by ssoto2 | May 17, 2023
Main Idea: The main idea of this reading had to do with how furniture during post-war times ultimately reflected hierarchical differences between workers as well as gender assumptions. Gendered design was a very widespread and popular idea in architecture and design in the post-war era. There was a lot of gender discrimination expressed through the design of spaces and objects. There was the most gender discrimination in office furniture. It was common for women to be associated with the lower-level, less important jobs. Men were associated with the higher-level, very important positions. A common design that you can see this gender assumption present in, is the design of office chairs. The objects that were designed for women were much smaller and less expensive. They were meant to fit their body types, but the body type that they based the design off of was very generic. It was assumed that women were small and narrow while men were larger and strangers. Women were usually provided with secretarial chairs while men had executive chairs. The secretarial chairs were small, uncomfortable, did not have any amenities and they were built in the shape of an hourglass to represent what women should look like. The executive chairs were large, comfortable and expensive. Women felt objectified in their chairs. Eventually they designed a chair for mid-level workers that was much more accommodating to both men and women. It did not objectify women’s bodies as much as the executive and secretary chairs and it could be used by a wider range of people. It also helped reinforce the idea of egalitarianism.
Interpretation: Variety of Furniture in the Knight Library
I believe that the furniture in the Knight Library shows how furniture has developed over time but it doesn’t represent gendered design anymore. In the Knight library there are lots of different types of furniture. What I found interesting is how furniture in the library is designed based on desired usage. There are areas with high chairs, sofas, regular chairs, swivel chairs, etc. Students pick where they want to sit based on what they need to get done, and what they feel is the most comfortable to fit their needs. Most of the time these days, no one is concerned with what gender will be using the furniture because it doesn’t really matter anymore. Gendered design has evolved and now individuals can choose their furniture however they would like. This relates to the idea of the unhoused because the library is a place where a lot of people go when they feel like they need to get out of their homes. It provides a space for students and the general public to spend time and do whatever they need to do. It is also a comfortable environment. A large part of it being comfortable has to do with the large amount of different options for seating and furniture.
This photo shows the different types of furniture that they have in the Knight Library. There is couches, regular chairs, swivel chairs, etc. People can choose whatever furniture is most comfortable for them.
by Michaela | May 13, 2023
Article Summary:
As a society, we have attached to this need to hold power; Power over the environment, power over politics, and power over one another. We have inhabited a disciplinary society and as a result, we use surveillance to exercise this. There is clarity in knowing what your surroundings are and what lies around the corner. “It is the fact of being constantly seen, of being able always to be seen, that maintains the disciplined individual in his subjection (Jones pg. 3)”. During the 19th century, new modes of cognition and control were adopted as all certainty was further based on visibility alone.
As modern architecture and the idea of the “new age” rises, surveillance and visibility become important aspects to designs. Materials such as glass, steel, and concrete now embody the new architecture movement and modernity. I’d argue that glass was the most important element to the modern movement due to the fact that nothing can hinder the gaze from either the interior or the exterior. “It is what connects and implicates Modernist architecture in the constitution and operation of the surveillance society (Jones pg. 7)”. Now people rely only on the sure path of reason. Designers wanted to create clear, organic architecture, that was visible from all aspects; Nothing hiding, and nobody not being seen.
Building Interpretation:
The 541 Sushi Bar located on the corner of Pearl Street and Broadway in Eugene Oregon creates a welcoming open space by providing natural lighting through the large windows facing East. These windows help make the rather small restaurant feel bigger as it connects the outside to the interior of the space allowing people to feel surrounded and encapsulated in the exterior environment. There is also an aspect of entertainment that is at play with the large windows, as customers can watch and observe what is going on outside. The total presence in the light also acts as a good visibility strategy for those inside the building.
This is where we see the Western philosophy appearing as surveillance becomes very important to companies in America. “Surveillance plays a key role in the disciplinary society, being a specific ‘disciplinary mechanism and an organizing principle behind many others (Jones pg.2)”. And as values in technology grew, surveillance cameras were put in place to keep people accountable for their actions. The architecture of the building provides a visual power that keeps people in line; Open spaces, windows, and surveillance cameras give the owners of the building clarity and closure knowing that they know everything that goes on in their store without them physically having to be present. Modern architecture has been adaptive to the new surveillance society and uses techniques to exploit man’s actions.
by ssoto2 | May 10, 2023
Part 1: Summary
The main topic of this reading had to do with the homelessness of people in the postwar period. This does not mean people who were homeless because they didn’t have a home or they couldn’t afford one. It had to do with the way that homes were designed in this particular time period and how they represented homelessness. In this time period, modern architecture meant constant changes and nothing was ever stable. The reading defines modernity as leaving home. Homes were built transparently with little intimacy, zero personal expression and now way to leave your mark on the home. They were not meant to feel warm or inviting because you were encouraged to be leaving the house. Instead of having comfortable and inviting homes, people relied on their offices, clubs and the streets to provide them with a “home.” People were encouraged to find security and coziness through their neighbors, communities and the people who they interacted with. The home did not need to provide this for them any longer. It was believed that the naked interior of homes would convince people that material items were much less important than the social aspect of life. It was noted that during this time period of design it was hard for individuals to become inhabited in their homes because they could not adapt to such a cold and empty structure. There was definitely some controversy surrounding this new form of “modern” design because other designers such as Sibyl Moholy-Nagy believed that there was such a thing as too much neutrality and transparency, and she thought that the home should still provide privacy for the man.
Part 2: Meraki Coffee & Co. Providing a space for the unhoused people
As I mentioned in the summary, the main idea behind the reading was the fact that people were considered unhoused because of the way that homes were designed. Post war era “Modern” architecture emphasized emptiness, simplicity, transparency and zero personalization/ornamentation. Homes were purposely built to make it so that the homeowner didn’t want to spend time in the house. Instead they were encouraged to go out and public and those public spaces were intended to be “home” for them. I believe that Meraki Coffee & Co. is a good example of a space that would have probably been somewhere that an unhoused person would have gone to feel at home. It is a local coffee shop that has a very inviting interior and exterior design. The exterior is mainly wood and glass. The glass windows surrounding the building make it very inviting and welcome people from outside to come inside. The interior is where you feel most comfortable and warm. These are feelings that the unhoused people were searching for since they did not experience that in their actual homes. The inside is also made up of a lot of wood but also different materials and colors throughout. There is lots of ornament on the walls and throughout the structure. There is natural light in addition to the warm feeling given off by the Edison light bulbs. There is also a variety of different types of furniture and spaces for people to sit and do homework, socialize, or just enjoy time by themselves.
This picture shows how the interior of Meraki provides a warm and inviting space for customers to feel like they are at home while still being in a social setting.
by caslan | May 3, 2023
Reading Summary:
Peter describes the connection between architecture and the position of power, through the modern movement and its attributes. Specifically, he highlights the impact of the relationship between vision and the aspect of power through a design standpoint, and this transition into a surveillance society, which in turn distracts the purpose of architecture from that of an artistic interpretation of space to the promotion of control through omnipotence.
Peter’s main critique lies in the ideology of the modern movement. One topic lies in his assessment of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus building, as it is built with the ideas of transparency and function. He disagrees with Gropius’ principle that architecture should be of clear logic, without the need for embellished facades that take away from the truth, with the remark that the promotion of the excess in visibility is an indication of the shift towards the surveillance society, with concern that people will be in fear of the observer in power.
Architects such as Le Corbusier give way to the potential surveillance society with their ideas about architecture. The Villa Savoye, a residential estate, was built minimally in line with Corbeau’s ideas about a lack of ornamentation or decoration, as they promote an environment that is ingenuine and an obstruction of the truth. Peters also addresses the overall construction, stating that surveillance exists on both the inside and outside. The home features meticulously placed openings and empty spaces which Peters claims leads to the destruction of privacy in the residence. The raised pilotis provide vantage over the neighboring space but also reveal itself to the surrounding world.
Building Analysis:
Whole Foods is a practitioner of the outcome of a modern surveillance society. It shares a lot of the principles described by Peter Jones. Whole Foods is a high-end grocery store designed like many similar commercial environments. The east façade, housing the main entrance and exits, is a partial glass storefront wall. This creates a sense of openness from both inside and outside, dramatically reducing privacy for the user as it allows them to see out but also allows someone to see inside. Additionally, this transparency creates opportunities for natural light to enter and creates an inviting shopping environment. Whole Foods is also arranged orthogonally, like the majority of stores and city plans. This arrangement makes the store easy to navigate by creating axis and vistas, through the arrangement of the aisles, which, additionally make it easy for people on the floor to observe the customer.
Technology is contributing heavily to what defines a surveillance space. Whole Foods, like many other modern establishments, is equipped with a security camera system. When someone walks into the store, they remember they are being monitored or recorded. Though the veil of seclusion may be equipped when walking through the aisles, customers know that privacy is not achieved within the store. The high ceiling with exposed HVAC and structure also reminds the customer that they are in a commercial environment and can associate this with the feeling of being watched.
The key is, customers especially in today’s era are aware of the surveillance society. It has become the expectation to forgo privacy when entering into the public domain. Cellphones and cameras make capturing events accessible to everyone and as such the architectural language contributing to the effectiveness of surveillance becomes less disturbing. Whole Foods is a prime example of the expectation of the release of one’s privacy to accomplish a necessary task.
This image features the interior of Whole Foods while depicting the interior orthogonal layout and the security system on the ceiling.
by ssoto2 | May 2, 2023
Part 1 – Summarize the main point of the article
The main idea behind this reading is explaining how modern architecture essentially took away privacy from homes, businesses and basically any building that was designed with modern concepts in-mind. Both the materials used and the designs of spaces contributed to the loss of privacy that was associated with modern architecture. During the later half of the 18th century it was unusual to design dark spaces because they prevented visibility and the truth. It was believed that light spaces filled with white walls, glass columns and open floor plans would make it so that nothing could be hidden within the home or building. Transparency was important. Having white interior acted as a form of surveillance because you could see everything, whether it was a shadow or something standing out against the white surface. There was also very little use of ornament, designers believed that it clogged the space.
A good example of how this design idea impacted the 18th and 19th century can be seen through factory design. In the new factory designs they incorporated the modern movement ideas such as well-lit and open work spaces with lots of glass. Although this resulted in diminished privacy it made it so that everything was open. You could see the entire building no matter where you were and this made it so that no one could possibly slack on the job because they were always being seen.
Part 2 – Transparency of Camp 13 Cafe
Camp 13 Cafe located inside of the Jacqua on The University of Oregon campus is a great example of how transparency in design can lead to a lack of privacy. This cafe is located inside of the John E Jacqua Center. This building is completely made out of glass which is a large part of what I mentioned above. Glass was a sign of transparency that led to having very little privacy in a space. This is a cafe for students and faculty so it was most likely purposely designed to be a social space rather than a private area. The glass also contributes to the space being well-lit and having an airy feeling. Whether it is a sunny or a cloudy day there is always an abundance of natural light coming in through the glass.
The space is also filled with light colors which makes it even lighter. Most of the walls are painted white which makes the light wood floors stand out as well as the yellow furniture. There is not a ton of ornament in this building which is also an aspect of modern design that is mentioned in the reading. Along with all of this, the floor plan is very open. There are not many walls separating different spaces which helps eliminate privacy.
This photo shows how the entire cafe relies on the natural light coming in from outside. The walls are all glass so it allows maximum natural light.
by starkv | Apr 19, 2023
Beergarden.
This restaurant stands as a Eugene staple. It is an interesting layout as it serves as a clear bar but also has a large outdoor space with many food trucks so the actual aesthetic is vastly different as you move through them. The outside is covered by a retractable see through roof so it can be used rain or shine. The actual inside aesthetic is a comfortable wood space that feels warm and almost like a hometown pub. They have exposed beams and structure shown that give a more down to earth feel that they clearly want their customers to feel the same way. The biggest problem with their establishment is their location and parking situation. They are out of the way from many urban centers so the only way to get there would be driving or ubering. This is clearly understood as the parking lot is very unfriendly to walkers.
Location: 44.05368340697285, -123.10432787606292