Do you find Uffelen’s historical examples and attention to materials and use convincing?

I think Uffelen has quiet efficiently brought out and exemplified on the history of Ecological architecture. His examples which date from the Roman and Baroque periods to the current projects show the variance and existence of  ecological architecture from the past. It implies that the core existed since the past and the current technology has just brought it to another stage. His statement on reuse of the roman columns and material being transported clearly lean towards the sustainability issue of “reuse of materials” from the past. But what scares and makes me think is that in the past, they did it out of necessity and today it has become optional. Though currently many firms have started to take a step towards sustainability by using “local materials, double glazing systems, insulation and heating systems in buildings” it still makes me think of to what extent is it going to be taken further and to what scale. But its interesting to see the circle complete where it started of with “ecological architecture” in the past where it then disappeared for a while and is now back in a new form with modern technologies.

2.  Is sustainability put as a priority above style or structural function in the United States?

I think United states has begun to address on the issue of sustainability more than the other countries  but I am not sure if its still a priority over style or structural function. Though a lot of firms  in US have begun to consider it as a current issue and trend, the challenge would still remain in how to integrate and bring out sustainability with style and aesthetic so that it then naturally becomes a priority. LEED could be one of the steps towards it but it needs to still go a long way and at various scales.

 

1 | Do you find value in Lyons’ “Three F’s for an Architecture of Regionalism: fitting, framing, and forming”?

Not particularly.  To me, it’s just another guy coming out with a list, convinced that he’s breaking some sort of new ground in architecture.  I don’t believe he is, he’s just condensing a bunch of wildly complicated architectural ideas into an impossibly short list.  It reminds me of Mitt Romney on the campaign trail this past fall, talking about his five points to fix the economy.  You can’t just condense something as complicated as the U.S. economy into a few short bullet points and pretend that you can just execute those points and magically fix the economy.  It doesn’t work like that.  If it did, the economy would have been fixed long ago.  Likewise, if design were as easy as these three short bullet points, then every building would be a work of art, and I wouldn’t scoff at the sea of vinyl-clad McMansions I see creeping closer and closer to my parent’s house every time I visit them.  Architecture is a life-long learning experience – you’re never done learning and you never fully understand it, and I think it’s a little arrogant to claim otherwise.  I realize that MacKay-Lyons doesn’t claim these to be the end-all aspects of design, but even as a basic approach to design they are weak ideas.  “Fitting” is fancy-speak for site orientation, and that is dictated by an endless number of things, ranging from building ordinances to wind patterns, and from soil conditions to the preferences of the client.  Every architect struggles with site orientation, this is nothing new.  As far as I’m concerned, all MacKay-Lyons did to address this in his projects was to face the bigger window towards the water.  I’m failing to see the innovation in his ideas.  This applies to framing, as well.  I did some work a few years back on a restoration project for a 100 year old home.  When I broke open the walls, behind the lath and plaster, guess what I found?  Framing.  The same as we do today.  The sizes of the studs were different than we use today, as was the spacing of the studs, but framing was still framing.  MacKay-Lyons’ treatment of the exposed ceiling framing in the Howard house is nothing short of exceptional, I’ll give him that – the framing creates a space that I genuinely fell I would be very comfortable occupying.  He seems to think he’s celebrating the framing in his buildings, but I’m not convinced of that.  He uses an awful lot of corrugated metal paneling for someone supposedly so committed to celebrating the framing.  I’m not going to keep bashing him – the fact remains that he is a successful architect, and I’m still very much a student with a great deal to learn.  There are things he does well and there is a great deal to be learned from him, but I do not believe that his three F’s are one of them.

2 | Would you like to participate in building the Ghosts?  (This implies, “would you like to have that design/build experience” as it is expensive.)

Yes, 100% without any hesitation.  I have been a proponent of the importance of hands-on experience in architectural education from day one at the technical college I attended two years before I even began my undergraduate studies.  I don’t think you can be a successful designer if you don’t understand the properties of the materials you’re working with, much less what happens when you assemble these materials together in an infinite number of ways.  The technical school was terrific at this, well, because it was a technical school.  We had an extensive materials library, we had projects to help us explore material properties (including the design and construction of a concrete chair,) and we were required to spend a certain number of hours working with Habitat for Humanity before we graduated.  I greatly enjoyed it, and carried that attitude with me to Minnesota for my undergraduate education, spending a great deal of time working on projects for Habitat all across the country.  Additionally, I created a student organization at the University of Minnesota responsible for starting and maintaining a materials library for the architecture students, and geared towards the technical education of students, helping them to become engaged in hands-on construction events and activities.  Even after I moved to Portland a couple months ago, I found and volunteered for the local Habitat affiliate here a few times.  I don’t mean to be arrogant or self-promoting, and I’m realizing that I’ve been coming off that way in this post, but I’m trying to convey just how important I feel that hands-on experience is in architecture.  If I had the opportunity to participate in Ghosts, I absolutely would, but we don’t have to wait for an opportunity like this to come along to reap the benefits it provides.  To any of my classmates reading this, there are plenty of opportunities available to gain experience – that’s why I talked up my experiences with Habitat so much – they are so easy and readily available (and free,) do a Google search or ask me if you’re interested.  Additionally, various schools have design/build projects – I know my undergrad architecture program is working right now on a project, having the students design and build a home for a family in need in the Minneapolis suburbs.  I don’t know that the University of Oregon has anything like that going on at the moment, but it’s worth checking into, and it’s worth bringing up to Nancy or somebody who might be able to make that happen.  Experience is very important and any student who has had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on activity is very fortunate, indeed.

-J. Maternoski

Do you find value in Lyon’s “Three F’s for an Architecture of Regionalism: fitting, framing and forming?”

I don’t think anyone can disagree with Lyons’ Three F’s.  Fitting – or context – is something we are taught in school to value right from the beginning of our design process.  Framing – or structural skeleton – helps to give shape to a building in a similar way our own human skeletons dictate our outward appearances of uniqueness and beauty.  Forming – as I have already indicated in framing – is the final step in the design process that is informed by its preceding processes.  Together, these Three F’s that Lyons has defined are a great way of summarizing our creative journey through designing a work of architecture.

Would you like to participate in the building the Ghosts? (This implies, “would you like to have that design/build experience.”)

Like Lyons’ Three F’s, I also see value in design/build.  Design/build has become a powerful and effective way of designing and constructing the built environment.  It ties into the strength of learning by doing or kinesthetic learning.  Not only could design/build give us a better understanding of each aspect of the built environment – both the design and the build processes – but also a better understanding of each profession that capitalizes on each process respectively.

-Sam Sudy

1. Are Uffelen’s historical examples and attention to materials regarding environment friendly technology convincing?

   The second paragraph of Uffelen’s article seems to indicate that there are lots of environmentally friendly technologies that have been around for some time. However his examples did not include conservation of resources and energy as the main objective.  For example, he goes on to describe some very “non-environmental” approaches –such as the king reusing the columns of the Greek emperors at great expense for transporting them but with high political advantage.

   2.  Is sustainability put as a priority above style or structural function in the United States?

   It would seem the United States has reached a point where sustainability is just beginning to merge style with structural function.  As he points out, we are not putting photovoltaic on every slanted roof, but placing them instead with a consideration to the architectural appeal.  He gave numerous examples of how sustainability is being taken much more seriously in our current times and stated that this is due to the more widely held acceptance of global warming.

Do you find Uffelen’s historical examples and attention to materials and use convincing?

Uffelen’s many examples of building technique both historic and new suggests a convincing argument towards and ecological base architecture.  He uses large scale projects like Norman Foster’s Commerzbank building which utilized double glazed facade acting as a climate buffer to smaller scale projects like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Arizona. The differences in building scale showcases that ecological minded architecture can be applied on the individual level to community level of design.  This introduction to Uffelen book makes me curious how he uses all these building examples and provides a narrative to how these sustainable practices can be infused into system such as LEED.

Is sustainability put as a priority above style or structural function in the United States?

It is reported that 38 billion tons of carbon were released into the atmosphere last year.  There are three to four more server storms hitting the USA per year than in 1980.  The polar ice caps are showing rapid signs of melting.  And yet a major political force won’t acknowledge climate change.  There is definitely a growing demand for sustainability but until there are significant market changes that force a shift in demand, sustainability will not become the priority.  Sustainability on a design level should be mandatory but the principles of sustainable do not pay on the cost benefit analysis.  A developer can make more money increasing square footage than increasing energy efficiency.  Until the perception of value is change the same unsustainable buildings will continue to be built.

How would you define his architectural accomplishments for the two projects Solana and Camino Real Hotel, Extapa related to culture and climate?

I think that the Camino Real Hotel is more successful architecturally than Solana, in terms of culture and climate. The attention to the landscape and natural environment as well as the use of natural ventilation at the hotel respond to the climate in ways that vernacular Mexican architecture would. The use of bright colors also relates back to the culture and gives a sense of surprise and excitement. The Solana complex on the other hand responds to the climate but seems to be too massive in comparison to the prairie context. Here the bright colors and unified masses tie everything together and relate to the Mexican culture but as a whole it seems separate from its context.

Do you find value in Lyon’s “Three F’s for an Architecture of Regionalism: fitting, framing and forming?”

I find great value in the “three Fs,” although I do not necessarily see it practiced in McKay-Lyon’s work.  To me, the three homes look mostly the same.  They are monolithic, flat in elevation, and simple in materiality.  For the Howard House, I do see how the monumental south facade mimicks the monumentality of the boulders.  I also can see how the form of the homes fits the climate resources such as shielding from winds and harvesting daylight and solar heat gain.  The Messenger House, however, looks like a replica of the Howard House, plunked onto the grassy ridge.  I see more of a Brian McKay Lyons sets of homes than regionalism.

Would you like to particiapte in the building the Ghosts?(This implies, “would you like to have that design/build experience.”)

Yes I would.  I have volunteered many times for Habitat for Humanity and have learned about wood frame single family/duplex standard house construction.  For me it helps to see how structures are constructed and how materials come together.  I learn much faster than studying diagrams and sections.  The physical act of making something also reinforces the knowledge because it becomes part of muscle memory as well as mental memory.  If you understand how things come together, then you can envision creative structures.  If you do not have the knowledge, then how are you to ask the right questions?

Why are they called Ghosts?  Is it because the design build student work is usually an unoccupied installation?

Are you able to design an ecologically inspired art of building in the Age of Ecology in your present studio?

I think that it is possible to design an ecologically inspired building in any studio. It is up to us as designers to begin a project with the forethought of how we can minimize our impact on the environment and what ecological ideas we want to embed in the building based on local conditions. I think that as we learn more about environmental practices and new technologies these principles will become part of our architectural expression and how we can relate our designs to their immediate context.

Do you find his historical examples and attention to materials and use convincing?

I find his examples to be convincing. His attention to buildings across time and from different parts of the world begins to look at ways in which high and low architectural technology have been used. I particularity liked the historic examples and the emphasis on the resourcefulness of builders at the time. I think that the combination of vernacular climate response and use of local materials in addition to new technologies will help to create architecture that relates to nature.

Since global warming has been recognized and accepted, “A change in paradigm took place in architecture, setting sustainability as a priority above style or structural function” Do you think this has happened in the U.S.?

I do not think the importance of sustainability has yet overcome that of style and structure in the US. While there are examples of buildings that are moving towards sustainability, I think there are still people in this country that have a greater influence than architects that are not pushing for sustainability for various reasons. I think a major hurdle to this is informing the greater public of the need to build sustainability not only for fiscal reasons, but also for health and resource conservation. 

 

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

I think that it is vitally important to the architectural profession to try and understand personal experiences as a means for improving the way in which we design. To determine these personal experiences it is important to engage users of a particular building and find out what it is that makes the experience enjoyable and what could be improved. While there would be difficulty for the everyday person to fully express what makes a space memorable, and that individual opinions can vary greatly based on previous experience, I think that over all consensus would lead to an understanding of what makes great space. In addition, I think that through observation of these spaces an underlying pattern of what makes memorable space can be determined.

All art emanates from the body….

Works of art begin with the body and our capacity to physically experience the art. The artist creates the work through their physical interaction with a medium and instills in the art their particular experiences in life. The desire to create and express our personal experience is in our human nature and it is through our physical bodies that we try to convey this to others. The observer of art in response uses their physical senses to interpret the work and through this interaction make their own impact on the art.

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

The memories that we have in our early childhood set up the foundation for how we interpret experiences throughout the rest of our lives. Our basis for interaction with others and how we learn is formed when we are very young and this establishes the filter that all other experiences are compared against. This ultimately determines how we feel and learn from particular experiences.

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

A component of all experiences is the importance of place. Our memories, especially the more significant ones, are linked the place in which they occur. This becomes the setting or stage in which our experience plays out. Art can create importance in a place and how we experience it but I don’t think the importance of place is dependent on art, it does however add to that experience.

Loneliness and silence of buildings….

The way in which we inhabit buildings gives life and meaning to the building. The building on its own cannot tell a story without our interaction and interpretation. It is through this interaction that buildings become alive. By inhabiting a building we give it a story and a purpose; in this it is full of life and collective experiences.

Do you think Joy’s use of materials and building form are convincing?

I find that his building form is appropriate for many reasons in the context. The gable roof is, no doubt, as he said, a relation to the vernacular and a response to functionality in terms of rain and snow loads on the roof. The simplicity of the overall form doesn’t distract too much from what is going on around the house in the natural environment, so that is very appropriate. Materials are fairly convincing overall, but I do find the use of steel for the main structure to be a bit off. The use of wood cladding seems a bit superficial – wood as a natural resource in Vermont is a great material, but he has opted to limit its use to cladding. Traditionally, the gable form has been crafted with wood, often in the form of trusses.

Do you think the experiential characteristic of Joy’s projects is in any way compromised by his fundamental basics?

I think the experiential characteristics are not necessarily compromised by the use of the “basics”. However, he does take the basics and stretch them a bit, as with his use of steel for the main structure of the house. Here he goes beyond the basics (a wood truss), which would have resulted in a flat ceiling or slightly less pitched ceiling, or ridge beam system, to create a more open environment using steel. In short, the structure goes well beyond “basics” in terms of residential building.

Do you find value in Lyon’s “Three F’s for an Architecture of Regionalism: fitting, framing and forming?”

The idea of fitting, framing, and forming in the design sense is a very powerful one. Combining all of these elements within the concept is necessary to have successful design. It is important to look at the site context to inform the design, just as it is important to pay attention to the structural details of the design and how they all come together to inform the building.

Would you like to particiapte in the building the Ghosts?(This implies, “would you like to have that design/build experience.”)

Of course I would like to have a design/build experience. As a designer, it is important to understand how a building comes together and how it works. It is very hard to design buildings when you are unsure of how it will be constructed and how it will remain standing. I would like to be able to know what I am talking about–as any architect should– when talking with a contractor about my design. Having this design/build experience can help anyone become a better architect, and I am hopeful I will be able to have this opportunity before my educational career is over.

 

 

Do you find value in Lyon’s “Three F’s for an Architecture of Regionalism: fitting, framing, and forming?”

I do find value especially in the communication skills that “Three F” portrays.  Fitting, framing and forming should be the basis of any architectural designers process.  But people, especially clients, can grab onto the concept of regionalism through the “Three F” quickly and without code architect talk.  Being able to articulate design value is critical for an architect to sell certain aspects of a project that may increase cost.  The Howard House beautifully fits into the coastal context while forming a dynamic language through the simple frame.

Would you like to participate in building the Ghosts?

I definitely would like to participate in building the Ghosts and don’t understand why it would be more expensive. Yes as a student to pay tuition and work for free it is expensive but as a project using free labor and most likely cheap sourced materials it sounds inexpensive.  The design build process provides students a hands on learning experience to the consequences of design decisions.  A comprehensive understanding of the construction processes is imperative for a designer in having a clue what the design is going to cost. However, the design build process is not the only way for architects to gain knowledge into the construction methods.