Modern Architecture
with a Humanistic Touch
Photos courtesy of Stephen Chung
M
odern architecture is often characterized by simplicity and the absence of extraneous decoration or detail. This philosophy is based on the principle that “form follows function,” a phrase originally coined by Frank Lloyd Wright’s mentor, Louis Sullivan – the father of modernism.
Stephen Chung, host of the upcoming PBS television program, Cool Spaces, which profiles the best of contemporary architecture, considers himself a modern architect. His Bostonbased studio focuses primarily on designing small to mid-sized residential and hospitality projects in the modern style. “Even in modern architecture,” Chung says, “there needs to be a humanist quality. Wood and other natural materials, such as stone, marble and leather, can impart warmth in a way that simulated materials made with industrialized manufacturing techniques cannot.” In addition to his duties as an on-air television personality and principal of his own firm, he has taught design and drawing at schools such as Syracuse University, Cornell University, the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Texas at Austin and Yale University. Chung also gave a presentation entitled “Cool Spaces in Wood” at the IWPA Annual Convention in Vancouver in April. Chung employs exotic wood strategically in his own work. “I tend to think of a beautiful piece of wood or a unique piece of stone or some other unusual natural element as a piece of art,” he says. “I like to embrace its uniqueness and abstraction, and of course all of its natural irregularities, and work them into a setting as an accent of a focal point, much
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