Reading Reflection 13 - Naturally State-of-the-Art: Organic Architecture

Unit Summary 3 - Explorations: New Lenses for the Design World



In the design world is one wiser with or without the green glasses?
(Image of original William Wallace Denslow illustration from "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum retrieved from: http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/games/links.html)


L. Frank Baum's Emerald City from his Oz stories is an illustrative parallel to the progression of relationship between design of material culture and those who are consumers of it.

Early attempts at design were about a few, elite and influential, designers and patrons setting the standards for how others should organize their surroundings. This is the utopian ideal of an Emerald City where only those with virtue are allowed to go - where there is a dominant figure in the Wizard who rules over the city dictating who is virtuous enough to be included in the elite. Those not in the City wish to be part of it and seek out the Wizard to learn the rules; this includes our heroine Dorothy.

Subsequent generations of architects and designers revisited and often reaffirmed the work of the elite infusing more localized interpretations to the standards. As Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion are invited into the city, in the original stories, they are given special emerald-colored glasses. These glasses are worn by everyone in the Emerald City so that everyone sees it's beauty. Dorothy and her friends are initially taken in by the spectacle and believe that what the Wizard (the elite who writes the rules) says is beautify and right in the City, is. Fun is had by all.

Our most recent endeavors in design history must be a movement from the elite and educated to the egalitarian. Instead of something just for those with means and those with the credentials and educated by the right people, design after the 19th century has become about those who consume the ideas and material culture at all levels of scale. Dorothy starts to see that the glasses both enhance and obscure the Emerald City's beauty. Though only a stranger in a strange land Dorothy knows what she likes and claims her own voice in saying what the Emerald City should be. She has heard from the Wizard, she has gotten to see the City through the green glasses and now she is asking for a different pair, perhaps rose-colored.

The multiple definitions of modernism can be attributed not only to the education, training and aesthetics of those trained in design but also influenced by others outside the design world in art, music, science, industry and a host of other perspectives - even from those lay-persons who, perhaps, are lacking in much of their own perspective but want to be seen as part of the stylish crowd. Despite the multiple and incredibly variable motivations design has come to the masses through any manner of education.

As I reflect on this last unit I think that design is back to not what is design but WHO is designing, and then what is their motivation, inspiration, education, inclination, etc. Globally, and persistently through history, it has really been about WHO and that is more so true today as it was when the pharaohs of Egypt began building their tombs so that EVERYONE would know WHO they were. Each of us are part of a dance between our own individual wants, needs, desires and perspectives and the wants, needs, desires and perspectives of the collective group - it is the expression of this dance that we can see in the living art that is design.

Blog Post 14 - Scale of Design: Top 4

As an admirer of design I find myself unschooled but learning. I don't know that I have such a wealth of experience to consider myself informed but, as was said, we are all inspired by different things. Let me share with you an object, space, building and place that I find inspire my appreciation for design.


Object - Blown-Glass Vessels and Art

I appreciate design inspired by nature. Organic and natural forms are most appealing when accompanied by bright, rich and natural colors. I am particularly drawn to the austerity and cleanliness of form that glass can bring to design which can be found in functional glass-blown objects and the more playful aspects of color in art glass.

While some of Louis C. Tiffany's objects are much more elaborate and detailed I appreciate glass in simple but organic forms like this vase (photo from:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/96.17.10).

The more modern glass artwork of Dale Chihuly shares some the organic qualities with Tiffany but also includes vibrant colors that appeal to me (photo from author, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus OH, November 24, 2006).

Space - Todaiji Temple interior, Nara, Japan

The tension between simplicity, functional form, and organic qualities of design can be found in the interior of the Todaiji Temple in historic Nara. Called the Daibutsuden or Great Buddha Hall  the scale of the space reminds me of being in a forest. The use of natural materials and the somewhat simple decoration,  especially the simplicity of the statuary, is comforting. I appreciate that functional items in the space are also decorative especially the strapping and nail marks on the large pillars.

Though highly decorative things have been added over the hundreds of years the santuary of the world's largest bronze Buddha is a place where I feel sheltered and at home (photo from: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/japan/nara-todaiji).

Building - Nautilus House by Javier Senosiain

Now, I have never been in this private residence built by Senosiain but I am compelled to admire it's beautiful design. I am drawn particularly to the main entrance hall with it's brightly colored but simply designed glass wall and the very organic growing space which Senosiaian intended to be a home garden and atrium space. The soft curving walls are sometimes decorated with mosaics of stone and glass. It is a quirky building that reflects a reverence for nature, a love for color, and an appreciation for the functionality of built-ins that I would say describes my own design preferences.

From the exterior you can see a very literal interpretation of the nautilus form (photo from: http://home-and-gardening.info/2009/11/15/619/).



Inside the large entrance hall you can see the simplicity and beauty of this very modern but nonetheless organic home (photo from: http://home-and-gardening.info/2009/11/15/619/).



Place - Vienna, Austria

Even after taking this course I still consider myself learning about architecture and there is no better place to learn that in Vienna. Almost all major design styles and periods are on display in this thoroughly cosmopolitan city. From the Gothic Cathedral of St. Stephen to the very modern United Nation's Vienna International Centre and everything in between.

On my first visit to Vienna I saw all these buildings, the lovely Baroque Schonbrunn Palace and the memorably unique Hudertwasserhaus. This city represents my interest in diverse and ecclectic design perspectives and my pursuit to learn more about design as a whole. I remember being so baffled by the Hundertwasser house the first time I saw it, now I have a language to identify and describe what I am seeing. 

Seeing the many sides of design in Vienna has helped me learn more about my own tastes and appreciation for architecture.

Reading Reflection 12 - Weissenhof Estate

Assignment: Two Views of Design

Education plays two roles in interior design. The first is to educate and train the professional designer the other is to enlighten the customer and the greater public. If architecture and interior architecture in particular is art that is unavoidable then it is important that both the artists and the consumers of that art learn to appreciate and value the results of good design – this takes education. Once we all learn to appreciate good design we can become better consumers of it.

The role of credentials for an educated design professional is that they are tools for creating legitimacy in their work. Designers are professional because they abide by rules and guidelines and uphold the training they receive in order to earn those credentials. It is what separates a lay-person from one who has dedicated time, experience and learning to field. I believe that one takes matters into their own hands when working with those who lack the credentials to do a job well. We recognize other professions by the credentials and training that make them so. This community of professionals refine what may be inborn talent in a way that validates the work of all professionals in their field through credentials.

In consideration of the design professional versus the “design star” I believe that both have a place. While the design professional plans and executes according to clearly defined guidelines a design star inspires others to learn more and appreciate what good design could be. An educated person becomes a better consumer. For many people who lack access and privilege to hire a design professional they can learn something from the media-produced design star. Like the products of design there is a wide spectrum of design practitioners.

This was as much true in the 1950’s when Ray and Charles Eames introduced their chairs to the world on national television. Media has a role to play in educating both the design professional (and future design professionals) as well as the lay-person. It takes all kinds to make the world go round – even the design world.

Blog Post 11 - A Modern Silver Wonder



What was cutting edge and modern in the 1930's remains relevant because a combination of style and substance (retrieved from: http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-intro.html).



With the dawn of the Automobile Age more and more Americans were taking to the road. The inventor and designer of the Airstream Travel Trailer, Wally Byam was not only responding to a personal need to get out and travel he was also responding to a nation of wanderers. His early designs for the travel trailer reflected a very "modern" desire to move using modern materials (http://www.airstream.com/company/history/index.html). In keeping with Mr. Byam's motto, "don't make changes, only improvements" the 2011 Sport Travel Trailer uses lightweight and recyclable materials to appeal to the modern eco-friendly consumer (http://www.airstream.com/silver-green.html).

Interior of 2011 model of Sport Travel Trailer with modern amenities (http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-gallery.html)

The interior is modern and efficient with classic space-saving options so that the 22 foot-long trailer includes full bath, kitchen and queen-size bed (http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-floorplans.html). Despite a clear nod to its inspiration in Art Deco design, specifically the Chrysler Building in New York City, the newest model is modern because it addresses the needs of todays consumers.

As tastes change good design must respond but to be modern a designer must honor what is good and has worked but also anticipate the future needs of their consumer. In the design it is about pleasing the consumer as much as it is about creating something innovative. So, like Wally said decades ago it isn't worth changing old design for change sake but because there is a need for improvement. Style and surface may get you a short way but the Airstream travel trailer has proved that modern design must also have substance and purpose; it must be an improvement.

Blog Post 12 - Fiesta of Color for All

When I think of "good design for all" I immediately turn to my kitchen cupboard. I am a novice collector - and active user - of Fiestaware tableware produced by the Homer Laughlin China Company of Newell, West Virginia.

The iconic Art Deco design of Fiestaware has been added to the Smithsonian as part of their Legacies of American History exhibit (retrieved from: http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=223)

Designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead the dishes became an immediate hit when first released in 1937. With classic Art Deco styling, offered in wide variety of bright and period- and taste-specific colors, the dishes bring much delight (http://www.fiestafactorydirect.com/t-aboutfiesta.aspx).

Made of durable fired earthenware they were dishwasher safe before dishwashing machines became common. As a testament to their firm and commodious characteristics I own fully intact pieces introduced in the first decade of production and use them daily for my breakfast cereal!

It is Homer Laughlin's production method that makes these daily objects so accessible for a wide population of users. Combining the traditions of handmade pottery with, what was then, modern factory production practices Fiestaware has become ubiquitious with a wholly American table setting.

Reading Reflection 11 - Design Made to Order

Unit Summary 2 - Reverberations: The Global Design Pendulum

The 1400 years of architectural history covered by this second unit are best characterized by the Foucault Pendulum, in particular the one on exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are three themes in particular that are specifically inspired by the pendulum: struggles between the localization and the globalization of design and architecture, the emergence and importance of science and innovation in material use, and the impact of colonization on the style movements for both the colonized and the colonizers.



The Foucault Pendulum at the Franklin Institute demonstrates that what goes around, comes around in design (retrieved from: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4449119128_4902f85ce8.jpg).



Coming out of a desire to demonstrate faith, the buildings of the first millennium become progressively grander in scale and more elaborate in design and decoration. Examples of this are in the unsurpassed quality of ecclesiastical stone work coming from the Persian and Byzantine Empires (Roth, pp. 288-298) and the massive public works that allowed the Zapotec (Ching, pp. 257-259) and Mayan cities of Central America (Ching, pp.264-266) to become the largest civilizations of their time. Those who sponsored new construction demanded it be built taller, stronger, and more decadent in appointment. The limits of materials used for construction were tested and pushed to the limit – new materials were developed to keep up with the demands. The design pendulum swung from simple stone churches, mosques, and temples to highly ornamental and sophisticated structures that were emblematic of the ingenuity of those who designed and built them.

The apex of the design pendulum swing brings us to the Gothic design movement of western tradition and the intricate designs of temples across Asia. We start to see two distinct views of design – East and West. Both sides now send the pendulum away from regionally- or locally-defined architecture by setting down rules that clearly articulate what good design means. Prototypes for Asian temple architecture are set by imperial degree in both the Song (Ching, pp. 400-403) and Ming (Ching, pp. 439-443) dynasties in China, the Chola of the India subcontinent (Ching, pp. 405-410) and the Khmer empire in southeast Asia (Ching, pp. 392-397). In the west, Renaissance architecture coming out of Italy (Roth, pp. 357-381) is clearly defined with its own set of rules. Through these rules for design eastern and western builders brought consistency, tradition, and stability to architecture.

Just as soon as rules for design are defined empires from both east and west begin widening their reach into new geographic areas. China takes its political and cultural reach into Japan, Mongolia and Tibet. What was universal for the Chinese becomes regionalized. The Japanese incorporate their own Shinto perspective on the landscape that surrounds Chinese-inspired buildings (Ching, pp.486-494). The Chinese emperor’s Summer Residence at Chengde takes on both Tibetan and Mongolian details (Ching, pp. 602-604). The design pendulum, fueled by both opposition and assimilation, is pushed away from the set rules.

In the West, Greek and Roman classical rules for architecture take on new meanings when relocated to new climates in France, England. The quintessential example of this is the Palace at Versailles where the seemingly classical Greek-inspired Roman façade opens up to an interior that is decorated in a French Baroque fashion (Roth, pp. 415-420). We see it again in the Pantheon- mimicking that Sir Christopher Wren employed in designing of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London while also incorporating clear English Baroque elements (Roth, pp. 420-427).

Finally, we come back to the Unites States and the pendulum at the Franklin Institute. Named for one of our own revolutionaries, Benjamin Franklin, the exterior is typical for the Neo-Classical and Greek revival styles of the late 18^th and early 19^th century though it was built in the 20^th century (http://www2.fi.edu/shared/history.php). Like the state capital buildings of Virginia and Tennessee the Institute is characterized by Greek-inspired design rules (Ching, pp. 619, 645). An embodiment of Greek republican ideals, government and public buildings describe the desire of our founding fathers to return to classical values and invent a new kind of political system (Ching, pp. 644-645). Even Philadelphia is saturated in classical language. Planned on a Roman city grid system (Ching, pp.194-195) Philadelphia gets its name from Greek meaning “City of Brotherly Love” (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/philadelphia.html).

A symbol of both Greek governance ideals and the innovation of the American people the Franklin Institute embodies Greek Revival in the Philadelphia (retrieved from: http://www2.fi.edu/shared/images/museum.front.jpg).

The design and architecture pendulum brings us back to the classical, but with a new set of rules. The world continues to turn and the pendulum at the Franklin Institute continues to follow the path of our orbit – spiraling round and round like the shell of a nautilus we all revisit our creative past with a new view, we incorporate what has meaning for us and adapt to new political, economic and cultural realities.

Reading Reflection 10 - Boston's Architectural Mosaic

Blog Post 9 - Chatting with Spain

Though many will naturally think of northern Europe as having a strong influence on architecture and design in the United States we should also remember the millennium-long exchange between the U.S. and Spain. Our first colonial power was Spain with the founding of St. Augustine in the 16th century (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/geo-flor/24.htm). As "The Oldest House" the Gonzalez-Alvarez House is an example of how Spanish colonialism has had implications on architecture in the United States.

The original single-story building was the first to be built by Spanish colonizers in St. Augustine, Florida (Image retrieved from: http://www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/STY-18-01.htm)

Using the language of arches, stucco, and whitewashing the Gonzalez-Alvarez house brings, for the first time, architecture for warm and wet climates. The Spanish colonial style is repeated in the southwest and Californian building traditions of the later 18th century.

One of the few places where the U.S. was an outright colonizer is Guam. Taken from Spain after the Spanish-American War we briefly lost control of the territory during World War II only regain control in 1945 (http://guampedia.com/guams-political-status/). Many structures of the time were built by the U.S. Navy including the Guam Congress Building.

An example of U.S. military construction using concrete blocks this was the first of it's kind on the island of Guam (Both photos retrieved from: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/asia/2007/guamcongress.htm)

Both buildings are examples of the firsts of their kind in a colonial context. Both bring a new form of building to the landscape. The use of materials for both buildings were also controversial. For the Gonzalez-Alvarez the builders had to get special permission to use locally sourced material to build something to withstand attacks from pirates and other would-be colonizers (http://www.staugustinehistoricalsociety.org/oldhousehistory.pdf). The majority of construction material for the Guam Congress Building was brought in from mainland U.S.

These buildings tell the stories of how two cultures can have a conversation through the buildings they design because of the use of new and different materials in order to address local needs. Use of materials common to institutional building in the U.S. meant actually bringing the materials to the island. The building created by the U.S. military is also quintessentially institutional more than it is where one might expect the legislative body of a democracy country. Both of these buildings show that it more important what the colonizers have to say than those who are colonized.