Author: Adrian Gee
STUDIO PROJECT
Architecture as a Solution to a set of Parameters: Architecture should be analyzed based off of its success (or failure) in fulfilling the set of parameters that the project was commissioned for. If the building that is constructed fails to properly satisfy any of the purposes it was originally commissioned for in the first place, then it should have failed as an architectural project, even if it is the most beautiful piece of art in the world. Likewise, if a project is very ugly, but does an excellent job in providing answers to the set of problems it was commissioned to resolve, it still holds some architectural merit.
Application: This project does succeed relatively well in providing a solution for the parameters that were provided for it. It not only checks off the programatic criteria that were given to it, but it also satisfies the parameters of being able to be built practically and also the the parameter of fitting in with the established structures around it by mimicking their use of materials.
Architecture’s Incorporation of the Technology Available to It: Architecture should be analyzed based off of how well it incorporates the technology available to it into its design. If modern technology is incorporated well into a buildings design, it should be praised, and if it is incorporated poorly into a design, it should be critiqued. Based on Deep Space, Thin Walls: Environmental and Material Precursors to the Postwar Skyscraper.
Application: This project succeeds in utilizing technology that could realistically be incorporated into it if it were actually constructed, however, it does not push the boundaries of innovation in this regard. It sticks to the use of more standard materials and accomplishes nothing ground breaking in terms of incorporating new, state of the art tech, and instead sticks to more dated, yet tried and true, technologies.
A Building’s Ability to Communicate its Function: Architecture should be analyzed by its successful communication of the function it serves. A building should not look like a public space that is available to the public when it is in fact a private space. Based on The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered
Application: This building deliberately tries to project a function other than the one it actually serves. In this regard, this project falls pretty short of this frame, as it compromises communicating its function in order to strengthen the narrative behind it. Looking at the structure from its most heavily-trafficked facades, this structure communicates that it is similar to the other academic buildings on campus, and it hides behind this charade an open air courtyard protected by natural elements.
A Room’s Ability to Provide a Comfortable Space for Human Use: A constructed room should be analyzed by the level of comfort it provides its inhabitants. A room that cannot be practically used due to a low levels of comfortability should be criticized.
Application: Not a room per se, but the courtyard area of this project would be very comfortable for human habitation. It is specifically designed to provide a break from the business of the campus world around it, and is designed to lighten the mental load on its inhabitants. It is a success in terms of this frame.
Architecture’s Practicality to the People who are Actually Going to be Using It: Architecture should be analyzed in regard to the practicality it has to the people who are actually going to be using the spaces it creates. Architecture that does not consider the viewpoint of the people who are actually going to be using the space should be criticized as shortsighted. Based on Home Planning and Gender in Mandatory Palestine.
Application: This project is well designed for the people who are actually going to be using it (should it be built), as it was designed by an individual of its target demographic. Its design also takes into account the way the site is currently used (even without any constructs), and implements and embellishes these uses into its final product.
Neighborhood Housing as a means of Unification or Division: Architecture, and in particular the architecture of community housing or areas, should be analyzed based off of its influence on either unifying or segregating the communities it affects. Depending on the context of the project, either end of this spectrum could be praised or criticized.
Application: Non-applicable
Architecture as a Tool of the Government: Architecture can be analyzed by the role it plays in furthering the agenda of the state that commissioned it. Depending on the project, the state’s influence on architecture works can diminish its formal value, but also speaks to the importance that work may hold on a national level. Based on Li, Jie, and Zhang, 2016, Red Legacies in China: Cultural Afterlives of the Communist Revolution.
Application: Non-applicable
Architecture as a Representation of Culture: Architecture should be analyzed on its ability to represent the culture of a people, either successfully or unsuccessfully. There are multitudes of projects that have been commissioned with this goal in mind, only to have failed miserably and be deemed as racist or a form of appropriation, but there have been successes as well.
Application: This project successfully represents the culture of the campus that it would be a part of, should it actually be constructed. It mirrors the ornamented red brick theme that is prevalent in the other buildings on the UO campus, and unabashedly utilizes this to play into the existing culture.
Architecture as a Call to Action: Architecture can be analyzed on its ability to create unrest among its subjects, and call people to action in regards to the power dynamics or social relations of society. The level of social change that architecture provokes can be a tool used to analyze it. Based on I Mean to be Critical, But…
Application: This project comes up lacking in regard to this analytical frame. This is not a critical piece of architecture: it simply provides a nice area for students and other campus-goers to take a nice mental break or enjoy their lunches, and does not have any deeper commentary about the world around it. The fractured nature of it and the depiction of the natural vegetation eating away at the built structures of the project I suppose could be read by some as calling to action the idea of scaling back the established structures in favor of more vegetation, however, this was not the intention behind it.
FRAME FROM COHORT: Occupant’s Personal Touches (Room/Space): Architecture, specifically in terms of interiors, must recognize the innate need for people to leave their mark on their domestic spaces, making them their own. Before the advent of modernism, homes were highly ornamented and decorated spaces, which echoed the interests and tastes of their occupants. These spaces prioritized coziness and an emphasis on the idea of dwelling in the space. Conversely, traditional modernism moved away from these kinds of interiors in favor of stark, minimalist rooms with little sign of life. These spaces can be seen as cold and devoid of meaning, while more decorated spaces show more personality.
Application: This project almost completely fails in regard to this analytical frame. The materiality of it (mainly brick and concrete) does not give its inhabitants much to work with in terms of making it their own, and it not designed for that. It is supposed to be a communal space that can be used and enjoyed by anybody, and thus deters people from claiming it.
MY HOME (1697 Riverview St)
Architecture as a Solution to a set of Parameters: Architecture should be analyzed based off of its success (or failure) in fulfilling the set of parameters that the project was commissioned for. If the building that is constructed fails to properly satisfy any of the purposes it was originally commissioned for in the first place, then it should have failed as an architectural project, even if it is the most beautiful piece of art in the world. Likewise, if a project is very ugly, but does an excellent job in providing answers to the set of problems it was commissioned to resolve, it still holds some architectural merit.
Application: This building is a little bit dated (having been constructed in 1937), and so it falls short in some areas of fulfilling the parameters of a residence in todays world. For the time period it was constructed in, however, it was probably more successful in this area. The biggest short coming I have noticed is the lack of 3 pronged outlets in the house; except for a few odd cases here and there, most of the outlets only have holes for 2 prongs of a plug.
Architecture’s Incorporation of the Technology Available to It: Architecture should be analyzed based off of how well it incorporates the technology available to it into its design. If modern technology is incorporated well into a buildings design, it should be praised, and if it is incorporated poorly into a design, it should be critiqued. Based on Deep Space, Thin Walls: Environmental and Material Precursors to the Postwar Skyscraper.
Application: Similar to the frame above this one, the house I’m sure was successful in implementing the technology that was available to it when it was constructed, but nowadays it falls a bit short. The gas heaters that are protruding 6 inches from at least one wall in every room for lengths of 6-12 feet do serve their purpose of heating the house well, but are significantly outdated technology and are quite cumbersome. Similarly, the insulation in the house could definitely be improved.
A Building’s Ability to Communicate its Function: Architecture should be analyzed by its successful communication of the function it serves. A building should not look like a public space that is available to the public when it is in fact a private space. Based on The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered
Application:
A Room’s Ability to Provide a Comfortable Space for Human Use: A constructed room should be analyzed by the level of comfort it provides its inhabitants. A room that cannot be practically used due to a low levels of comfortability should be criticized.
Application: The house definitely succeeds against this frame. One of the biggest draws to this house in particular was its “coziness”. The barn-like exterior and the comfort of the narrow spaces and living areas made this house particularly appealing in our search for housing.
Architecture’s Practicality to the People who are Actually Going to be Using It: Architecture should be analyzed in regard to the practicality it has to the people who are actually going to be using the spaces it creates. Architecture that does not consider the viewpoint of the people who are actually going to be using the space should be criticized as shortsighted. Based on Home Planning and Gender in Mandatory Palestine.
Application: The house succeeds in regards to this frame. Even for the contemporary year, almost 100 years after it was initially built, the house can still be used to serve its practical function, mostly successfully. This speaks volumes toward its practicality, especially for the people that inhabited it when it was freshly built.
Neighborhood Housing as a means of Unification or Division: Architecture, and in particular the architecture of community housing or areas, should be analyzed based off of its influence on either unifying or segregating the communities it affects. Depending on the context of the project, either end of this spectrum could be praised or criticized.
Application: Non-applicable
Architecture as a Tool of the Government: Architecture can be analyzed by the role it plays in furthering the agenda of the state that commissioned it. Depending on the project, the state’s influence on architecture works can diminish its formal value, but also speaks to the importance that work may hold on a national level. Based on Li, Jie, and Zhang, 2016, Red Legacies in China: Cultural Afterlives of the Communist Revolution.
Application: Non-applicable
Architecture as a Representation of Culture: Architecture should be analyzed on its ability to represent the culture of a people, either successfully or unsuccessfully. There are multitudes of projects that have been commissioned with this goal in mind, only to have failed miserably and be deemed as racist or a form of appropriation, but there have been successes as well.
Application: This house does not really convey or represent a culture. It is intended to mimic the style of a barn on its exterior, and is fairly unremarkable in its interior spaces. It basically consists of a living space, a kitchen, a bathroom, and 3 private bedrooms, which I suppose could communicate the American culture well, but not specifically.
Architecture as a Call to Action: Architecture can be analyzed on its ability to create unrest among its subjects, and call people to action in regards to the power dynamics or social relations of society. The level of social change that architecture provokes can be a tool used to analyze it. Based on I Mean to be Critical, But…
Application: If there is any criticality in this building or the intention of the designer, it goes completely unnoticed. This building seems constructed strictly for its programatic function, and nothing more. It completely fails as a call to action.
FRAME FROM COHORT: Occupant’s Personal Touches (Room/Space): Architecture, specifically in terms of interiors, must recognize the innate need for people to leave their mark on their domestic spaces, making them their own. Before the advent of modernism, homes were highly ornamented and decorated spaces, which echoed the interests and tastes of their occupants. These spaces prioritized coziness and an emphasis on the idea of dwelling in the space. Conversely, traditional modernism moved away from these kinds of interiors in favor of stark, minimalist rooms with little sign of life. These spaces can be seen as cold and devoid of meaning, while more decorated spaces show more personality.
Application: This building greatly succeeds in this regard. The lack of program in the living spaces and bedrooms of the home, coupled with the easily patch-able drywall interior walls lends itself greatly to the inhabitant’s ability to make the space their own. Personally, I have already made a number of improvements to suit my needs: I built a shelf above my closet rod, installed floating shelves to display my objects of sentimental value, and have hung many pictures and other personal artifacts on the walls with great ease.
REFLECTION
For the most part, these frames were extremely helpful in my analysis of these two buildings. They definitely help guide my thought process in terms of reviewing an architectural work’s successes or failures. Some frames were not applicable, however, they definitely would be applicable for other buildings. It does not hurt having a set of general frames that can be applied to almost all buildings, and then having other sets of frames that are specifically designed to analyze different subsets or types of architectural works for further depth. Moving forward, I do believe my frames could benefit from a little bit more refinement, and even simply just adding more of them. I think this concept of analytical frames establishes a really great framework people can use to measure the successes or failures of architectural works, that is also adaptable enough to suit every individual critic’s needs.
