ARC 141 Final Review -- "Definitions"
Michael Meredith
"architects make representations of buildings"
Louis Sullivan
"form ever follows function" - Wainwright Building: Modern utilitarian, yet organic.
NIMBY
"refers to the idea that, while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, such as prisons, landfills, or chemical plants, they insist theses place be located away from where they live"- NOT IN MY BACK YARD
Farshid Moussavi
"the function of form" - Built forms providing a link between individuals with different views.
EPA
*Environmental Protection Agency: Created in 1970, inspired by advocacy by Rachel Carson *Result of Rachel Carson's activism Example of grassroots movements creating pushback
LEED
*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: certification system that sets standards for green buildings *Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design.
feminist practices
*Lori brown book critiquing underrepresentation of women in architecture *questioning normative design relations and their expected outcomes. "Designing through feminist critiques questions whose voice the designer ultimately represents, whose vision is being created, and what the products produced need to be."(Lori Brown) calls on the need for interdisciplinary work
DDT
*Pesticide effective in controlling mosquitos, but had unintended consequences on the health of people and the environment *pesticides that had detrimental effects on humans the environment, and particularly on birds Rachel Carson "Silent Spring" externalities/ unintended consequences
Modern
*To be modern meant to believe in progress and to embrace the new space-time experience and freedom engendered by break-throughs in engineering and transportation. *A term used to describe a major movement during the 20th century which was a response to the high rate of technological advancement.
duck and decorated shed
*Venturi and Brown: saw modern architecture as a "duck" where meaning was form-based and generated by an exclusive set of codes. In its place they advocated for "decorated sheds" or conventional buildings with applied symbols. *Duck= Modern/ built for it purpose Decorated Shed= Postmodern/ built and then given signage to show its purpose
Yingzao Fashi
- Compendium of Chinese building methods - Compiled by author (Li Jie) and superintendent of state buildings (conservative) - Set practical, unified set of architectural standards - Cai-fen is an 8 ranking system for timber in construction. - Intended to be disseminated to the larger public. Its aim was to reduce waste an correct bad practices.
postmodern
*a general term to describe a philosophical stance that questions modern assumptions about social progress, human reason, and a fixed notion of truth. *Not simply the period "after" modernism (just as postcolonialism isn't necessarily a time period) Postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. In essence, it stems from a recognition that reality is not simply mirrored in human understanding of it, but rather, is constructed as the mind tries to understand its own particular and personal reality. Postmodernism is highly skeptical of explanations which claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodern architecture is marked by the re-emergence of surface ornament, contextualism, irony, historical reference in decorative forms, and non-orthogonal angles.
top-down
*an executive decision maker or other top person makes the decisions of how something should be done *rule from the top of a hierarchical system, a few expert elites, "expert planning" Robert Moses
polysemic
*capable of being understood in more than one way *Postmodern Charles Jencks Singular idea that is bad to modernism Many ideas to postmodernism
modernity
*changes brought about by the industrial revolution *paradoxical experience of the modern metropolis-- fleeting, ephemeral. Aspirational
tabula rasa
*clean slate approach of modern designers *the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions [Lina Bo Bardi] also broke with tabula rasa conceptions, such as those on display in Brasilia, and integrated site-specific concerns and historical concerns
populism
*doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite *Robert Venturi Postmodernism speaking to a larger audience
sustainability
*meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs *Addressing a growing need for architectural to be environmentally responsible, architects and designers have scrutinized the building industry and proactively rethought the relationship between architecture and the environment. Philosophers had written about the environment for centuries, but ecological consciousness and theoretical discourse dramatically expanded in the latter half of the 20th century. A grassroots campaign against environmental destruction but generally maintains the modern movements faith in science, technology, and progress, but with a heightened sensitivity to possible negative effects.
Architecture
*not a single definition. Common arguments include "buildings designed with a view to aesthetic appeal," structures that have a cognitive effect on the viewer, and that "It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think" *You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials, you build houses and palaces. That is construction. Ingenuity is at work.But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good, I am happy and I say: "This is beautiful." That is Architecture. Art enters in" -Le Corbusier
architecture theory
*speculative system of concepts intended to explain phenomena in the built environment *A speculative system of concepts intended to explain phenomena A discourse that describes architecture, identifies challenges to it Poses alternative solutions- it is speculative, anticipatory, catalytic
greenwashing
*the act of advertising and marketing environmentally sustainable practices more than actually implementing them. *a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization's products, aims and/or policies are environmentally friendly. example- McDonald's advertisement and LEED certified buildings
modernism
*the cultural expression or celebration of modernization *In the 20th century architects grappled with adapting to the rapidly changing environment around them. Changing social and political circumstances and advancements in science and tech spurred exciting new ways of thinking about and design architecture New material such reinforced concrete, mass-produced glass, and steel provided architects with new opportunities for spatial expression Sough to express the spirit of the age - zeitgeist - in provocative ways Sought to achieve a break from the past and experimented with formal simplicity, abstraction, mass-produced materials, efficiency Le Corbusier - "house is a machine for living" - cultural tendencies, artistic formations, ideas that celebrate modernization. Cultural manifestation the growth of industrial society. Rejects the certainty of the Enlightenment. Celebration, faith in progress, experimentation (James Joyce, LeCorbusier, Picasso, Mondrian)
bottom-up
*works from grassroots, people forming a movement. Incremental, looking at everyday occurrences rather than large interests *rule from the bottom of a hierarchical system, many everyday participants, "grassroots" Jane Jacobs Rachel Carson
Ibn Khaldun
- A Tunisian historian - Offered a grand theory for the rise and fall of civilizations - Broaches the topic of urban planning (nomadic and sedentary culture) - He describes methods of construction and detailed machines.. (like Vitruvius)
De Architectura (10 Books on Architecture) by Vitruvius
- Known to be foundational book on architectural theory - Written by Roman architect Vitruvius who worked for the Emperor (conservative) - Covers Roman architecture, the education of an architect, proportioning systems, materials, decorations, machines... - Revealed more about Greek architecture than Roman - Emphasis on symmetry and proportion
Stan Allen, "Introduction: Practice vs. Project" - Dumb Practice/Theory
- Practice appeals to a project, an overreaching theoretical construct - Theory makes up for what practice lacks; to create unity between the disparate procedures of design and construction - Dumb Practice: Following architectural concepts too closely (Ex- Sheraton Hotel) - Dumb Theory: Architecture is removed from environment entirely, does not meet its function.(Ex-City of Culture of Galicia)
"Design Intelligence and the New Economy" by Micheal Speaks
- Theory has lost touch and does not effect the practice of architecture - Paradigm shifts from philosophy to theory to intelligence - Philosophical, political, and scientific truth have fragmented into proliferating swarms of 'little' truths - Knowledge based, constantly evolving global organizations, rapid prototyping, design intelligence Ex: Barclay Center (SHoP Architects) - Relied heavily on digital tools. Use of parametric modeling - Designed collaboratively with architects, engineers, material experts
"Its Out There... The formal Limits of the American Avante Garde" by Micheal Speaks
-Animate forms of practice, not animated forms. - Architecture will have to develop a dynamics that marches that of our globalized metropolis.
Zero by Charles Correa
-Describes architects use of the ancient sacred diagram of the mandala in conceiving the Arts Center in Jaipur, India - Mathematical subdivision of the sacred diagram - Vortex of energy at the center of structure
Kyle Miller on Formalism
-Grids, plans, etc are mediums of architecture - Architecture is made of form, space, order, and orientation - Stripping away historical content of a building and studying the formal composition (grid) and compare that to contemporary architecture
Micheal Speaks Lecture Notes
-Modernity(truth), Post-Modernity(no truth), Super-modernity(plausible truth) - We do not need to experience architecture physically, we can understand/read it through images. Images become architecture - The bullshitter doesn't intentionally lie, they don't care just try to influence you - Design is about speculating. You are given conditions and you bullshit. The design speculates what might be true - The most important firms no longer have ideology, they just create - Architecture follows the trends of fashion ex: Gucci goes from collections to individuals, runways to influencers on instagram. Former architect Virgil Ablo turned fashion designer
Discourse
A debate, exchange of ideas. Designs that support conversation, discussion, and exchange between people.
redlining
A discriminatory real estate practice in North America in which members of minority groups are prevented from obtaining money to purchase homes or property in predominantly white neighborhoods. The practice derived its name from the red lines depicted on cadastral maps used by real estate agents and developers. Today, redlining is officially illegal.
Paradigm
A framework in which experiments are performed in support of the generally accepted theory. A paradigm shift breaks with this understanding.
Parametric Design
A process based not on fixed metric qualities but on consistent relationships.
block busting
A process by which real estate agents convince white property owners to sell their houses at low prices because of fear that persons of color will soon move into the neighborhood
restrictive covenant
A provision in a deed to real property prohibiting its sale to a person of a particular race or religion. Judicial enforcement of such deeds is unconstitutional.
Parametricism
Addresses contemporary societal demands for mass customization adaptation and responsiveness.
7 Ways to Transform Studio Cultures
Agency, Balance, Flexibility, Diversity, Interactivity, Interdisciplinary, Sustainability
contingency
Another variant of formalism: Observing outside influences such as climate, existing building conditions, materials, and culture.
design intelligence
Approach proposed by Michael Speaks suggesting that intelligence should replace theory in the 21st century. Inspired by military strategies and the CIA. Emphasizes practice that develops flexible, adaptive and open systems which therefore stay up to date and show a high level of robustness.
dumb practice
Architect disappears, simply answers needs of client to maximize profits. No care of aesthetic preferences. (Bicycle Shed, Sheraton)
Texas Rangers
Architects who taught at UT SOA in the 50's, emphasized spatial organization
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Zero"
Charles Correa. -reflects on architectural form in the South Asian context -details his use of the ancient sacred diagram of the mandala and Louis Kahn's concept of "volume zero" in conceiving of architectural form -describes the mathematical subdivisions of the vastu-purush mandala in which the center is always reserved for shunya (nothingness), a vortex of energy at the center
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: The Language of Postmodern Architecture
Charles Jencks. -'death of modern architecture' happened on 15th July, 1972, the day the Pruitt-Igoe Housing in St Louis, a symbol of all that went wrong in modern urbanism, was demolished. -criticizes projects that didn't connect architecture with the public -goals of modern movement had been hijacked by commercial interests -advocated pluralist architecture, which was polyvalent or open to multiple meanings.
Mathematics of the Ideal Villa
Colin Rowe's 1976 compares via formal analysis, Andrea Palladio's Villa Malcontenta and Le Corbusier's Villa Garches (deviation at the plan vs. at the section) Compares and contrasts the rectangular volumes, structural systems (load-bearing construction vs. "five points" free plan column grid), and roof systems (pitched roof vs. flat roof) Close reading of the plan organizations and mathematical proportioning. Palladio plans are similar on each floor, LeCorbusier plans are dramatically different at each level. Proportioning emphasized in Palladio plan, LeCorbusier façade.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Mathematics of the Ideal Villa"
Colin Rowe. -makes a compelling case for the continuity between architectural modernism and its classical precursors -compares Palladio and Le Corbusier, analyzes their works' underlying mathematical proportioning systems, taking note of a series of similarities and dissimilarities. -uses diagrams for comparison
Condition of Postmodernity
David Harvey book: claims shift from modernism to postmodernism was the result of political and economic transformations that alter perception of space and time
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Architecture from Without: Body, Logic, and Sex"
Diana Agrest. -critiqued phallocentric, male-dominated conceptions of architecture -borrows from poststructuralist philosophy -argues that women have been repressed and excluded by the "system of architecture" established during the Renaissance. -Renaissance establishes the male body at the center of the unconscious of architectural rules and configurations.
autonomy
Dumb Theory: Focusing only on the autonomous architectural object and its formal operations instead of its context. (Eisenman)
The New York Five
Hejduk, Meier, Eisenman, Graves, Gwathmey - Common allegiance to a pure form of modernism
Architectural Syntax
Establishes the means to reading a building.
Autonomy
Freedom from external control/contingency or influence. Formalism favors attention to the autonomous architectural object and its formal operations.
What is architectural theory?
Generally, it is said that architectural theory is a system of concepts intended to explain why architecture is how it is.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Architecture for the Poor: An Experiment in Rural Egypt"
Hassan Fathy. -theorized the advantages this approach could have not only culturally, but also economically and environmentally. -discusses his project for the rural village of New Gourna in the 1940s: housed displaced residents, engaged residents in the decision-making process -used traditional building techniques and low-cost materials, such as adobe brick, to create passively cooled and culturally attuned environments -critical of Western forms of modernism imposed on foreign contexts
Pruitt-Igoe
St. Louis housing project. Charles Jencks believes modern architecture died with its demolition and advocates for pluralist architecture.
"less is more"
Idea proposed by Mies Van Der Rohe see in his Barcelona Pavilion that was a prominent aspect of modernism
Formalism
In architecture, formalism is "that type of thought which stresses rule-governed relationships... it is concerned with the 'how' of things rather than the 'why' - Alan Colquhoun
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: Introduction to Architecture: Global Disciplinary Knowledge
Joseph Godlewski. -serves as a critical survey of architectural theory as a field of heterogeneous, often conflicting positions -to allow students to situate own work in broad spectrum of theories -includes voices from beyond white male Eurocentric perspective
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "An Architecture of Change"
José L. S. Gámez and Susan Rogers -"voices from the margins" (oppressed, traditionally underrepresented, marginalized, disenfranchised people) are calling for an architecture that serves a broader and more diverse community of actors. -design does not need to be compromised in the process of serving the needs of others -engagement with the political forces that shape theories, practices, academies, policies, and communities -advocate a foundational theory that is based on action and uses participatory, community-based design (not formalist aesthetics) -advocate "dismantling academies" and building places that create the conditions to have a revolution.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "A Theory of Ecological Design"
Ken Yeang -stresses the need for establishing the holistic properties of ecological design, which must be inclusive, compre-hensive, and open -ecological architecture must minimize the negative impacts that it has on the earth's ecosystems and resources -ecological design is not a retreating battle, but on the contrary a designed system that can contribute productively to the environment -very forward thinking -buildings are much like living organisms
The 5 Points of a New Architecture (Le Corbusier)
Le Pilots-the columns. Raising the building. Roof Garden- The roof just as strong as floors. Pre industrial. Life outside. Healthy living. Free Plan- Less load bearing walls. Ribbon Window- Framing window. Collective not individual. Panorama view. Free Facade- Thinner exterior to emphasize volumes inside.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Shanghai Modern: Reflections on Urban Culture in China in the 1930s"
Leo Ou-fan Lee. -describes Shanghai and people actively creating their own modernity involving a mix of foreign and indigenous actors, Western and Chinese cultures, and production and consumption. -Shanghai seen as the "Paris of Asia:" home to modern consumer goods and amenities -mediation between the neoclassicism of British imperial power and the ebullient new spirit of American capitalism
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Problems with Architectural Theory"
Lina Bo Bardi. -embraces her role as an educator and critically reflects on "problems with architectural theory. -writes, "It is a professor's obligation to keep abreast of the developments in his discipline, since students need to not only learn about concepts, but also to receive interpretation and clarification from the professor -suspicious of the theory-practice divide in architecture -warns against wholeheartedly accepting certain treatises stresses importance of knowing "why one does what one does in one way, and not in another"
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "7 Ways to Transform Studio Culture & Bring It into the 21st Century"
Lori Brown & Joseph Godlewski. -Argues that studio culture is trapped in an outdated and parochial understanding of how design knowledge is produced -studios value expertise over synthesis and image over process and practice -argues there is an urgent need to reconfigure the institution of studio in order to address the pressing academic and professional issues of the time -lays guiding principles: agency, balance, flexibility, diversity, interactivity, interdisciplinarity, and sustainability.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: "Black Bodies, White Cities"
Mabel Wilson. -examines representations of black identity in the context of Jazz Age Harlem with a focus on a number of dialectical relationships (whiteness/blackness, order/disorder, and modern/primitive) -telling of Le Corbusier's 1935 visit to Harlem and his simultaneous "astonishment and disdain" -argues that it's through what is excluded that lies at the heart of modern identity. -Le Corbusier's Radiant City is "predicated upon physical topographic boundaries underwritten by racial difference"
parametricism
Manifesto by Schumacher: idea roar animation, simulation, and parametric modeling have inspired a new movement with new ambitions and values.
Hannover principles
McDonough and Braungart: influential enumeration of the emerging values about environmental design
Contingency
Planning for environmental circumstances
Peter Eisenman
Project, pure research, autonomous, dogmatic
"Learning from Las Vegas"
Robert Venturi book: emphasizes that architects can be inspired by Las Vegas billboards to create ornamented "decorated sheds"
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture
Robert Venturi. -argues for what he calls a "nonstraightforward" architecture. -in direct opposition with orthodox modernism -argues for an architecture that is hybrid, distorted, ambiguous, inclusive, and allows for multiple and layered meanings -argues for richness of meaning rather than clarity of meaning; for the implicit function as well as the explicit function
Bateson Building
State office building completed in 1981 that emphasizes energy efficiency, includes passive heating and cooling features
"less is a bore"
Saying by Robert Venturi that exemplifies postmodernism
spatial agency
The idea of architecture as a politically active field which serves a broader community of actors
Architectural Theory
The way to comprehend why people design the way that they do.
Who is the author and what is the argument put forth in: Cradle to Cradle
William McDonough and Michael Braungart. -radically inclusive -advocates restructuring the industry so it stops producing large amounts of waste and actually improves the earth's ecosystems -cradle to grave produces waste, cradle-to-cradle design is regenerative in that its byproducts never become waste and instead cycle back and enrich the ecosystem -extends beyond architecture to whole of industrial manufacturing -not just minimizing negative influences on earth, giving back to it -posthumanism: examines moral concerns beyond sphere of human beings
Iroquois longhouse
a long rectangular communal space conceived with seventh generation principle. It was constructed of local saplings and covered with tree bark panels
posthumanism
a philosophy that examines moral concerns beyond the sphere of human beings (influential in environmental architecture)
parametric design
a process based not on fixed metric quantities but on consistent relationships between objects, allowing changes in a single element to propagate corresponding changes throughout the system
activism (and examples)
activist architecture creatively borrows from fields of knowledge outside of normative architectural practice with the intent of disrupting the status quo. Jane Jacobs, Hassan Fathy, Gamez and Rogers, Rural studio
"characteristics of postmodernism"
architecture that is hybrid, distorted, ambiguous, inclusive, and allows for multiple and layered meanings. Uses cladding and ornamentation.
Meeting the needs of the present
aspect of sustainable architecture that emphasizes meeting present needs while not compromising future generations
BIPOC
black, Indigenous and people of colo
formalism
concerned with the visible configuration of a design and the relationships determining how the elements are arranged
externalities
consequence or effect that sits outside the box, not taken into account in the design of a decision, or product, or process
discourse
conversation, debate
dialectics (and examples)
dialogue or debate between two or more opposing viewpoints. bicycle shed vs. building, autonomy vs contingency, practice vs theory, top-down vs. bottom up.
dumb theory
elaborate theoretical construct that tries to get rid of exterior forces and fails to incorporate things such as user preferences, culture, budget, ect. Eisenmen, Greg Lynn
form
external appearance of an object as distinguished from color, texture, and material
pragmatic realism
hovering between theory and practice. Practice as the intersection of architectures inside and it's outside (area of overlap). Guggenhein Museum is an example of this.
Whole Earth Catalog
magazine that promoted ecological consciousness and self-sufficiency with the slogan "access to tools"
grassroots (and examples)
organization in which ordinary people regarded as the main body of an organization's membership. Jane Jacobs advocacy, Rachel Carson
humanism
philosophy informed by the secu-lar study of history and science that emphasizes the importance of human agency rather than supernatural or divine forces
polyvalent
pluralist architecture is polyvalent, or having many functions or forms
seventh generation principle
principle by the Iroquois that states that generations cannot think only of immediate survival, but that decisions should be made to safeguard a sustainable world seven generations into the future.
pushback
resistance or opposition in response to a policy or regulation especially by those affected
intersectionality
the ways in which co-existing identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and class overlap and reinforce systems of oppression
unintended consequences
unforeseen or unplanned effects of a particular action
Vitruvian Triad
utilitas(convenience), firmitas(durability), venustas(beauty)