Musings of a Simple Architecture Student: Part I

 

Heidegger

1. Is it possible our personal interaction affects the building? Does our interaction as designers and clients affect the building?

I believe that our personal interaction doesn’t just affect the building, but brings it to life. Buildings are simply vessels that we as humans create and customize to accommodate a certain specific function. If the building is not being interacted with, what purpose does it serve?

Of course our interaction as designers and clients affect the building. As a designer you are given the responsibility and authority to make and design the building as you see fit in accordance with the specific program. On the other hand, as a client, you are dictating what the building is going to be used for and understand what necessary things need to be included in the final design.

 

2. Is it valuable to search for authenticity in designing/ building architecture?

It is definitely valuable to search for authenticity in designing/building architecture. Architecture is simply a form of problem solving on a larger scale, however in this case there is no specific right answer. There are solutions that have been tried and deemed acceptable, however the role of the successful architect is to try and do something that has not been done before. Though it seems like everything has been done, there are so many variables (materials, structure, form, etc) and different ways of arranging them that authenticity in designing and building is very much achievable. It may not be an easy road, but well worth it in the end.

3. Mortals dwell in that they save the earth.  Mortals dwell in that they receive the sky as sky, the sun and moon their journey, the stars their course, the seasons their blessings and inclemency.  They do not try to change what they were born into and it will continue when they (we) are gone.  Can we design and build with this sense of permanence?

Just because something has always been does not mean that we are not allowed to challenge and question its existence. The world is not static and things are constantly in motion. Designing with a sense of permanence is ignorant because times change and so do our needs. Only recently have we begun to realize that the Earth and its resources are not going to last forever and as a result, our building practices and mentality towards acting sustainably are slowly beginning to change. This is a positive sign of designing with the times and not doing things just because it is the way it has always been. We can no longer afford to waste as much energy and resources without remorse but need to continue to find new ways to design and build efficiently and effectively.

From: Christian Norberg-Schultz the “Phenomenon of Place”

Why has this author been drawn to Heidegger’s ideas as they relate to today’s architects and their work?

Norberg-Schultz seems drawn to Heidegger’s ideas because they share similar viewpoints. He places emphasis on the word “place” much like Heidegger did with “dwell” and even analyzes the same Trakl poem that Heidegger writes about, however goes beyond the psychological idea of buildings as dwellings and asserts that architecture uncovers meanings present in the given environment which acts to reveal its genius loci or spirit. In order to continue to develop our human identity and subsequently our identification to our environment, a connection with this spirit is required.

From: Juhani Pallasmaa  ”The Geometry of Feeling…….”

How can we understand and determine a person’s experience of architecture?

I don’t think it is ever possible to be able to completely understand and determine a person’s experience of architecture, however I do think it is possible to be able to know a person well enough to understand to a degree what type of emotion that they feel in certain architectural situations. Pallasmaa states that we find intrigue in architecture that we are unfamiliar with and I believe that is true because of the endless possibilities of what could be. The only person that truly knows the potential behind these possibilities is you.

 

 How do you interpret Pallassmaa’s ideas about the following?  

All art emanates from the body…..

Art is a concept that we as human beings invented to describe the expression of our human emotion through other forms of media. I can argue that art emanates more from the mind than from the body, however the body is being used as a tool for the mind to actually create the art. Without the body, art would not be able to be shared.

 

Early childhood memories inform us and form us as we grow up….

Early childhood memories definitely inform us and form us as we grow older because they are what we draw upon when creating new memories. At the beginning of our lives we are a blank slate with no memories and no life experiences. The memories that truly stay with us tell a lot about one’s character and serve as references to what we find important in our lives.

 

Other arts create the importance of place and experience…..

Maybe. This question is strange because the importance of a place and the experience derived is entirely different depending on who is actually experiencing it. Art may have an influence or it may not.

 

Loneliness and silence of buildings…….

This statement reminds me of the question regarding Heidegger and whether or not our personal interaction affects a building. A building without any type of human interaction can be described as “lonely”, which is interesting because loneliness is a purely human emotion. This usage of human based adjectives to describe a building or home is evidence that architecture can indeed have a soul.

 

-Alan