28
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Concept
[kon-sept]
-noun
1. a cognitive unit of
meaning -an abstract
idea or mental symbol
sometimes defined as a
"unit of knowledge,"
built from other units
which act as a concept's
characteristics.
WILLOUGHBYS
INTRODUCTION to concept
If a concept serves as the essence of a design where
all the parts serve that essence, then nothing in the
composition should appear accidental. A design
where the removal of any element would disturb
its overall composition works when all parts serve
a coherent and appropriate intent. Thus a concept
is essentially an abstract image, a thing (reasoned
or imagined) that draws forth coherence and order
where none existed before; it is a realization we
have (sometimes visual, sometimes verbal; usually
both) about inseparable characteristics in a design.
(adapted from my 1999 paper On Parti)
A design usually begins with an inspiration, a
moment where thoughts and feelings converge
upon a specic problem. As we become inspired,
a concept about the problem at hand usually
takes shape (I believe it will inevitably if a person
is creative). Concepts can be visual and ideal
either way, a concept should serve to inspire the
representational act of design. Our inspirations must
coalesce into simple concepts about a more complex
problem. Determining a concept is part of the initial
phase of developing a solution to a design problem.
Inspiration is never immediateit is continuous. A
concept is an unfolding of possibilitiesa mental
conversation about what is a good, coherent, and
appropriate solution. A concept crystallizes from our
critical thinking when considering the contextual data
associated with the problem at hand: program, site,
a clients aspirations, and a world of other concrete
and abstract considerations. A good designer
mistrusts their rst inspiration and pursues the
problem further, exploring the full extent of whats
possible before narrowing in on a single concept.
A concept is an initial synthesis of various elements
of a design. A concept sets forth a comprehensive
approach for further design development, leading to
something real. In some ways, a concept is the not
yet materialized essence to a design circumstance.
A concept is a way by which we as designers
draw order to the diverse decisions that must be
made throughout the course of design. A concept
is a coherent statement that coalesces the varied
impressions we feel about a particular building
program into one idea. Establishing a concept
is the initial step for expressing an idea through
architectureand to be a work of architecture, it
must be expressive.
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YOU JUST CANT COUNT ON THE HARD WORK
OF SOME PEOPLE CAN YOU?
FILLING OUT ONE SIDE OF THE CARD AND NOT
THE OTHER, HOW DARE THEY?!?
THEYRE LUCKY THESE NOTECARDS ARE
ANONYMOUS.
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STUDENTS
CONCLUSION to concept cards
There seems to be a general misunderstanding of
concept present in todays architecture students.
Some seem to think that since a concept is purely
verbal, they can ignore it. Sometime concepts are
put off until the end of projects and then the student
ends up with a project riddled with ambiguity. This
is not desirable. It is a feeling that Ive though out,
that the best buildings are the ones that you can
sink your teeth into. Anyone can go into rhino or
cad with the intent of creating a trendy building or
a sexy form, but at the end of the day your mind
starts to wonder: What am I leaving the viewer or
occupant with? If it is just a nice visual then you
can dive head-rst into the sea of anonymity that
is the Architectural world of today. People always
enjoy the thought of a building just as much as (if
not more than) the visual aspect of it. They like
having something to let thier minds run loose on
at the end of the night. One student when lling
out the notecard that the concept, an. . . idea that
dictates the essential form of the building. I agree
very little with this statement. It seems that the
most shallow buildings arise out of a embedded and
narrow-minded concern for what the thing looks
like. I recall a great architect and speaker saying
something like, In the beginning I make a concept
and all design is informed by it. I pay no attention
to how it looks, but only to how it functions and how
its functions tie back to the concept. When I nally
nish, then I look at the building. If it is ugly, it is
wrong. The architect should not pay attention to the
form as a thing unto itself. Only if it is an avenue
to explore the concept in a metephorical sense can
it be deemed as a worthy point of focus. I feel the
need to point out that all of these words and ideas
(concept, context, parti, and diagram) are hard to
dene without talking about the others. This one
seems to be inuenced by the context and informs
the diagram. It goes hand in hand, however, with the
parti. The parti is simply the visual representation
of the concept with attention to other ideas melded
in. So while it represents the concept, it is not the
concept. It is a concept in a diluded form.
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THE VW FACTORY IN DRESDEN BY GUNTER HENN
EMPLOYS AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT WHICH IS TO SAY IT
IS NOT EVIDENT BY LOOKING AT THE BUILDING BUT IS
EMBEDDED IN HOW IT IS UTILIZED. THE CONCEPT FOR
THIS BUILDING IS THE CAR AS ART AND THE BUIILDER
AS ARCHITECT. FOR THIS REASON THE ARCHITECT
CHOSE SLIDING HARDWOOD FLOORS, FLOOR TO
CEILING GLASS WINDOWS, AND USED LARGE GYRATING
MACHINES TO ALLOW THE ARTISTS TO ACCESS THE
CAR FROM ANY ANGLE. THE OWNERS OF THE CAR-TO-
BE WALK THROUGH THE FACTORY AND CUSOMIZE IT.
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LHEMISFRIC, THE DISTINCTIVE EYE-SHAPED
CONSTRUCTION DESIGNED BY SANTIAGO CALATRAVA,
WAS THE FIRST ELEMENT TO BE OPENED TO THE
PUBLIC IN THE CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, IN
APRIL 1998. THE BUILDINGS UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE
COMES ALIVE AS THE LIDS OF THE COLOSSAL EYE OF
KNOWLEDGE OPENS UP TO REVEAL THE FASCINATING
SETTING. THIS REPRESENTS A FORMAL CONCEPT
WHICH IS TO SAY, IT UNDOUBTABLY LOOKS LIKE AN EYE
AND IS POSSIBLY THE EASIEST CONCEPT TO IDENTIFY.
MOST LITERAL FORMAL CONCEPTS ARE DISCOURAGED
DURING SCHOOL AS THEY ARE FAIRLY UNIMAGINATIVE
HOWEVER CALATRAVAS BUILDING IS A SUCCESS.
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THE MUSEUM'S DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SERVE
AS AN OBJECT LESSON IN GEHRY'S STYLE AND
METHOD. LIKE MANY OF GEHRY'S OTHER WORKS, IT
HAS A STRUCTURE THAT CONSISTS OF RADICALLY
SCULPTED, ORGANIC CONTOURS. THE BAY AREA OF
BILBAO HAS BEEN BARREN OF SHIPS AND GEHRY
INTENDED TO BRING THEM BACK IN THIS BUILDING. IT
IS REFLECTIVE OF THE SHIPS THAT USED TO SAIL IN
BILDAOS PRIME. ITS BRILLIANTLY POLISHED TITANIUM
PANELS RESEMBLE FISH SCALES, ECHOING THE OTHER
ORGANIC LIFE (AND, IN PARTICULAR, FISH-LIKE) FORMS
THAT RECUR COMMONLY IN GEHRY'S DESIGNS.
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ARCHITECT STEVEN HOLL CHOSE A GATHERING OF
DIFFERENT LIGHTS AS THE GUIDING CONCEPT FOR
THE DESIGN OF THE CHAPEL OF ST. IGNATIUS. THIS
METAPHOR DESCRIBES SEATTLE UNIVERSITYS MISSION
AND IT ALSO REFERS TO ST. IGNATIUS VISION OF THE
SPIRITUAL LIFE AS COMPRISING MANY INTERIOR LIGHTS
AND DARKNESSES, WHICH HE CALLED CONSOLATIONS
AND DESOLATIONS. HOLL CONCEIVED OF THE CHAPEL
AS SEVEN BOTTLES OF LIGHT IN A STONE BOX, WITH
EACH BOTTLE OR VESSEL OF LIGHT CORRESPONDING
TO A FOCAL ASPECT OF CATHOLIC WORSHIP. LIGHT
PASSES THROUGH EACH BOTTLE IN A SPECIFIC AREA
OF THE BUILDING TO DEFINE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL
SPACES WITH POOLS OF CLEAR AND COLORED LIGHT.
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IT IS ALSO NOTEWORTHY THAT HIS DESIGN CAME IN A
LITTLE OVER BUDGET BUT THE CHURCH, SO MOVED BY
HIS CONCEPT, PUT FORTH THE EXTRA MONEY TO PAY
FOR THIS CHAPEL.
THE LUDWIG ERHARD HAUS IS A UNUSUAL AND
FUTURISTIC BUILDING LOCATED IN THE BERLIN; IT
HOUSES BOTH THE BERLIN STOCK EXCHANGE AND THE
BERLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IT WAS DESIGNED BY
THE ENGLISH ARCHITECT NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW IN 1997.
FIFTEEN TREMENDOUS ARCHES CREATE THE BUILDINGS
SIGNATURE RIBBED STRUCTURE THAT ADAPTS TO
THE SLIGHT CURVE IN THE IRREGULAR PROPERTY
AT ITS BASE. GRIMSHAW SAYS OF IT, WELL OVER A
THOUSAND PEOPLE WOULD WORK IN THE BUILDING AND
THEIR INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC WAS VITAL. WE
CREATED A PEDESTRIAN SPINE WHICH LINKED ALL THE
MAIN ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. THE CONFERENCE HALL,
EXHIBITION SPACES, STOCK EXCHANGE, RESTAURANTS,
THE DESIGN CENTRE, THE ENERGY ADVICE CENTRE
COULD ALL BE SEEN FROM THE SPINE.
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THIS BUILDING REPRESENTS MORE OF A STRUCTURAL
CONCEPT, THE 15 COLOSSAL ARCHES RESEMBLING
A RIB CAGE. IN THIS WAY IT ALSO REPRESENTS A
FORMAL CONCEPT. USE OF METAPHOR IN THE WAY
THE ARCHITECT REFERS TO IT AS A PEDESTRIAN
SPINE SUGGESTS THAT EXEMPLIFIES THREE OF THE
FOUR CONCEPT TYPES: FORMAL, STRUCTURAL, AND
UNSANGDONG ARCHITECTS WANTED TO MAKE A
BUILDING THAT RESEMBLED THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN
WITH GREEN SPACES AND TERRACES PEPPERING THE
SIDE OF IT. THEY ACHIEVED THIS BY SHIFTING THE
FLOOR PLATES BACK AND FORTH GIVING THE BUILDING
ITS DANCING MOTION.
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THE DANCING HOUSE EXEMPLIFIES THE
TRANSFORMATIVE CONCEPT IN THAT IT WENT FROM
BEING A VERY RIGID HIGHRISE TO A FLUID ONE THROUGH
A PROCESS OF CHANGES. THIS BUILDING ALSO UTILIZES
A FORMAL CONCEPT, THOUGH INADVERTENTLY.
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THE OXYGEN HOUSE BY DOUGLAS DARDEN IS
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF A
CONCEPT RICH PROJECT. THE CONCEPT IS NOT
REALLY ABSTRACT, STRUCTURAL, FORMAL, OR
TRANSFORMATIVE, BUT THE CONCEPT FINDS ITSELF
ENGRAINED IN ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF THE
BUILDING. THE CONCEPT IS A NARRATIVE BETWEEN A
MAN AND HIS TREE. THE BUILDING ITSELF IS SHAPED
LIKE AN TANK AND FEEDS OXYGEN TO HIM. WHEN
HE EXHALES HE CREATES THE CARBON DIOXIDE
NESSECARY TO KEEP THE TREE ALIVE, AND VICE
VERSA. IF HE DIES, SO THEN DOES THE TREE. WHEN
HE DIES THE TREE WILL WHITHER, DECOMPOSE, AND
COLLAPSE ONTO THE BUILDING CREATING HIS TOMB.
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INTRO PG. 0
NOTECARDS PG.51
CONCLUSION PG.71
PRO EXAMPLES PG.72
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Parti
[pahr-tee]
-noun
1. the visualization of the
basic scheme or concept
of an architectural
design through diagrams
or models.
WILLOUGHBYS
INTRODUCTION to parti
A parti is a simple diagram or little drawing, usually
a plan and section, sometimes a small undetailed
model (a maquette), that formalizes the strategy
youve decided to execute visually and experientially.
Its the basic gesture you make to express your
concept. A parti is a summary of your approach to
the design of a building and siteit represents the
projects essence.
Developing a parti continues an important beginning
step in any methodical approach to design. To
quote Louis Kahn, When the work is completed the
beginning must be felt. At the end of the projects
development, the design should have proceeded
from, and not deviated from, the initial assumptions
or concept expressed in the parti.
I believe design is an intentional activity. We have
something in mind, before and during the time when
pencil meets paper and drawings are made. Intention
is all we have as designers to offer coherence to
the multitude of decisions that need to be made
in the design of a building. A parti is an initial,
intentional, and predictive decision that from which,
all subsequent decisions can be measured against.
For instance, how does this or that new decision
reinforce, or detract from the initial parti? Its a point
of reference that makes a building intentionala
coherent set of responses that develop from an
initial concept. (adapted from my 1999 paper On
Parti)
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ACK!?! THESE GUYS AGAIN? I SWEAR IF I SEE
ONE MORE EMPTY NOTECARD . . .
DAMMIT.
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STUDENTS
CONCLUSION to parti cards
The word parti seems to stem from the French
words Prendre and Partir which mean to ponder or
think and to depart, respectively. This is essentially
what you are doing. You are visually expressing a
well thought out decision you have made on the
course you want your buildings design to take. A
parti can be shown as a simple diagram, drawing,
or model that expresses the basics and concept in
your design. It is one of the most important parts
of the beginning of the design process. It is your
building block and goes on to be your guideline.
These guidelines are essentially the reason you
are designing this project in this way and can help
guide you in the correct path and not leave behind
your initial idea. You do not want to stray from the
parti, because then you stray away from all initial
meaning and purpose. You want to be able to put
the parti next to the outcome and be able to tell that
that is where it originated from. If you do stray away
and you get lost or something doesnt work then you
have nothing to fall back on, but by sticking with this
rst idea and expanding it there is no downfall and
the idea can only become better and more rich.
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THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM IN BILBAO CONSISTS
OF RADICALLY SCULPTED, ORGANIC CONTOURS
AND WAS INTENDED TO RESEMBLE A SHIP. FRANK
GEHRY HAS BEEN QUOTED OFTEN, SAYING THAT THE
RANDOMNESS OF THE CURVES ARE DESIGNED TO
CAPTURE LIGHT.
A SLENDER EIGHTEEN STORY TOWER PUNCTURES THE
SKYLINE. THE SAN FRANSISCO FEDERAL BUILDING BY THOM
MAYNE FROM MORPHOSIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW
PARTI SETS THE TONE FOR THE PROJECT TO FOLLOW.
THE REDEFINITION OF CIRCULATION AND VERTICAL
MOVEMENT PATHS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANCE
ENCOUNTERS, A CRITICAL MASS IN CIRCULATION, AND
PLACES FOR EMPLOYEES TO GATHER ACROSS THE TYPICAL
CONFINES OF CUBICLES, DEPARTMENTS, OR FLOOR PLATES.
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IN THE CHURCH OF THE LIGHT, TADAO ANDO WANTED TO
MAKE A CONTRAST BETWEEN LIGHT AND SOLID. IN THE
CHAPEL, LIGHT ENTERS FROM BEHIND THE ALTAR FROM
A CROSS CUT IN THE CONCRETE WALL THAT EXTENDS
VERTICALLY FROM FLOOR TO CEILING AND HORIZONTALLY
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FROM WALL TO WALL, ALIGNING PERFECTLY WITH THE
JOINTS IN THE CONCRETE. AT THIS INTERSECTION OF
LIGHT AND SOLID THE OCCUPANT IS MEANT TO BECOME
AWARE OF THE DEEP DIVISION BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL
AND THE SECULAR WITHIN HIM OR HERSELF.
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THIS BUILDING IS PETER EISENMANS HOUSE II. WHILE
IT WE DONT RECOMMEND BUILDING OR DESIGNING
ANYTHING LIKE THIS, IT MAKES A DAMN GOOD EXAMPLE
OF HOW A PARTI CAN INFLUENCE THE REST OF THE
BUILDING. EVEN IN A NEGATIVE WAY. HERE, INSTEAD
OF BASING THE DESIGN ON FUNCTION, WITH FORM TO
FOLLOW THE HOUSES EXPLORE SPECIFIC STRUCTURAL
PRINCIPLES, WITH FUNCTIONS TO FIT IN AS BEST THEY
CAN. THE GEOMETRY OF THE HOUSE AND LARGE
EXPANSES OF GLASS PERMIT UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS
OF THE EVER CHANGING VERMONT LANDSCAPE.
THE DESIGN FOR THE HERNING MUSEUM OF CONTEMPO-
RARY ART BY STEVEN HOLL AIMS AT BUILDING THE SITE.
THE LANDSCAPE OF GRASS MOUNDS AND REFLECTING
POOLS ALIGNS WITH A GEOMETRY OF CURVED ROOF SEC-
TIONS OF THE NEW BUILDING THAT HOUSES PERMANENT
AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITION GALLERIES, A 150-SEAT AU-
DITORIUM, MUSIC REHEARSAL ROOMS, A RESTAURANT, A
MEDIA LIBRARY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES ALL ON ONE
LEVEL. THE NEW SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE CONCEALS ALL
THE PARKING AND SERVICE AREAS. IT IS APPARENT THAT
EVEN IN HIS FIRST VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PROJ-
ECT HE HIGHLIGHTS TWO RECTANGULAR AREAS WHICH LAT-
ER BECOME IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM.
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DIAGRAM
INTRO PG.84
NOTECARDS PG.85
CONCLUSION PG.103
PRO EXAMPLES PG.104
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Diagram
[dahy-uh-gram]
-noun
1. a distillation of an
entire building down
to its base components
and ideas; an act to
represent the design
or one of its aspects
in broader strokes that
can be more quickly and
easily understood.
WILLOUGHBYS
INTRODUCTION to diagram
It can be argued that in order to perform analysis
you need something to analyze; a doctor must have
a cadaver to perform a dissection. Or can diagrams
be produced at any time during the design process,
and formulate into being an important part of
design synthesis (like Peter Eisenmans procedural
transformation diagrams)? When does a diagram
move from its role as a tool of analysis, to become a
device of synthesis and function like a parti?
The diagrammatic or abstract machine does not
function to represent, even something real, but
rather constructs a real that is yet to come, a new
type of reality.Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand
Plateaus, 142.
Bucking associations with contemporary ideas
about diagrams as abstract machines that produce
a simulacra or a reduction of the real, I would submit
that a diagram is merely a means of representing the
distinct parts of some whole abstractly. If a parti is
conjured to represent the salient and total essence
of a design, then a diagram is made to express
its constituent partsto demonstrate aspects of a
building design in a simplied, spare, and raried
set of graphic images or models. I normally think of
diagrams as being analytical in nature. A diagram
is normally one of a larger set of diagrams used
to extract elements from an overall design for the
purpose of explicating particular aspects of that
design. A diagram reveals constituent elements
clearly (parts of the overall design synthesis) like
structure, circulation, organization, hierarchy,
program, contextual relationships, and distinct
building systems.
An understanding of the use of color, line weight,
line type, graphic symbols, and simplied shapes
are essential for making good diagrams (you need
to understand the basics of visual organization and
composition). Can diagrams precede a design, and
be used as tool of initial analysis of a program or a
site? Or do diagrams, by virtue of being abstractions
in and of themselves (as a priori mechanisms), carry
hidden biases and preconceptions? Are diagrams
only analyticalmeaning a graphic expression that
can only be made after or following the nal design
synthesis?
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SCANNED IMAGE STILL LOADING. . .
YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH
YOUR BROWSER. TRY REFRESHING YOUR
INTERNET TAB, AND IF THAT DOESNT WORK
HUNT THE UNLUCKY GUY WHO DIDNT FILL THIS
CARD OUT AND PUNCH HIM IN THE NADS
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STUDENTS
CONCLUSION to diagram cards
A diagram is fairly simple to explain but a hard thing
to do. Or rather, to do well. Anyone can make a
diagram and let it be known that it is not exclusive
to architecture. Anytime you draw a map or play
pictionary you employ the use of diagrams. The key
to making your diagrams effective is making them
clear. It is very easy to get bogged down in the
incorperation of graphics that is so easily accessible
in this digital age, but when designing the diagrams
you have to ask yourself: is it necessary? Will this
help me convey my thoughts or ideas better than
an analogue drawing? Three Ds are not always
better than two. In many cases I see students who
are new to modeling software attemp to make good
diagrams without understanding the core concepts
behind them. I know too well the difculty that
some of the jurors face when trying to decypher
some of the diagrams that the students put forth.
The diagrams need to be clear. That means one
aspect per diagram. They should all be from a
similar view that is easily recognizable and can be
quickly placed inside a model. Not literally placed
but mentally imagined inside a model or plan. Less
is more. Not having as many lines can become a
virtue. Weeding out unnecessary lines allows the
reader less things to become confused on. In sum,
a successfull diagram needs to be clear, consice
and consistent.
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STRUCTURAL DIAGRAMS PROVIDE A SIMPLIFIED
LAYOUT AND SYSTEM FOR THE BUILDINGS STRUCTURE
WITHOUT THE CLUTTERED AND TIME CONSUMING
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS SO THAT A SYSTEM
STRUCTURE CAN BE QUICKLY BE FORMED.
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LIGHT DIAGRAMS GIVES DETAIL TO THE SUNLIGHT/
LIGHTING STRATEGIES AND HOW THEY FILTER AND
ALLOW LIGHT TO FILL A SPACE IN A METHOD THAT IS
APPROPRIATE TO THE PROGRAMS. THIS GIVES THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BALANCE LIGHT AND HEAT GAIN
IN A SIMPLE REPRESENTATION THAT IS NOT TIME
CONSUMING TO CREATE.
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PUBLIC/PRIVATE OR SERVANT/SERVED DIAGRAMS
CAN BE MADE FOR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE A DIVISION
OF SPACES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS OPPOSED
TO THOSE INTENDED FOR THE OCCUPANT(S) ALONE.
IT CAN DEFINE THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMATIC
ELEMENTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH CIRCULATION TO
CREATE A SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS
FOR BOTH GROUPS.
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3D DIAGRAMS CAN SHOW MULTIPLE
SYSTEMS IN A DYNAMIC FORMAL
SYSTEM THAT IS MORE GROUNDED IN
THE DIMENSIONS OF REALITY.
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ENVELOPE AND ENCLOSURE DIAGRAMS HELP CREATE
A SYSTEM FOR DIFFERENTIATING THE BUILDINGS
CLADDING FROM ITS THERMAL ENVELOPE. THE
DIAGRAMS CAN HELP DEFINE WHERE PROGRAM CAN
BE PLACED AND MORE ACCURATELY OUTLINES THE
BUILDINGS INSIDE/OUTSIDE THRESHOLD.
CONTEXT
INTRO PG.116
NOTECARDS PG.117
CONCLUSION PG.133
PRO EXAMPLES PG.134
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PG.115
Context
[kon-tekst]
-noun
1. s
anything that informs
concept and includes
information regarding
cultural, technical,
formal, and programatic
concerns.
WILLOUGHBYS
INTRODUCTION to context
Context is all that feeds into a design: spatially,
materially, temporally, technically, and humanly.
Context is the web of data that tends to surround a
problem we are seeking a solution to. The context is
the data we gather and how we go about analyzing
it (like a journalist following leads and gathering data
when writing a story). The context of any design is
set into being rst and foremost by the intelligence,
knowledge and skill of the designer. But in the
broader sense, once can see the context of any
given project includes, but is not limited to: art and
architectural history, the persistence of forms and
formal patterns of behavior, culture, built and grown
settings (cities and countrysides), client (the people
who will use the building) , programmatic needs,
codes, professional ethics, available materials,
available skill-levels, available technology, time
(including the zeitgeist), and budget.
Context is what we work with in order to design, which
includes the whole milieu our design works within.
Context must be internalized to the best ability of
the designer in order for him or her to conceptualize
or derive a parti (intelligence gathering). Alvar Aalto
called this the three-in-the-morning feeling (from his
famous article, The Trout and the Stream, written
in 1947), or the sensation of being overwhelmed by
the magnitude and complexity of a design problem.
This sense of being overwhelmed and challenged
by the problem at hand is the full internalizing and
analysis of the scope of a given design problem.
And only after that point of feeling fully steeped in
the context can a solution be conceived to answer
the design problem (thought and feeling merge in a
conceptual statement about the design problem). If
we know little about the context of a problem, then
we will only affect little or make massive oversights.
But if we know much, then we are better prepared to
achieve much and be more inclusive in our solutions.
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MAYBE THEYLL GET IT ON THE NEXT GO-
ROUND. . .
YKNOW, THE NEXT TIME THEYRE ASKED TO
FILL OUT A TWO-SIDED NOTECARD FOR A 150+
PAGE BOOK.
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Context can be many things. It can relate directly
to a specic site close to your building or it can
be information surrounding a problem that needs
to be addressed. Context can be as general
as the world or as specic as your immediate
surroundings.
Alvar Allto uses the particular qualities of the
environment, and the historical, technical, and
cultural traditions of modern society as context to
understand psychological needs.
Toyo Ito has dened architectural context as
clothing for urban dwellers. This theme revolves
around the equilibrium between the private life and
the metropolitan, public life of an individual.
Morphosiss design philosophy arises from an
interest in producing work with a meaning that can
be understood by absorbing the culture for which it
was made.
Glenn Murcutts motto, touch the earth lightly,
convinces him to design his works to t into the
specic landscape features. His works are highly
economical and multi-functional. Murcutt always
considers context such as wind direction, water
movement, temperature and light surrounding his
sites before beginning the design process
Samuel Mockbee considers people and their
circumstances as context. The buildings often
consist of a combination of vernacular architecture
with modernist forms
STUDENTS
CONCLUSION to context cards
I SPENT LONG PERIODS GETTING MY RANGE, AS IT
WERE, WITH NAIVE DRAWINGS. I DREW ALL KINDS OF
FANTASTIC MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES, WITH SLOPES
LIT BY MANY SUNS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, WHICH
GRADUALLY GAVE RISE TO THE MAIN IDEA OF THE
BUILDING. THE ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK OF THE
LIBRARY COMPRISES SEVERAL READING AND LENDING
AREAS STEPPED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, WITH THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY CENTRE AT THE
PEAK.
- ALVAR AALTO
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PG.135
VYBORG LIBRARY ALVAR AALTO 1933-35
THE HOUSE DEMONSTRATES GLENNS ABILITY TO
ADAPT HIS PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS OF ARCHITECTURE
TO THE DIFFERING DEMANDS POSED BY A TROPICAL
CLIMATE. DRAWING UPON INFLUENCES GAINED FROM
HIS EARLY YEARS IN THE TROPICS, THE BUILDING IS
RAISED ON STILTS TO AID VENTIATION, AS WELL AS
ISOLATE THE LIVING SPACES FROM THE PROSPECT OF
FLOODS AND ANIMALS. TIMBER BATTENS WITH SMALL,
EVEN SPACING ARE CAREFULLY ARTICULATED TO PRO-
VIDE A PERMEABLE SKIN, ALLOWING AIRFLOW WHILST
MAINTAINING THE OUTWARD VIEW OF THE HORIZONS
AND INTERNAL SENSE OF PRIVACY.
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PG.137
MARIKA- ALDERTON HOUSE GLENN MURCUTT 1994
WRIGHT UNDERSTOOD THAT PEOPLE WERE CREATURES
OF NATURE, HENCE AN ARCHITECTURE WHICH CON-
FORMED TO NATURE WOULD CONFORM TO WHAT WAS
BASIC IN PEOPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH ALL OF FALL-
INGWATER IS OPENED BY BROAD BANDS OF WINDOWS,
PEOPLE INSIDE ARE SHELTERED AS IN A DEEP CAVE, SE-
CURE IN THE SENSE OF HILL BEHIND THEM. THE MATERI-
ALS OF THE STRUCTURE BLEND WITH THE COLORINGS OF
ROCKS AND TREES, WHILE OCCASIONAL ACCENTS ARE
PROVIDED BY BRIGHT FURNISHINGS, LIKE WILDFLOWERS
OR BIRDS OUTSIDE.
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FALLING WATER FRANK LLYOD WRIGHT 1937
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MOCKBEE BASED THE KENNEDY HOUSE ON THE
BUNGALOW TYPE FOUND IN THE EARLIER DEVELOPED
AREAS OF SEASIDE AND SURROUNDING BEACH TOWNS.
CASUAL AND UNASSUMING, THE BUNGALOW TYPE
PROVIDES THE BASIC SHELTER NEEDED AT THE BEACH,
OFFERING A PLACE OF RESPITE FROM THE SUN AND
SALT WATER.
THE KENNEDY HOUSE SAMUEL MOCKBEE 1992
WRIGHT FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THE
CONNECTION TO THE DESERT. HE SAID: ARIZONA
NEEDS ITS OWN ARCHITECTURE ARIZONAS LONG,
LOW, SWEEPING LINES, UPTILTING PLANES. SURFACE
PATTERNED AFTER SUCH ABSTRACTION IN LINE AND
COLOR AS FIND REALISM IN THE PATTERNS OF THE
RATTLESNAKE, THE GILA MONSTER, THE CHAMELEON,
AND THE SAGUARO, CHOLLA OR STAGHORN OR IS IT
THE OTHER WAY AROUNDARE INSPIRATION ENOUGH.
THE STRUCTURES WALLS ARE MADE OF LOCAL
DESERT ROCKS. WRIGHT ALWAYS BELIEVED USING THE
MATERIALS READILY AVAILABLE OPPOSED TO THOSE
THAT MUST BE TRANSPORTED TO THE SITE. THERE
WERE SIMPLE CHARACTERISTIC SILHOUETTES TO GO
BY, TREMENDOUS DRIFTS AND HEAPS OF SUNBURNED
DESERT ROCKS WERE NEARBY TO BE USED. WE GOT IT
ALL TOGETHER WITH THE LANDSCAPE
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TALIESIN WEST FRANK LLYOD WRIGHT 1937
BY MAKING THE ENTRY ROUTE INTENTIONALLY
CIRCUITOUS, A SENSE OF RITUAL AND PURIFICATION
RESULTS, SIMILAR TO THE SUFFERINGS AND
REVELATIONS THAT DEFINE THE RELIGIOUS
EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, THE L-SHAPED WALL, WHICH
APPEARS IN EARLIER ANDO PROJECTS SUCH AS THE
CHAPEL AT MOUNT ROKKO, DEMARCATES THE CHURCH
AS A PROTECTED, SECLUDED AREA, UNLIKE AND
APART FROM THE RESORT HOTEL DIRECTLY BEHIND
IT. INDEED, THE MOMENT OF PASSING THROUGH THE
WALL IS REWARDED IMMEDIATELY WITH A FULL VIEW
OF THE CHURCH, WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE AT ANY OTHER
POINT ALONG THE OUTSIDE PATH.
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CHURCH ON THE WATER TADAO ANDO 1988
THE BUILDING OPERATES ON THREE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF NATUREELIMINATE THE CONCEPT
OF WASTE, RELY ON NATURAL ENERGY FLOWS, AND
HONOR DIVERSITY. THE CENTERS DISPOSITION OF
SPACES DERIVES FROM AN INTEGRATION OF NATURAL
ENERGY FLOWS AND THE BUILDINGS ENERGY NEEDS,
ITS USE AS TEACHING AND PUBLIC SPACE, AND THE
DESIRE TO BLUR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN INDOORS
AND OUT. THE LIGHT-DRENCHED TWO-STORY ATRIUM
SERVES AS THE PRIMARY ORGANIZING SPACE WHILE
ACTING AS THE SOUTHERN CAMPUSS TOWN HALL,
OR PUBLIC SQUARE. THE SITE IS A NET ENERGY
EXPORTER, PRODUCING 30 PERCENT MORE ENERGY
THAN IT NEEDS TO OPERATE AND SHARING THIS
EXCESS ENERGY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
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PG.147
ADAM JOSEPH LEWIS CENTER WILLIAM MCDONOUGH
2000
LOUIS KAHN DESIGNED THE SALK CENTER IN LA
JOLLA...AS AN ELOQUENT COMPOSITION THAT IS
SPATIALLY AND SYMBOLICALLY INCOMPLETE, WITH ITS
TWO RICHLY RHYTHMICAL BUILDINGS...[WHICH] DEFINE
A POWERFUL AXIS THAT IS OPEN AT EACH END AND
THAT CONSTITUTES THEREBY A SIGNIFICANT GESTURE
WITHIN AN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE. THE COMPOSITION
OF THIS COMMON SPACE...IS PERCEPTUALLY,
PHYSICALLY, POIGNANTLY AMERICAN AS IT FRAMES
THE SEA AND THE LAND WHERE THE OLD WESTERN
FRONTIER ENDS AND THE NEW EASTERN FRONTIER
BEGINS.
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THE SALK INSTITUTE LOUIS KAHN 1959
CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING. WE ARE EMBEDDED IN
CONTEXT AND CONTEXT EMBEDS ITSELF IN US.
CONTEXT IS A SPATIO-TEMPORAL FLOW THAT
ALLOWS US TO REGISTER AND ORIENT OUR BODIES IN
RELATIONSHIP TO THE NATURAL AND BUILT WORLD. WE
NEGOTIATE AND NAVIGATE THROUGH CONTEXT.
-M. WILLIAMS
CONTEXT IS THE ARENA IN WHICH ARCHITECTS
WORK. AT A VERY BASIC LEVEL, ITS ABOUT THE
SURROUNDING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHIC ENVIRONMENT.
IF ONE ADDS (OR PERHAPS REMOVES) ANYTHING FROM
THIS ENVIRONMENT ITS IMPORTANT TO DIRECTLY
ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTEXT IN ASSESSING WHETHER
THE REMOVAL/ADDITION IS APPROPRIATE. THATS
NOT TO SAY ONE NEEDS TO BE SYMPATHETIC TO
CONTEXT; ITS SOMETIMES APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE
A COUNTER-POINT. ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT
THEY ARE ALWAYS WORKING WITHIN A CONTEXT,
AND ACCEPT THAT THEIR WORK WILL HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP TO IT, CONSCIOUSLY OR OTHERWISE.
-R. BROOKS
CONTEXT IS PHYSICAL CONTEXT, CONCEPTUAL
CONTEXT, PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT. THE QUEST IS
FOR ARCHITECTURE TO MEDIATE BETWEEN ALL OF
THIS AND MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
-K. STEVENS
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PG.151
CONTEXT IS INFORMING THE WAY YOU SITUATE YOUR
PROJECT WITHIN THE GREATER REALM. THE MOST
FASCINATING IS THAT IT TRANSCENDS TIME. ITS NOT
JUST AT THIS MOMENT, ITS WHAT WAS, IS, AND WHAT
COULD BE. ITS EQUIVALENT TO FAMILY HERITAGE; WHO
YOUR PARENTS ARE, WHO YOUR GRANDPARENTS ARE,
AND AUNTS AND UNCLES ARE THAT MAKE YOU. ITS A
SERIES OF VARIABLES. YOU HAVE A DESIGN IDEA AND
ALL THOSE OUTSIDE FORCES ARE CONTEXT.
-T. MALSTROM
CONTEXT: THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH A PROJECT
BREATHES.
USED AS A WHETSTONE TO SHARPEN THE CONCEPTU-
AL BLADE OF THE PROJECT.
-D. CALDWELL
CONTEXT IS CUMULATIVE OF ALL EXTERNAL FORCES
WHICH EFFECT EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THE
OUTCOME OF A BUILDING PROBLEM. IN THAT RESPECT,
IT WOULD INCLUDE SUCH THINGS AS CULTURAL
CONTEXT, POLITICAL CONTEXT, ECONOMIC CONTEXT,
SOCIAL CONTEXT, ETC.
-R. FAKELMANN