The part of the reading that most resonated with my design ethos was “In order to be truly comprehensible, architecture has to demonstrate a clarity that makes it sufficiently democratic, as to be accessible to an educated public.” Clarity in every architectural move is one of the most exciting achievements: to make a complex, work-intensive process seem simple and rational.

The reading about Brian Mackay-Lyon’s work is like visiting an old aquaintance, Heidegger’s sense of dwelling.  Quantrill says it best at the end of the third paragraph…Lyons architecture is “bold enough to tell the plain truth of its materiality,  to stand on his native soil in modern terms…an art form he sows and grows…”

Brian MacKay’s architecture seems very function-driven, something always reflected in native architecture. More than orienting windows, he orients the Howard House with a concrete windbreak to deflect the gales of the bay. His plans are overly rational, yet humanistic, because of scale, materials, and “simple” complexity. One of the least-used (today) but most enjoyable architectural moves is the human-size nook or bend that brings you physically closer to the building. In these spaces it is like being in a tight path in the forest or a cave, and your surroundings become a natural cradle. Brian MacKay understands this and obviously has great respect for the users of his buildings.

I own a book titled “The Forgotten Architecture of North America.” It is an uncommon book, not trendy or filled with bright computer graphics, depicting mostly rural structures from generations ago. Some are rotting, some dilapidated, all are beautiful. Ghost #1 evoked from me the strongest sense of nostalgia and emotion about an architectural work in a memorable time period. Beautiful.