Social Space & Sensitivity (Region)

What socials demographics were considered, researched, and included in the design process.  Is the resulting Architecture reflective of their needs and comforts?  The Pedregulho Housing Complex in Rio Janiero, designed by Emily Portinho and Alfonso Reidy, is 522 unit social-housing complex that included a school, gymnasium, and community laundry facility.  The ambitious project was designed to create and foster community among state-workers, however many of residents were too embarrassed to even use the communal features because of there impoverished state. It was designed for Portinho’s vision of a community and not necessarily representative of demographic it was designed for.

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Cultural Connectivity (Region)

How is the Architecture connected to its local, regional, or national culture? Does it affirm or memorialize important cultural events or narratives? Is it sited appropriately? The Memorial de la America Latina, by Oscar Niemeyer, is a memorial dedicated to the blood, sweat, and poverty of Latin America. Sited in a industrialized city it is a representation of workers both past and present.

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Community Involvement (Neighborhood Scope)

How does the architecture engage with and involve the community? Was it designed with a top-down or bottom-up process? Does it meet community needs?SESC Pompeia, By Lino Bo Bardi, was a derelict oil drum factory that had been actively reclaimed by local residents.  When Bo Bardi saw how locals were using the facility she was determined to preserver and include their use and needs in her transformation of the site.

 

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Place-making (Reading)

How does the architecture record meaning? Is its narrative relevant to its siting, context, or users? In his Essay “Towards a Critical Regionalism”, Kenneth Frampton discusses four practices (contextualization, site, tactile, space-form) applicable to architecture to a resist universal a placeless-ness and to create meaningful architecture with a sense of place.  The 9/11 Memorial Pools in NYC, by Architect Michael Aran and Landscape Architect Peter Walker, is a place with much meaning.  The memorial pools, designed to reflect “the absence”, are sited to reflect where the twin trade towers stood. The infinity water-fall that disappears into the black depths provides a cooling mist as visitors reflect on the names of the fallen, etched on the sides of the pools, oriented by their location during the attack. Based on [Towards a Critical Regionalism]

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User Experience (Reading Building)

How does the architecture serve its users? Does the architecture solve problems and meet its program requirements? What research was done? Were relevant demographics included in the design process? ATBAT Afrique, designed several mass housing complexes in the Carrieres Centrales, Morocco, Muslim populations that had emigrated from the Atlas Mountains.  The Europeans attempted to mimic several aspects of immigrants vernacular architecture, including forms and the inclusion of courtyards or loggias. This “adaptive architecture” was seen to be cultural contextual and responsive to the site.  The tenants however made renovations post completion to address their needs – highlighting the failure of ATBAT to really understand their users experience.  Based on [An Alternative to Functionalist Universalism]

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Spatial Justice (Reading)

Does the architecture provide needed services? Is it sited to provide equitable access? Is it dignifying? Open-Ended? Fresh?  After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, and subsequent Tsunami, The Tohoku region of Japan was decimated. Home For All’s temporary “living rooms” provided much needed social spaces to the displaced victims living in temporary housing shelters, and some projects were so loved they found permanent homes later in the new communities. Based on [Radical Public Architecture]

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Gender Equality (Reading Building and Room Scope)

Does the architecture support the needs and roles of all genders? Is it functional, efficient and accommodating? Were members of all genders included or consulted in the design process? Lotte Cohn was strong feminist advocate for improving designed domestic spaces for women – but gender equality belongs everywhere, not just in the home.  Her “living kitchen” example was a bold step towards gender equality in her day. Based on [Home Gender and Planning in Mandatory Palestine]

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Environmental Efficiency (Reading and Building Scope)

How does the architecture respond to and deal with its local environment? It is designed in a way to work with its bio-climate or against? Are the requirements of its program met in a efficient way?  With the advent of air conditioning and float glass and their commercial availability – a whole new way of building was born.  However the all-glass facade, while a win for the dreams of van der rohe, created all new problems of environmental efficiency. Lever House, by Skidmore, Owens, & Merril, used Solex in its facade, which continually taxed the air conditioning system and the spandrels on its south-facing facade were prone to cracking due to the thermal buildup.  Based on [Deep Space, Thin Walls]

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Economics

Who will economically benefit from the potential land value increases or decreases, increased access to markets, and access transportation.  For example, When Washington State passed a bill requiring the state to have another commercial airport built, the committee proposed expanding the Olympia Regional Airport, as it was located in the states capital.  While residents of the nearby neighborhoods were vehemently opposed – many business were supportive – because they there was an economical benefit.

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Guidelines for Researching & Critiquing Architecture

 

Read

1. Read carefully and take the time to understand what is being said
2. Pay attention to assumptions, biases, and arguments
3. Identify the context

Record

1. Consider the projects unique characteristics – general assumptions & feelings are not adequate
2. Accuracy is key – look for official documents, stamped drawings, peer-reviewed journals, or articles in regarded journalism
3. Sifting and Sorting is required; discrimination is necessary, a personal bias is implicit
4. If possible, visit the site in person

Reconstruct

1. Choose Specific details of a building to critique. Just like a perspectival drawing, we can only see certain planes, so choose a few things to focus on.
2. Architectural Criticism is about telling a story to inform others, and to open a discourse about understanding the work as a work.
3. Deconstruct the building and look at all the parts, detail how and why they were used. reconstruct it and pay attention to the interactions between all the parts and the narrative they tell as they come together.

Relocate

1. Focus on whole details. Details that influence a wider frame of reference than the building itself. The location it is in, the culture it expresses or the architectural knowledge it possesses.
2. Set the site in the context or region. Compare it to other works in the region, from the same architect, or other buildings with similar contexts or intentions. Does the project add anything to the greater discourse?
3. Consider what other frames the project can be analyzed through
4. What frames would be helpful for creating discourse and a better built environment?