Thinking about architecture, and thinking with architecture.
A collection of thoughts.
THINKING ARCHITECTURE
Following are a collection of excerpts from Think Sheets. A Think Sheet is a single page typewritten thoughts in response to a reading. Each Think Sheet reflects my own experiences and values. It is not meant to be a literary criticism. I am not giving a critique of the reading or of the author’s point of view. However, it is a written document of my thoughts in response to the reading. It may not be on the same topic as the reading, although it should be simulated by content of the readings.
The following was a design exercise based on my own personal values. Upon writing a statement which outlined my own character and what defines my personality with an aim of enhancing consciousness of my own background and experiences, I then designed a metaphorical dwelling based on this. The following is an architecture which I believe encapsulates my personal values in a poetic and considered manner. The hypothetical site is next to the countryside and the coast.
I do appreciate the need and important of analysing human minds and forming a synthesis of the findings. For quite some time, I have been interested in psychology.
Why do people do what they do?
Even more so, why do I behave the way I do?
I constantly struggle with defining my values and stance on things, and transition loosely between feeling self-aware and just simply lost. I may know what kind of person I would like to be, but it does not consistently translate in my actions and behaviour. Thus why I don’t always dismiss surveys such as GOCASE and the Rokeach Value Survey. Perhaps they can provide some insight. At the very least, they force you to be honest to yourself and perform a metaphorical incision, a deep introspection.
THE CENTRAL SIX
SPENT - GEOFFREY MILLER
Personally, I respect mistakes. I am a strong advocate of Japanese thoughts and philosophies. In particular, the wabi-sabi world view: in that everything is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. I also believe that design is a process, and that it is endless. We only stop our design development because of time, money or physical constraints. Otherwise, would you be satisfied to end a design? And design is not limited to architecture. Who you are is a result of various design decisions that you have made throughout your life, molding you from one decision to the next.
From my limited experience in architecture so far, I would argue that there is a dichotomy, though blurry, in how one can approach architecture.
Architecture is concept. Architecture is context.
IDEAS
HOW ARCHITECTURE WORKS - WITOLD RYBCZYNSKI
My love (and hate) for architecture stems from everything but architecture itself. I love photography. The essence of photography for me is about capturing moments, candid, never to be repeated again. But it has to be aesthetically dramatic too, through a sensitive treatment of light and shadows. I love poetry, reading and writing. That contrast between raw, uncensored and brutal emotion against tranquillity. Essentially, I have an undying interest in the arts. I wouldn’t call it ‘fine’ arts because I particularly (and strangely) enjoy getting my hands dirty. Trained from childhood, I have grown an infinite passion for travelling and exploring. The things I have learnt and have yet to learn from travels, if put in words would be unjust. On human behaviour, I like to observe, to analyse and to conclude. I may often be wrong, but that’s okay. The synthesis of all these things is what I believe to be architecture.
Architecture has to be sensitive, but it has to be subtle. It has to work, and it has to be nostalgic. Architecture is great, majestic buildings, but it is also in your neighbourhood. It is a sculpture, but it is inhabited and used. It is appreciated by those who know, and those who don’t. Lasting, though impermanent. Ultimately, that is why I want to build.
THE TRUE FAKE
WHY WE BUILD - ROWAN MOORE
This connection between genius and neuroticism spurs the age old question: which came first? Is the neuroticism a cause of the genius mind, or vice versa?
In a way, having an enlightened mind might mean one sees what others may not see. Troubles that seem trivial to a ‘normal person’ may actually mean much more to a ‘genius’ and vice versa. Michelangelo preferred not to socialize and did not even attend his brother’s funeral. Geniuses tend to break convention. And when they do and achieve something great, they may take this for granted and forget how to be humane. It cannot be argued that Jobs achieved something truly remarkable in his lifetime, but does the end justify the means? Can one be “an insufferable asshole” just because one is considered a genius?
STEVE JOBS
WALTER ISAACSON
Your thinking and response towards anything is always subjective and personal. In trying to come up with a concept for a design, more often than not, it will be subjective. Our inspiration may be from tangible objects but from those objects we still have to draw our own interpretation. We abstract it.
My tutor commented that the concept should be safe and try to provide for the views and ideas of the general public. If your interpretation is too “wild”, it won’t work. But if our concept itself can’t be an original interpretation, what essence of your ‘self’ can be put into the design?
Grades do matter. As students, we tend to want to be safe. Even those who don’t want to be, may end up altering themselves after receiving a D. In retrospect, most of the great minds in history kept getting rejected by the masses due to their original and funky thinking (think Da Vinci). But we are held back by the idea of rejection, because it matters, because we think it will somewhat effect our future. The butterfly effect. But what if we ignored grades, played pretend that such a system never existed. How would you design? Would you still be held back in fear of rejection?
HORROR IN ARCHITECTURE
JOSHUA COMAROFF & ONG KER-SHING
If we were to apply this hypothesis in an architectural realm, it can be said that if architecture were a language, building materials would be the vocabulary used to form sentences which is the geometry of the building. It then becomes significantly imperative for architects to know of and understand the various building materials that are available and how to use them – not only from a building science aspect but more significantly to enhance and enlighten the design process.
We are always looking to be innovative, to expand our linguistic knowledge. But to do so, we must first understand the precedent. Only when we understand the capabilities and limitations of a square can we then distort, skew or subtract from it. However, this should always be justified and never just for the sake of being different. This becomes even more so important in an age where anything seems possible.
GEOMETRIES OF BEING
ANALYSING ARCHITECTURE - SIMON UNWIN
The Vitruvian principles somewhat equates good architecture with sustainable architecture. A building must be solid and durable, built to last a lifetime. A building must be useful and function well for its occupants. A building should be aesthetically pleasing and raise the people’s spirits. Good, sustainable architecture is happiness.
However, human behavior is unpredictable. Essentially, architects decide for a large group of people how they should behave in and react to a building. But to what extent can a person’s behavior be dictated by walls, openings and pathways? Just as how one decorates and furnishes their personal space, a community would effectively decide to use a space however they see best fits their needs and desires. We are constantly changing and adapting.
As architects, the least we could do is try.
THE CITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HAPPINESS PROJECT
HAPPY CITY - CHARLES MONTGOMERY
"BAD ARCHITECTURE IS IN THE END AS MUCH A FAILURE OF PSYCHOLOGY AS OF DESIGN."
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- Alain de Botton
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