The Kasahara Municipal Elementary School article had more meaning to me after hearing Hannah’s presentation last Tuesday.  ”A school is a little city within a big city” reminded me of the different school layouts and how they relate to the teaching theology.  It’s important for the Architecture to support the activities inside yet relate to the surrounding scenery.

All of these examples had strong, open relationships to the outdoors – integrating the natural exterior with the interior.  The Nago City Hall reading mentioned grasping the natural features of Okinawa “not just as data, but also with your body”.  Some of our other readings in class have alluded to the technology advancements assisting in designing sustainably.  While I think this is helpful, especially in proving energy savings, I fear there may become an over reliance on technology.  At some point, we lose a connection of our bodies with the site.

I think it would be helpful for designers to live in the projects they create.  If an architect designs a school, let him/her camp out for a while after it’s completed to fully experience the full range of their design.  Is it comfortable?  Does it function as intended?