3198 | Volume 14, December 2022

3198 2022 VOLUME 14

2022 VOLUME 14

PREFACE It is with my own sense of profound optimism that I introduce our fourteenth issue of 3198.

With each issue of 3198, I am consistently struck by our theme’s nuance, viewed against the backdrop of the broader cultural and geopolitical landscape. The notion of optimism can often feel naïve or disingenuous when presented independent from and unencumbered by challenging and complex realities. In fact, optimism requires a sense of hope and belief in our future precisely when staring down these challenges.

You may recall from some of my other contributions to 3198 that I often struggle with the notion of scale when contemplating meaningful change. Whether casting one lonely ballot into a sea of electoral mayhem, diverting a single plastic bottle from an ever-expanding landfill, or mitigating one thermal bridge at the head of a window assembly, it can be easy to lose the thread of impact at a larger scale. Even within our studio, there may be moments when we all may feel detached from a larger mission, whether muscling through an unrelenting door schedule or cutting that last layer of topography on a steeply sloping hillside site model.

For our Optimism Design Friday, I presented Wil Srubar’s work developing carbon-neutral concrete.

I was struck by microalgae’s potential global climate impact and have continued to wonder what other hidden microscopic building blocks might hold incredible and unharnessed change potential. David’s thanksgiving email reinvigorated this line of thinking relative to our own studio – specifically the notion of our ‘AMD family.’

Perhaps this coincided a bit too coincidentally with my version of family theater over the holiday weekend, but the more I thought about this notion of family, the more its relevance came into focus for AMD. This notion of family is not meant to conjure a rose-colored sense of home and belonging. Families are anything but easy. Family suggests that we are all here for each other, through thick and thin. Families require hard work, trust and autonomy. They require many, many small intangible and thankless acts in good faith. And they require accepting each other with all of our differences and offering grace, space and the benefit of the doubt when we disagree or come up short in some way. Perhaps most importantly, families require celebrating successes and victories, no matter how significant and regardless of personal contribution. As 2022 winds down, AMD certainly has much to celebrate and be thankful for.

Thank you all sincerely for everything you bring to AMD, for your energy and passion, and your contributions to our work— small and large, seen and unseen. I am incredibly proud and grateful for our small family’s huge impact on our community. Please enjoy this fourteenth volume of 3198. Thank you to all of those who contributed.

Ben Blanchard

AT 3198 DESIGN DIALOGUE TRAVEL JOURNAL Abbey Woods 40 REFLECTIONS ON ARCHITECTURAL OPTIMISM, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER Stephan T. Hall DOES A.I. HAVE A PLACE IN ARCHITECTURE? Eric Kuhn ARCHITECT AS CURATOR Quinn Waites QUIET OPTIMISM A SERIES SEGMENT FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE Matt Joiner OPTIMISM IN DESIGN IS OPTIMISM IN ITS PEOPLE Kate Thomas THE OPTIMISTIC ARCHITECT Valerie Presley THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS Paul Haack

IN THE COMMUNITY

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NOMA PANEL — NEGOTIATION 101 On September 17, 2022 AMD hosted a panel discussion on “Negotiation”, the third and final conversation in a series of events organized by NOMA’s Education Committee.

The panel was moderated by Jennifer Lozano and Ben Blanchard, and featured four prominent architects and designers from our Denver design community: Joey Carrasquillo (Principal, AMD), Tania Salgado (Founder, Handprint Architecture), Keesh Pankey (Founder, Desibl) and Beth Mosenthal (Founder, C1 Architecture + Design). The conversation provided valuable insight into the fundamental goal of negotiation, helped unpack some of the toughest and most persistent challenges that many minority architects and design professionals face, and offered practical tools coupled with first-hand experiences to help the audience advocate for themselves moving forward.

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MARK OUTMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE WITH JIM BURNETT, FASLA AMD was honored to support the second annual lecture

Mark worked at Anderson Mason Dale Architects in the

in the Mark Outman, FAIA Memorial Lecture Series,

1980’s between undergraduate and graduate school, later

presented by the University of Colorado Denver, College

attending Yale University and then joining Cesar Pelli &

of Architecture and Planning, Envisioning a New Public

Associates. Mark was known as a voracious reader and

Realm with award-winning landscape architect Jim

researcher, and the AMD studio now houses his truly

Burnett, FASLA (OJB) and learn more about Jim’s career

remarkable and extensive book collection.

creating vibrant and restorative parks and landscapes.

If you happened to miss the lecture, you can watch the this and last year’s full recording at amdarchitects.com/ the-mark-outman-memorial-lecture-series

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DESIGN DIALOGUE 10

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travel journal Abbey Woods

SEPTEMBER 17 - 30, 2022 It takes a lot of optimism to be a traveler, especially post 2020. A lot can go wrong, things come up and fall apart along the way. But we plan and hope that it all comes together as dreamt. Our trip comprised of 4 countries over 14 days, and thankfully our optimism paid off.

The catalyst being Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

Images, of which, I have not included in this journal. But as you can probably imagine, it mostly involved beer steins, lederhosen and crowded tents.

For this journal I selected images I took at each destination, hoping to share my architectural lens and experiences.

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BELLAGIO, ITALY SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Our first stop, Bellagio Italy, the village jutting out into Lake Como. Our apartment was comfortable and sunny, with a 4’x4’ cut away in the gypsum board finish to expose the concrete wall beyond. Written with blue paint on that exposed square of concrete was a dedication message about the home: “This house constructed with the help of a blessed god - a dream that has become reality for daring, tenacious will of mother seraphim.”

I tried and failed to find more information about if this type of note was standard in historic Italian homes. But nonetheless, I found it charming.

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VALS, SWITZERLAND SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

We traveled from Lake Como by car, on a sunny day, through the alps to arrive at Therme Vals. The incredible mass of Swiss Alps surrounded the drive. Photographing Therme Vals from the exterior was quite difficult. The grass roof structure half buried into the hillside exposed just a peek of the Valser Quarzite slab facade to the visitor.

The interior, where photography is not allowed, was cave-like and calm. The expansion joints in the roof plane, which align with the baths on the interior, let streams of light through. The perspective is always controlled and layout of the vertical stone slabs either allows or denies the view to the exterior.

“The meander, as we call it, is a designed negative space between the blocks, a space that connects everything as it flows throughout the entire building, creating a peacefully pulsating rhythm. Moving around this space means making discoveries. You are walking as if in the woods. Everyone there is looking for a path of their own.”

-Peter Zumthor

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7132 HOUSE OF ARCHITECTS SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

The warmth of the oak clad Thom Mayne hotel room was our retreat from the quartzite baths. The 215 SF room, along with the Ando, Kuma & Zumthor rooms, were completed as part of the 2016 interior retrofit to the

Floor Plan

existing building.

At the heart of the room is the double-curved, fritted glass shower piece designed by Morphosis – a sculptural object that stands in glowing contrast to the room’s natural surfaces. Admittedly, the beautifully curated space was spoiled by my suitcases sitting out with nowhere to tuck them away.

Section

Images above sourced from morphosis.com

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SALZBURG, AUSTRIA SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Our day trip to Salzburg was defined by historical walking tours, funicular rides and neck craning photography. The narrow and winding streets of Salzburg’s historic center are lined with 17th and 18th century churches, houses, gardens and fountains erected in the style of the Baroque and Italian Renaissance.

The predominant architectural notes were the balance of robust, monumental forms with intricate adornments and glazing.

Right: Collegiate Church Below Right: Franciscan Church Below: Salzburg Cathedral

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40 reflections on architectural optimism...

Stephan Tate Hall 1.

2.

Generally speaking, Architecture is more accessible

9.

to more people around the world than ever before.

DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) continues to be

We still have a long way to go.

embraced with interest across many industries and

Most people still don’t know what architects

organizations. For those organizations that are

actually do. Revel in the opportunity to teach and

committed, the conversation will evolve and will be

inform.

3.

4.

backed with initiative and actionable strategy.

More often than not we are put into roles where we

10. The technology, production and tools of our

get to listen and learn, it is imperative we do so.

industry will continually evolve to include

Architects are required to move fast while

exciting new capacities and techniques, but the

projects go slow. This dynamic sometimes creates

technological evolution to-date has not replaced the

opportunity to guide clients toward greater impact

fundamentals of our profession, on the contrary if

and to making informed deliberate decisions while

anything they have reinforced the need for strong

other times things don’t materialize this way,

architectural frameworks and underpinnings.

regardless our responsive efforts remains a crucial

11.

ingredient.

5.

Our industry and clients will increasingly demand

8.

and intuition to wield its potential.

12. The results of our work contain tremendous stories.

timber buildings. Embodied Carbon goals are key

It is a pleasure and privilege to curate, record and

to tipping the scales on this conversation. We’re

communicate these stories.

not late to the game, there’s no need to have done

7.

Advanced AI (artificial intelligence)- at least for the foreseeable future - will require human experience

building all wood structures - CLT + Glu-lam

6.

The necessary, if challenging, conversations around

13. In a world of devolving credibility for many social

it first, but strive for better, with care and tenacity.

media ‘influencers’, architects that have built and

AMD is poised to have an all-wood structure built

maintained their authenticity around substance

in 2024, with the Northglenn City Hall and another

and achievement continue to remain competitive.

potential hybrid wood structure with the Westwood

This does not mean short term marketing pitches

Rec Center.

from less than authentic firms don’t win out in the

The very real concern that we are not doing enough

short term. Nor does this mean one can neglect

to stem climate change, has and will continue to

strong marketing strategies and tactics, rather,

drive us further to better our planet and evolve

authenticity is fuel for a firm’s brand to land with

industry practices.

lasting credibility.

More clients are demanding high performance

14. Trust, authenticity and track record is a most

sustainable buildings. Even in regions traditionally

valuable asset. We build this collectively within our

thought of as moderate or ‘conservative’.

firm, where the final detail and project execution is

The message of ‘a Net Zero Building’ is simple

as critical as the marketing narrative that reels in

and understandable (produce as much renewable energy as you consume.) It is a gateway to more nuanced and productive client conversations and goal setting.

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the project.

15.

We can take pride in our authenticity and in the humility it takes to do what we do every day

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... in no particular order.

16. We know how to enjoy a good meal, to a delight in a well crafted environment, to imbibe with good people. These are no small things.

17.

We search for delight, serendipity and joy.

18. We could have to told Zuckerberg the Metaverse

33. While we need focus and solitude, we cannot work on an island.

34. We are fortunate to work in a profession predicated on gathering people in physical space.

35. Our client and collaborator relationships are forged,

is no substitute for real connection to place and

not over days or even over months, but often over

real connection to people. These are fundamental

years. When done right and served well, we have

objectives of architecture because they are

increased our own personal capacity for human

foundational to our evolution as humans.

connection, perhaps the greatest achievement of an

19. Program.

20. Context.

21. Craft.

22. Character.

architect over ones career.

36. We are inspired by the creativity and talent of the individuals in our firm.

37. Design-Build may be gaining traction with some

23. We know how to listen.

clients / institutions, and although we have proven

24. We hear and empathize with what clients aspire to

to be as competitive as most with this delivery

achieve.

25. We inform clients what they can afford.

26. We are provocative and creative in discovering and delivering what clients cannot live without.

27. We cannot help but get lost in deep observation and

method, there’s just as much likelihood that the pendulum will swing the other way.

38. Architecture is hard, but we’re not doing surgery here. Enjoy it.

39. Success in architecture can sometimes feel allusive.

research. The trick is shifting gears and knowing

But time and time again it has proven more readily

when the search must be pointed, productive and

afforded to those (individuals and firms) who

relevant.

believe they can do hard things.

28. We can take our work seriously but don’t have to take ourselves too seriously.

29. Our profession has a long memory and heritage.

40. Effort, time and caring deeply are not-so-secret ingredients to doing hard things. As a firm, we are fortunate to share these burdens and successes.

It’s a unique privilege and responsibility to pass along and receive such mentorship from collective memory.

30. We can look for good moments of architecture everywhere and at all scales, from a humble home to a new civic center.

31. We travel. We appreciate the privilege and delight of experiencing the world around and doing it with those closets to us.

32. At our best we are united by the most challenging of design problems and constraints.

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Does A.I. Have a Place In Architecture?

Eric Kuhn

THE RECENT STATE OF A.I. IN DESIGN At 2022’s Colorado State Fair in late August a piece of art was evaluated and given first prize for Emerging Artist: Digital Arts/Digitally Manipulated Photography.

Jason Allen won for his piece, titled “Theatre D’opera Spatial”. The print depicts an expansive space, lit by an otherworldly circular window, ornately detailed walls and characters draped in what might be Victorian dresses.

The scene is striking for its visuals, but it’s also striking in its origin – typed characters into an A.I. interface.

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Théâtre D’opéra Spatial by Jason Allen. Made using A.I. Text to Image Generation.

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That win has sparked a backlash questioning the role

be flattered to have a unique design feature influence a

of A.I. in creation, digitally and beyond. The New

neighboring work, but the term ‘rip off’ comes to mind if

York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Smithsonian

it crosses into the realm of a copycat.

Magazine, the local 9News – all of them and more featured articles to spotlight what seems to be a turning

Called ‘MidJourney’, the cloud based A.I. platform Allen

point in the collaboration between A.I. and designers.

used was created from a massive database of images,

They also spotlight the ethical boundary of a tool that

tagged for the program to pull from, hybridize, iterate

may be too new for some to understand, and therefore

on and stylize to a user’s desire. It can create images,

ripe for misuse by those willing and in the know.

in a matter of seconds, of animated characters, realistic landscapes, futuristic paintings, or all of those at once – it

The ethical debate is interesting and important,

simply takes experimentation with different text prompts.

particularly to those of us working in a field based

Tea party on mars…done. Same tea party but styled a la

around intellectual property and copyright. AMD’s

Monet? Also done. Not quite right? Hit the variation or

drawings belong to AMD, usually in perpetuity. Their

redo buttons for something more to your liking.

design expressions, while open to public view, are fine serving as inspiration, but it would be unwise for

While MidJourney seems to be the most popular for its

someone to rubber stamp a facsimile of any particular

realistic and striking image results, it competes with

pieces outside of the context in which they were

other A.I.-to-text platforms as well. Chief among them

conceived and now exist in. As designers, we might

Open A.I.’s site ‘DALL E2’ and another called ‘Stable

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Feather Architecture by Hasan Ragab. Made using A.I. Text to Image Generation.

Diffusion’. The community who uses them seem to say

of the present, others could be stepping stones to built

similar things, that MidJourney is sleeker, easier, and

designs.

‘creates’ more while DALL E2 is the more powerful, albeit less user friendly interface, allowing for more editing of

Once your text prompts spit out something you know

the minutiae. Stable diffusion seems to create less artistic

to be on the right track you can iterate (a verb most

imagery with cleaner lines, but is just as powerful. All

good designers are familiar with) almost infinitely.

of them offer affordable subscriptions (think a monthly

Architectural design often involves iteration – in sketch,

streaming service) and are open to anyone willing to use.

model, rendering, mockups and drawings. It also involves

And while most of the creators out there are creating for

the use of language to spark and guide ideas into being.

the pure pleasure of seeing words turned into visuals,

Could designers who put a high price on authorship lean

others are creating artwork for sale, comics for download

into a tool that is the ultimate thief – borrowing from

and inspiration for future worlds.

millions of images to help create something new? Like most new tools, I believe the answer exists in the rules

Within our own industry, particularly architectural

you create for yourself.

visualization, the possibilities seem exciting. While some of the most striking imagery of architectural creations

Architects and Designers of the built environment vary

shared by creators like Hassan Rabab, a computational

wildly in how they get from point A to point B, from

designer and construction industry professional are

project conception and design to detailing, construction,

fantastical enough to be beyond the possibility or expense

and eventual building use. Practitioners hone their skills

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A DETAILED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FACE OF AN ARCHITECT WEARING THICK BLACK PLASTIC GLASSES, REALISTIC PORTRAIT PHOTO, BLURRED BACKGROUND.

over the entirety of their careers. From the time fingers

As a designer excited about these tools I wanted to test

picked up a pencil to the time they get super glued in

them out – first and foremost to understand how difficult

the model shop, from strained eyes drafting details to

it may be to use, and evaluate what kinds of bias show up

honed eyes in the field. Designers build skills and gut

in these tools. I asked MidJourney to imagine a number

feelings and routines largely by observing what has come

of architectural prompts. I was curious how a system that

before – a drawing, a building, a plaza, a mindset – and

is curated from web images would imagine an architect;

improvising, and sometimes, although frowned upon, by

or an ‘starchitect’ inspired interior; or more loosely “an

outright plagiarism.

architect’s playground.”

Context and originality converge with the tried and true to

Often the collection of imagery comes from a western,

bring vision to reality. Avant-garde is rarely avant-garde

WASP-dominated database. The first image set was

anymore in the age of global social sharing and learning.

created with the following prompt (along with some

Even the smooth curves of a scripted NURBS model

qualifiers to tell the system what aspect ratio and quality

responding to a climatic meta-data driven formula is built

to render the images): “a detailed photograph of the

on a language repurposed from a predecessor. Within

face of an architect wearing thick black plastic glasses,

the spectrum of design creativity, we rarely see black and

realistic portrait photo, blurred background”.

white, true original or true facsimile. Generally, we live between them, in the world of moderation, compromise,

It was created without any text indicating the architect’s

and balance.

race, sex, or age. And yet, it gives us four options of a middle-aged white male with graying hair. So I prompted

How do we evaluate a process like Text-to-Image A.I.

it in the same way but asked for a female architect. The

that samples seemingly infinitely? If it can take as many

results are equally white, and it clearly thinks, wrongly

inputs as we can throw at it, iterate constantly and on top

or rightly that the profession often ages us with salt and

of it all – learn – how do we create rules for ourselves that

pepper styling.

honor the authorship of others when you’re not sure who the author is? That’s the exciting part – you have to use

Another thing of interest. You can see that of the images

it. Again, you set rules for yourself based on the same ones

available there seems to be one that is influenced by a

that have guided design prior to the tool’s incorporation

copyrighted Shutterstock type image where watermarking

and then you put on your helmet and you go for a test

text was picked up on. This begs the question of

drive. As a tool that could be given text and visual prompts

authorship, intellectual property, and copyright. We as

it certainly would be a stretch to expect the socio-political,

designers often start with precedents just as these AI

economic, and largely human issues of place to be part of

tools do, but how difficult is it for the AI to set a boundary

the formula it uses to spit out images. And so it remains

where source material remains a source and not the

the responsibility of the user to recognize context – to

end-product, blurred or tweaked with little noticeable

use the tool as a tool, and not as a designer of the built

differences from the original.

environment.

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A ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS INSPIRED INTERIOR SPACE, HYPERREALISTIC, OCTANE ENGINE, 8K DETAIL, TROPICAL PLANTS KITCHEN ROOM WITH SKYLIGHTS, OCTANE RENDER.

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Walter Benjamin – a philosophical foe of Martin

inspired interior space, hyperrealistic, octane engine,

Heidegger – wrote in his 1936 essay ‘The Work of Art

8k detail, tropical plants kitchen room with skylights,

in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ about the aura

octane render.”

of an original. He argued that ‘even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element:

You’ll notice after the first clause that I asked for certain

Its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the

styling, then went on about the rest of the image and came

place where it happens to be.” I won’t delve deeper into

back to the ‘octane render’ again, which is a rendering

the phenomenological theories of the aura of the original

engine with a unique style that many users use in their

but will say that fakes tend to be ‘you know it when you see

prompts. I thought it would fit with the Zaha styling. In my

it’ objects. It will remain the onus of the users to moderate

opinion, the images are fantastic – creative, architectural,

what goes into AIs and what gets distributed from their

realistic, and I think, quite beautiful. If you were leaning

outputs – it’s a responsibility that comes with many tools,

towards a Singaporean model of futurism I think it would

but particularly one that borrows its inspiration 100% of

be worth doing some additional iterations and then begin

the time.

thinking about how to design a working model.

The next imagery I’ll share is of the ‘starchitect’ inspired

The last set of images are more playful, less strict,

interior space. The prompt was: “a zaha hadid architects

and crafted using only three words: “An architect’s

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An Architect’s Playground.

Made using DALL E 2 A.I. Text to Image Generation.

An Architect’s Playground.

Made using Stable Diffusion A.I. Text to Image Generation.

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AN ARCHITECT’S PLAYGROUND.

An Architect’s Playground.

Made using MidJourney A.I. Text to Image Generation.

playground.” Because of the broadness of the prompt

imagine in new ways and to augment their design process,

I wanted to reuse it, verbatim, in the two other AI

not skip other valuable steps along the way. Let’s play in

Text-to-Image generators. The first foursome is from

the sandbox for now. Whether the sandcastles will stand

MidJourney, the next from DALL E 2, and the last from

or crumble is still yet to be seen. Personally, I’m optimistic

Stable Diffusion. You’ll notice the starkly different ways

they can be built with robust enough ideas to improve our

each has envisioned the playground.

architectural landscapes, not imperil them.

With some practice, users can hone their prompt writing skills to insert the context and authorship that can push outputs beyond collage and copycatting. Without a doubt there will be hurdles to ensure AI’s proper usage, but the hope of this author is that the tool pushes designers to

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AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BUILT ON PROGRAM CONTEXT CRAFT AND CHARACTER A PROCESS OF EXPLORATION ITERATION AND DISCOVERY WITHIN WHICH UNIQUE AND TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES ARE REVEALED NURTURED AND INTEGRATED INTO A COHESIVE WHOLE WHERE THE VERNACULAR OF ARCHITECTURE IS ROOTED IN TECHNIQUES AND TRADITIONS OF ELEGANCE AND COHERENCE THROUGH THE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF MATERIAL SCALE PROPORTION PERFORMANCE AND HIERARCHY WHERE DIMENSIONS OF LIGHT TEXTURE COLOR AND SOUND LEAVE RESONANT AND MEMORABLE PLACES OF INDELIBLE DESIGN, ARCHITECTURAL SKETCH STYLE 28

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AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF A BUILDING BUILT ON PROGRAM CONTEXT CRAFT AND CHARACTER A PROCESS OF EXPLORATION ITERATION AND DISCOVERY WITHIN WHICH UNIQUE AND TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES ARE REVEALED NURTURED AND INTEGRATED INTO A COHESIVE WHOLE WHERE THE VERNACULAR OF ARCHITECTURE IS ROOTED IN TECHNIQUES AND TRADITIONS OF ELEGANCE AND COHERENCE THROUGH THE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF MATERIAL SCALE PROPORTION PERFORMANCE AND HIERARCHY WHERE DIMENSIONS OF LIGHT TEXTURE COLOR AND SOUND LEAVE RESONANT AND MEMORABLE PLACES OF INDELIBLE DESIGN, PHOTOGRAPHIC REALISM, HIGHLY DETAILED, 8K, OCTANE RENDER 29

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W Architect

ithin the architectural industry the principal act of the architect is universally called design. To design or be a designer is thrown around casually

as curator

to describe the act of forming spaces to people’s needs.

Though this term carries certain baggage with it that should be addressed. A reframing is in order, for how it impacts the perceptions of lay people as much as the architect creators.

Definition of design

Quinn Waites

- do or plan (something) with a specific purpose or intention in mind.

- an arrangem ent of lines or shapes created to form a pattern or decoration1 By definition, design deals with creating objects from a narrowed: specific: selection of ideas. A practicing architect does this at times, however design via definition is experientially limited to those factors which it addresses or those ideas it uses as fodder.

As is, the act of designing encompasses all that an architect does when framing space. Though it is hard to claim that Architecture, is itself specific; the experiences one person has in a space vs. another are necessarily different. An apparent gap emerges here, between what is done, “designed” and what is experienced, for the concept of design doesn’t suggest an experience, rather it suggests an end product... Moreover, the term “design” has no universal verdict upon which its finished state describes.

In effect, designing is problem solving, whereas curating is “piece organizing”. Architectural space should not be seen as a solvable problem, for if it is, the poetic: sensory: narrative[s] of the space are easily lost to the burden of the more intractable parameters. We curate for experiences and design for problems.

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exhibition

The value of design comes from its relevance to the

The act of curating is highly experience driven. A curator

public, but what the public values cannot be adequately

curates principally for an exhibition. A curator chooses

established without the creation of objects for them to

the paint, the way the text looks next to the pieces, how

engage. Thus, the spirit of a design is its solvency.

the space is organized, what the graphics look like. They are composers of experience. They work with what they

This “lack” that design attempts to resolve, posits:

have (a space and pieces) to achieve a specific purpose (an

catalyzes: how that absence evolves: matures. There is a

exhibition).

responsibility and implicit moral gravity to the designed object, as all the products of design effectively direct their

It is then, not a stretch to say Architecture could be a

participant: viewers: psyche towards some few things.

curatorial act, as all public Architecture functions as an

Good design then, aims to both resolve problems and

exhibition of sorts and is itself a type of exhibitionist

suggest additional social instruction. To condense this

medium. A building opens and it closes— is no longer

reflection— the only reason one should design, is to right

occupied or torn down— not unlike an exhibition.

the existing societal imbalances.

Curating engages the preparation of an environment for

Curation too, aims to right existing societal imbalances,

things to be shown. To curate something is to think about

via the optimism of putting forth new experiences in an

the interrelationships between objects...

exhibition.

Design deals principally with organizing ideas based

scale

off their qualities, while curation deals principally with

On the micro scale, design addresses inequity: absence:

organizing objects on the basis of their ideas.

while on the macro scale, curation addresses the nature of an experience.

aspiration And what is the purpose of design, if there is no universal

pick hand

ending place of the designed? Design tends to emerge

Shifting the perspective to ‘Architect as curator’ puts the

from the interval between the observation of lacking and

architect in the role of a selector. Curating is also more

the faith of an absolute solution. Importantly, there is

transparent about the act of arranging pre-manufactured

nothing in those notions that suggests that people may

objects, as an architect principally does with windows, wall

design appropriately for others.

types and doors. Whereas ‘architect as designer’ suggests

2

that solving the problem, starts from a zero ground and In fact, one could design things to intentionally separate

returns to a zero ground when completed, which is never

people, such as border walls or prisons. Thus, the health of

the case, as making— “designing”— something always

a society is effectively toned by the experiences and values

deals with referencing other things, such as the hand, eye

of the designers and “architect designers”— curators.

or foot.

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Moreover, design suggests a clarity in the generated

nebulae

object or space, which most often cannot actually be fully

Definition of curate:

known by the “designer”. To call oneself a curator, puts

- select, organize, and look after the items in (a collection

one in the role of sculpting experiences, in a way that is

or exhibition)

empathetic to the experiences themselves. In another

- select the performers or performances that will feature

sense, design suggests that there is a “right” experience

in (an arts event or program)3

to have, while curation suggests that your being present is the only prerequisite to the validity of the experience.

Curation is itself an explorative act, it’s more open ended than design in the number of interpretations it produces.

Objects that directly interface with the human body are

And though there is a definite point of an exhibition, it

appropriately described as being “designed” for how they

is widely understood— due to the design of museums—

impart an obligatory direction on their participant. The

that people may wander through a gallery or enter it from

designed object in space, is however, curated, for even

another entrance.

though the body may directly interface with it at times, it is in most instances, not in immediate proximity to be

Life and the experience within buildings, is inherently

engaged with.

imprecise— living in a multiplicity of meanings— while design is very singular minded, as it is aimed to fit a

There are very rarely spaces which could on their whole

solution. Specificity in the sense of designing is holistically

be considered “designed” as the architectural industry

unfit for buildings, as the more specific something

on the whole engages with a market of manufacturers

becomes the less universal it also comes to be.

that provide them with readymade objects. Those manufacturers function as the designers and the architect

objects

that chooses them, the curator.

When you speak about architecture as curation, you’re acknowledging the “objectness” of the features that exist

There are points when architects may step beyond

in a building. In the case of designing a door-handle, the

their role as a curator— they may request modifications

hand is part of the design, as the handle has to fit the

to manufacturer’s products, but this is often more of

hand to be functional; but when “designing” a room, a

a collaborative process than a solitary design on the

hand is part of the body and not necessarily part of what

architect’s part.

is important to be “designed” in the room; you could

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“design” a room for the hand, but the result may be a

The experiential aspect of a final design could easily be

room that is not suited for the eye or foot.

lost in the process of working through the parameters: problems: of the project, such that you have a “designed”

It is unhealthy to think of buildings: spaces: as products:

space with a prosaic or dull experience.

objects: as they are more dynamic: multi-faceted: than objects are, necessarily because a space is filled with

epilogue

objects. Like a Matryoshka doll, an object always sits

Design is too broad a term to describe the activities of an

within an environment, thus a building could only be seen

architect, for they neither make every object in a space,

as an object from the outside, not from the inside.

nor could they possibly think of all the possible outcomes of “designing” space. By approaching architecture

authority

as curation the experiential aspect of a final design

There is a sense of authority that comes with being

is described more authentically as being nebulous.

a designer vs being a curator. A designer has a more

Moreover, the work doesn’t claim to be a narrow solution

active positioning; the designer makes the designed and

to a complex problem, instead a single out of many

the designed is nearly always seen with reference to the

possible solutions.

designer. In the case of the curator, the curation, is more about the curated and the curated for, than the curator themselves. This distinction is key in clarifying the role of the architect in framing space.

NOTES 1. Oxford English Dictionary 2. where lack is a function dependent on one’s experiences and

experiential. ideological.

values

Another reason why curation should be used to describe

3. Oxford English Dictionary

the functioning of the architectural process is how it focuses the process of creation on the experientially driven nature of the space, as opposed to the ideological nature of design; this helps clarify to the architect and the public what the role of the architect is... to focus space though objects.

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Quiet Optimism

a series segment from Somewhere in the Middle Matt Joiner

The most remarkable compliment I have heard given to

must be pushed somewhere hidden away, unable to

Sage Living, came from a developer touring the facility

thrive on the bland, cleanable surfaces. Is there anything

with the builder, showing some of their recent work.

about this community that felt like home inside? It

SAGE IS THE LEAST INSTITUTIONAL ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY THEY HAD EXPERIENCED.

seems a desperate reach for me to recall any feelings that resemble or recall home from the environment I experienced. I have to guess that my experience is not rare and it is a reflection of many influential factors that

In the history of great architectural compliments, this

architecture plays a part. Healthcare, not residence, is the

might seem… underwhelming. If you are unfamiliar

dominant sphere of influence on senior living, which has

with assisted living projects, you could even think it was

particular influences on architectural decision making.

a knock. But to anyone who has designed care for the human population reaching the end of their lives, this

Healthcare is an incredible sector for architecture,

kind of compliment should sound more like a triumph.

harnessing the power of healing in spaces for care and repair, with systems and infrastructure, and interwoven

It is a quiet compliment, and it aligns appropriately with

with common design principles of space as well as less

the story of Sage Living and how it came to be. From

frequently utilized like biophilic connections to nature. In

somewhere in the middle of an architectural career,

many ways healthcare design is an immensely complex

this is a project story written from both my observation

problem to solve and it is no wonder many architectural

and participation — I joined the design team in design

practices specialize in it. It is no no wonder healthcare

development and ultimately saw the project through

systems look to those practices with experience. In their

construction. It is a story of optimism about some

eyes, a facility that works to the best of it’s ability means

uniquenesses in how Sage Living came to be.

better treatment, seeing more in-need, and in the most extreme case, the difference to save a life. In the case of

It is a generally optimistic subject to write about senior

assisted living and memory care, a facility that works to

housing, end of life care, memory care, overcoming

the best of it’s ability might add numbers of days and

ageism,… all under an architectural filter. Architecture

make the quality of each of them as high as can be -

has such a powerful role to fill in these aspects.

quantity and quality.

When many of us recall visiting a senior living facility, the

I was not present with the AMD team interviewed by St.

memories are vastly closer to institutions than housing,

John’s Health to earn the commission to design Sage

let alone living. I recall from my experiences visiting my

Living. AMD does not have a deep history of designing

grandparents the hard and plastic surfaces that describe

assisted living facilities, maybe not even much housing

the feel of the furniture as much as the walls and floors.

at time - certainly not what we do now - and healthcare

I recall the quietness and stillness, like walking through

is not a sector I’ve known the office to compete in at all.

an uninspired gallery of muffled time – the real emotions

What were we doing there then?

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RELATIONSHIPS.

In a recent conversation, David recalled bringing Paul onto the project after meeting the hospital with an

The logic of an MEP firm acting on-call for the hospital

instinct that Paul would bring a narrative and craft to

seems logical. The engineering systems of a health

conversation that the hospital had never experienced.

campus are already complex and logically in constant

Paul has long expressed that the program is a proposition,

need of assessment. CatorRuma has overlapped with

perhaps the most important design decision that can

AMD on many projects, including many today. My

be made in establishing a project’s enduring lifetime.

understanding is that CatorRuma connected AMD

Indeed, along with former colleague Beth Mosenthall and

with an opportunity for senior housing and a medical

assisted living consultation from another close contact,

office building. The hospital had been long-served by a

Bill Brummett, the team listened and conversed about

firm, Earl Swensson and Associates, with deep national

the character of care to develop a program that developed

healthcare practice. The relationship had evolved into

through iteration and exploration.

frustration as the hospital felt it was not really being heard. We were introduced as a practice seemingly

Do you remember the compliment mentioned at the

completely the opposite – natural listeners with a very

opening? It was in these early impressions that designing

limited healthcare practice. David Pfiefer and Paul Haack

for dignity could lead to the best possible outcome.

made an impression on the hospital’s staff and CEO to the

The AMD team brought ideas to differentiate housing

extent that they were enthusiastic to hear from us.

for seniors with principals of community, suggesting repeatable spaces called “neighborhoods” outside a small cluster of resident rooms. These spaces allowed

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something in between the private rooms, and fully

typical construction team antics, but adding unfamiliar

common spaces like a town hall and shared living room.

and deeply entrenched healthcare industry forces that

Designing for dignity could mean breaking down the

have an effect of becoming literal barriers to constructing

sterile and institutional environments most commonly

anything but the prevailing typologies. I can dig more

associated with senior living and care.

deeply into that story on a future issue of 3198 aiming for a less inspired and more practical tone, perhaps

The hospital agreed this was compelling, and design of Sage Living began.

This is only the beginning of the optimistic story of Sage.

The designs and iterations that ensued are numerous and full of aspiration and hope and curiosity. The exploration of program is a constantly evident. It may be felt in some conversations that what was ultimately constructed as Sage is only a fraction of what was imagined – what could have been. As the design team would soon begin to realize, institution in healthcare is deeply rooted.

Achieving a vision of space to match the ambitions of the design team and the hopes and expectations of the owner would be met by challenges at every phase including

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examining external spheres influence the practice.

2022 VOLUME 14

Optimism in Design is Optimism in its People Kate Thomas

On April 16, 2016, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake

than 100,000 people in need of shelter. Water, sanitation,

with several severe aftershocks in the coastal Manabí

and healthcare facilities were also destroyed, totaling to

province of Ecuador. The earthquake killed 700 people

90 percent of infrastructure destroyed in some areas

and left more than 6,000 people severely injured with

(worldvision.org). However, nearly all the infrastructure

700,000 in need of assistance. Approximately 35,000

constructed of bamboo in these areas remained standing,

homes were destroyed or badly damaged, leaving more

largely unharmed.

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Below: 7.8 magnitude earthquake aftermath in Manabi, 2016

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Bamboo is local to the coastal regions of Ecuador and

of Chone in the Manabi province of Ecuador. RFI was

has been used as a building material traditionally in

created “to streamline bamboo production, processing,

this area for thousands of years. This makes bamboo

distribution, and construction to make sustainable

building in these regions both affordable and accessible.

building an accessible option in coastal communities

A community of many skilled maestros build this bamboo

and generate local jobs” (regenerationfieldinstitute.

city together. Here, there are expansive forests of caña

com). In coalition with local reforestation, climate justice

guadua bamboo, the species most commonly utilized for

education, and programs working towards becoming an

building. Not only is Guadua abundant, but has a much

“Eco-City”, RFI has formed the Bahia Beach Construction

smaller environmental impact than wood building, and is

movement. This movement aims to donate economically

stronger in the environmental conditions of this region.

viable and seismically safe homes to families in the most

Guadua “has rapid growth and higher productivity, when

vulnerable areas that were affected by the earthquake.

compared with trees. Usually, the growth cycle of bamboo

RFI partnered with Los Arboleros Farm in November of

is a third of that of a “tree of rapid growth” and has double

2017 to introduce global student learning and job training

the productivity per hectare. Compared to oak, Guadua even produces up to four times more wood… The bending strength of most bamboo species varies between 50 and 150 N/mm2 and is on average twice as strong as most conventional structural timbers…it also captures CO2 and converts it into oxygen, 35% more than regular trees” (guaduabamboo.com).

Guadua buildings are immensely strong in earthquakes due to their tensile strength and

lightweight

flexibility,

making

these structures incredibly resilient in

WHEN DESIGN HAS THE INTENTION OF OPTIMISM, THE RESULTS RESOUND IN MULTIPLE AREAS WITHIN A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WITHIN THE SCOPE OF A SITE.

these regions. However, before the 2016

into this reconstruction. Los Arboleros is an organic farm utilizing regenerative farming

practices

such

as

compost

making, crop rotation, agroecology, topsoil conservation, and watershed management (regenerationfieldinstitute.com). RFI and Los Arboleros Farm are reconsidering the site and utilizing all their local resources as a solution to rebuild. These organizations utilize the people of the community and the bamboo grown regeneratively on their farm to create jobs, provide displaced peoples with new homes built to last, and to reunite this immensely beautiful

earthquake, most larger buildings in the area such as

community after such a traumatic event.

schools and civic buildings were being built using more general practices and materials despite accessibility to

This aids local economies by reintegrating traditional

bamboo and skilled builders. The damage of these public

and resilient building into these communities. These

spaces continues to deeply affect these areas.

organizations, cultivated and owned entirely by locals, utilize the optimism of their people to rebuild. When

It is important to note that it would be naïve to believe

design has the intention of optimism, the results resound

that everyone in the community has the ability to

in multiple areas within a community, not just within the

hire a bamboo maestro to rebuild their home. While

scope of a site. Local materials and artisans are utilized.

bamboo building is both affordable and accessible in

The site is home. The designers are the client.

this location, people in this area tend to build in the least expensive way possible with what they have or

Take in contrast, the relief shelters that were provided for

can find when working on this smaller scale. This is

these areas by Quito, the mountainous capital of Ecuador.

why organizations like the following are so important

Many still scatter these areas today; they are strong,

for rebuilding these homes. In July of 2019, I traveled

affordable, and accessible. However, they are made

with a group of students to study with the Regeneration

almost entirely out of sheet metal, which in Quito would

Field Institute (RFI) at Los Arboleros Farm, a 71.5 acre

likely be successful. Although, in these coastal regions,

organic tropical farm in the rural agrarian community

it is much hotter. The people of these communities are

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Los Arboleros Farm in Chone, Ecuador

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Typical structure of coastal Ecuadorian bamboo home.

Aside from the foundation, every piece of the home is constructed of bamboo cut in different forms.

not even able to stay in these relief shelters for an hour

building practices and connecting back to the site more

because they get immensely hot. These shelters are

traditionally with grass roofs or bamboo structures.

scattered around the region, abandoned. Contrarily,

Or it can be taking the care to learn deeply about the

Shigeru Ban designed relief shelters that were sent to the

communities we are designing for and the specific needs

area made of paper tube walls, grass roofs, and beer crate

they may require. It is inspiring to know that in many

foundations (a material readily available in the area).

cases, we as designers already know the solution to the

Shigeru Ban and RFI gave extra care to give compassion,

problem, we just need the intention of understanding.

listen, and understand.

A mindset of optimism.

This is thoughtful design. These communities rebuilding

www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2016-

their home the way it was meant to be built the first

ecuador-earthquake-facts

time is passionate design. Using community as the

www.regenerationfieldinstitute.com

greatest tool is inspirational design. Sometimes, forward thinking in building can involve reevaluating modern

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Left: My student group at Los Arboleros Farm Below: Bus stop bench my team built during our stay at Los Arboleros Farm

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The Optimistic Architect Valerie Presley

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I

t is an act of optimism to be an architect with eyes wide open. To know that building material accounts for half of global solid waste generated in a year. To learn this

volume is expected to double to 2.2 billion tons by 2025.

To read the amount of man-made mass has reached over 1 trillion tons, exceeding the biomass of the entire natural world. To personally acknowledge that architectural outcomes are both constructive and destructive.

The former requires a great deal of skill and resources.

Sustainability is important until it’s not in the budget.

Then, it’s a matter of negotiation.

Architects operate in a world of Noes.

“No, photovoltaics aren’t in the budget.” “Yes, that material is less harmful, but no, we’re not going to use it.”

“No, that amount of community space is unnecessary.”

This is all true and yet the Optimistic Architect endures, finding opportunity in the irony of architecture, building in less harmful ways - some even advocating for change through design.

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Architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury is one such architect and optimist. His design of The Friendship Centre in Gaibandha, Bangladesh disrupts building, community and cost paradigms in ways that resonate with the optimist in us all.

The project has been described as a true manifestation of Louis Kahn’s notion of “Architecture of the Land,” derived conceptually from the nearby 3rd century BC ruins of Mahasthangahr, the earliest urban archaeological site found in Bangladesh, and built of local hand-made bricks by the community the center now serves and employs.

On a shoe-string NGO budget, Kashef engineered a passive system of earth-covered green roofs, open courts, pools and walkways that are passively ventilated and cooled.

Limited funds discouraged the typical architectural response to flooding - which would have required raising the site 8 feet above high flood level. Instead, Kashef observed an existing embankment near the proposed site that with some intervention would protect the center from cataclysmic floods during the tropical cyclone and monsoon seasons.

“Very few architects in Bangladesh have taken up the challenge of working either in the vast rural hinterland or the environmentally delicate flood plains. The Friendship Centre is conceived not as a building, but as a reorganization of the ground surface, involving excavation, mounding and berming.”

(Architectural Review, Kazi Khaleed Ashraf)

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Rainwater and surface run-off are collected in internal pools. The excess

The design relies on natural ventilation and cooling facilitated by

is pumped to an excavated pond used for fishery.

courtyards, pools and earth covered roofs. An extensive network of septic tanks and soak wells ensures the sewage does not mix with flood water.

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The centre serves as a training facility, theatre, and economic development complex for the poorest of poor in Bangladesh.

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YET WITHIN EXTREME LIMITATION OF MEANS, THERE WAS A SEARCH FOR THE LUXURY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS, OF THE ECONOMY AND GENEROSITY OF SMALL SPACES, AND OF THE JOY OF MOVEMENT AND DISCOVERY IN THE BARE AND ESSENTIAL. Architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury

Like Kashef, the Optimistic Architect is resilient, unwaivering in diplomacy, consistent in communication, and unchanging in their capacity to change. The Optimistic Architect does not give up.

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The Best Of All Possible Worlds Paul Haack

‘the best of all possible worlds’, Anne Yuxi

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To the optimist, the glass is half full; To the pessimist, the glass is half empty; To the architect, it depends on what is in the glass.

If you Google the definition of optimism, you will

Architectural optimism isn’t defined by wishful or hopeful

discover two similar but different meanings. The first,

thinking, nor is it realized through a myopic positivism,

“hopefulness and confidence about the future or the

excluding the messy contingencies of life in support

successful outcome of something” is the more common

of a grand singular vision. An optimistic proposition

understanding; the second, “the doctrine, especially as set

is one that recognizes the totality of an architectural

forth by Leibniz, that this world is the best of all possible

construct – the best of all possible worlds. The totality

worlds” is a little more nuanced yet describes accurately

of an architectural situation addresses all aspects of

architecture’s unique relationship to optimism.

architectural experience, the best as well as those not fully realized. So how do we better understand architecture’s

A cursory review of Gottfried Leibniz’s philosophy reveals

totality? What are the guideposts along the path that

that he does not mean that the “best of all possible

lead to the best of all possible worlds and make possible

worlds” is composed of only the best or the most hopeful

architecture’s optimism? To answer these questions, we

aspects of a given situation; instead, he emphasizes that

must go beyond the subjective theories of architecture and

some aspects of the world may not seem ‘good’ or ‘the

explore the concepts that are consistently present in all

best’ in themselves but are part of a larger totality that

great work. These concepts are objective and expansive.

is better than all the alternatives. His definition (I am

Their validity and relevance within an architectural

leaving out his theological and religious rationale) cast

proposition are difficult to debate while the expansiveness

optimism within a specific time and place construct in

of their interpretation allows them to adjust to the specific

which the whole is greater than the sum of its individual

architectural situation. These indispensable qualities

parts. This situational totality includes things that might

of architecture are its virtues – considered together

seem less than optimistic, but in their combination with

they represent architecture’s essence, which is revealed

other aspects renders a unique response to a specific time,

through discovery, exploration, and proposition. An

place, and cultural context. This is why architecture is

architecture of optimism embraces this process and

fundamentally an optimistic act.

welcomes the complexities of a multifaceted architecture.

Architecture, as an optimistic act, is determined by the way architecture’s essence is revealed in a project, and how a proposition fulfills the promise of architecture’s virtues. As architects we all have had occasion to dismiss buildings as bad¬ – work that did not rise to the standard to be considered great architecture. We experience a

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building, and then, with the confidence of a team of

For me, there is a consistent set of concepts that represent

doctors recognizing an ill patient, shake our heads and

architecture’s virtues. Collectively they create a framework

agree that this building is, in fact, ill – it is not a great

for architecture’s optimistic purpose. Life-enhancing,

example of architecture. We offer a few known symptoms

Appropriateness, Coherence, Wonder, Humility,

of what typically ails the building and a prognosis of

Joy, Authenticity and Slowness are architecture’s

the things that might have worked better. How do we

virtues. Of course, there are many other aspects of

come to this realization? What is it about architecture,

architecture that come into play when designing a

its universal quality, that enables us to render these

building; however, I believe that these are the universal

verdicts? The answer lies in how well a building embodies

aspirations that give architecture its optimism.

architecture’s virtues and the unique ways that those virtues are revealed through built form. To put it another

Perhaps the most important virtue of architecture is that

way, there is a consistent set of aspirations (its virtues) for

it must be Life-enhancing – the very term embodies an

great architecture that are brought forth by architecture’s

optimistic outlook for architecture. Architecture ought to

unique totality (its essence); it is the architect’s task to

celebrate the specific rituals of life as well as an avenue

adhere to the former while discovering the latter. It is this

to newer realizations of the human condition. Life-

task of architecture that makes it an optimistic act – its

enhancing architecture speaks to both the nature of the

final result is not based on hope or confidence but on the

specific situation and the unknown possibilities of a more

realization that the ‘best of all possible worlds’ is one that

profound proposition related to that situation. It is the

addresses our specific situation in its totality.

‘what is’ and the ‘what can be’ of a meaningful proposition.

Le Corbusier’s La Tourette, Kahn’s Salk Institute and Van

When we think of being in the world (dwelling), we do

Eyck’s Orphanage in Amsterdam are wonderful examples

so in the hope that we are always aspiring to something

of how architecture can rise above the expected and give

better, richer, or more profound; that is an optimistic

purpose and meaning to the people that experience these

undertaking. It is architecture’s essence – its virtues –

buildings.

that determine the extent and success of that optimism.

Unlike values, virtues are objective aspirational goals

Whether at the scale of the city or at the smallest detail

that are unique to architecture. They are the qualities,

of craft, great architecture exhibits an Appropriateness

that to some degree, are present in all great work. Some

that connects our proposal within a larger architectural

may be more completely formed than others, but it is

scheme – incongruities and contradictions are the

the presence of all virtues that determines architecture’s

exceptions rather than the rule. Appropriate architecture

totality and the pursuit of this is where architecture’s

avoids whimsy; it seeks to ground our work within a

optimism resides.

larger context.

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Giving purpose and meaning to those that experience these buildings

Connecting design to something greater than itself

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Rather than asking if something is novel or exceptional, architects ought to ask whether their proposition is appropriate to the given context and task. Admittedly, it is a humble exercise; however, it is one that connects design to something greater than itself.

Coherence addresses architecture’s need to be accessible to all who experience the building. A building should not come with a user’s manual; instead, great architecture reveals its secrets of organization and craft in a coherent manner. Coherence is a building’s order in legible form.

This order doesn’t suggest ‘orderliness’ but a general way

A general way of fitting in

of fitting in; the randomness of a Swiss farm settlement is as coherent as the church of San Lorenzo.

Wonder speaks to architecture’s depth. The ability of architecture to draw us in, to immerse us in a layered presentation of the beautiful, the meaningful and the sublime is at the center of architecture’s purpose. Who has not experienced a great building where we are utterly captivated; the building commands our attention and engages our senses, thoughts, and imagination.

The solemnity of Asplund’s cemetery, the richness of the Doge’s Palace and the mysterious fabrications of the Brione Tomb invite us in to dwell and imagine new

Inviting us to dwell and imagine new possibilities

possibilities – they fill us with wonder.

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There should be Humility in architecture that avoids the bombastic and pretentious. Architecture does not need to shout to be heard – it is often the silent melody of a quiet and sophisticated building that resonates the loudest and longest. All too often architects are quick to ‘think outside of the box’ yet it is the confines of the box where architectural creativity resides. When I visit the

It is often the quiet and sophisticated building that resonates the loudest and longest

Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum, it is the humility of the latter that draws me in and rewards me with a far richer experience.

Joy is the virtue in architecture that is responsible for our feelings of profound happiness and contentment when experiencing a building. Unlike wonder, it doesn’t necessarily involve an appreciation of architecture’s depth or nuanced qualities but rather its immediate and visceral pleasure. An architecture of joy is uplifting; it can quickly renew our spirit. I feel this when I step around a corner and see the Empire State Building or enter Sant’ Ivo alla Sapienza or come through the forest and discover

An architecture of joy is uplifting; it can quickly renew our spirit

Wright’s Kaufmann House – all of these experiences are joyful and fill me with a sense of optimism.

An architecture of Authenticity connects us to experiences and realizations that are real. Whether it involves the truth in a program proposition, the integrity of a place or the honesty of the craft, authenticity grounds experience in the world of objective facts. The ersatz reproductions that populate the contemporary world turn our cities into a ‘Disneyland’ of deception in search of a

When buildings deceive, our experience shifts from authentic to nostalgic and both the new construction and the original precedent are cheapened

false optimism. When buildings deceive, our experience shifts from the authentic to the nostalgic and both the new constructions and the original precedents they try to copy are cheapened.

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Slowness in architecture allows us to dwell. Great architecture can remove us from the distractions of the world and immerse us in a contemplative state. The Pantheon, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Farnsworth House, perched within a bucolic landscape, slowly reveal their secrets and unlock our innermost selves.

Contemplation and imagination are ignited because of the profound sense of slowness embodied in these buildings. More important, slowness enables us to savor an image and store it within our architectural memory.

Milan Kundera recognizes this quality in life and has put forth an existential equation that suggests that the degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of memory. This is also true of architecture.

An architecture of optimism, the best of all possible worlds, is made possible by architecture’s virtues. Their composition and degree within buildings is determined by the unique architectural situation: one shoe does not fit all. The extent and form of architecture’s virtues need to arise at the appropriate time, place and in different combinations to be meaningful. This is the underlying premise of “the best of all possible worlds”.

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Slowness enables us to savor an image

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SUGGESTED VIEWING Matt Joiner

The Proposal, a film by Jill Magid.

This is not a film review as I have no experience critiquing it, and so no business doing so. But I will recommend it, to fans of film for architecture, art, and documentary blended with motive and mystery...

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In reading, this film was not conceived as an architectural

exploration becomes a lure, The Proposal, to challenge

feature. Luis Barragan — or rather the architectural legacy

this impenetrable barrier of access.

— of Barragan, is a vehicle for an intellectual exploration of domain over the work of a creative who has passed. We

The Proposal raises many interesting questions about

learn about Barragan, his work, the transferred ownership

which the answers will be individual and contextual. In

and care-taking of his work at his direction, and then a

my mind, it does not make the case that ownership of

twist in an unforeseen sale of these rights to another entity.

art is good or bad, right or wrong in legal, economical, or

Many layers are baked into this twist – economic, political,

practical contexts. It does make a case from an emotional

emotional, social – that contribute to something that

capital, which is a fundamental of experiencing art.

appears to be both extremely bizarre and yet a scenario that could easily occur again. With only a few exceptions,

I would not have heard of the film were it not mentioned to

the professional archive of Luis Barragan (meaning

me by our own Dominika Rotarski (also in attendance). It

the rights to his name and work and all photographs of

was presented by a collaboration between Denver Museum

it – complete and inconsequential) is owned by a sole

of Contemporary Art and Museo de Las Americas, in a

individual in Switzerland and kept completely inaccessible

surprising venue right in our own Highlands: the Holiday

to anyone who’s inquired for the last 30 years.

Theater. The film appears to be available for rent on Amazon and you can read more on the film from the artists

The film builds with documentary-like foundations from which protagonist and antagonist characters begin to form around controlling that history and memory. It goes a step beyond documentary when the producer, narrator and key character engages the dynamic directly as a participant, like a chemist conducting an experiment but sans scientific method. In the process she builds an affection for Barragan’s work and also a personal disposition to be successful – this is not a neutral experiment. Magid becomes emotionally invested and the

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website: http://www.jillmagid.com/film.

2022 VOLUME 14

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