What is the " fast company " that architecture today finds itself surrounded by or in competition... more What is the " fast company " that architecture today finds itself surrounded by or in competition with? What have been some of the dominant responses within architecture to those " external " technologies, media, and design practices? How has architecture attempted both to operate within an " expanded field " while at the same time maintaining a sense of disciplinarily or expertise?
Since 2004, when it first opened its door, the Seattle public library drew both appreciation as w... more Since 2004, when it first opened its door, the Seattle public library drew both appreciation as well as critics. Such contrasting views were inevitable since the project explicitly challenged preconceived notions of a public library in terms of form, space and program. The project reconstituted the public library that would facilitate the current intellectual atmosphere as well a future shifts. Stated to be " a library that puts on fishnets and hits the disco " 1by New York Times, the Seattle Public library aligns with the ideals of Post modernism and exhibits signs of interior urbanism. Characterized by a sense of hyper rationality, challenging the high modernist notion of flexibility while aligning with Koolhas's five key aspects of interior urbanism, the Seattle public library stands in direct opposition to the high modernist agendas. Joshua Prince Ramus, one of the key architect of the Seattle public library defines the hyper rational process as " a process that takes rationality to an absurd level " 2 as result producing instances that transcend expectations. The project is characterized by hyper rationality as it defies generic notions of space and archetype that may appear to be the result of OMA's and LMN's " whim and ego " 3. Joshua Prince however, explains that the from, as well as the spatial distribution is the direct diagram of the square footage each program consumed, sized and aligned wit zoning codes. This notion of hyper rationality is evident in works of pioneering post modernists, Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour who identified archetype " duck " 4 and " decorated shed " 5 that came about as a result of a rationale that was deeper-speed and scale in case of Las Vegas-yet transcended common notions and understandings while rejecting modernist ideals of deriving rationale through structure. Venture, Brown and Izenour, in rejection of the homogeneity [Type text][Type text][Type text]
By the 1960s the orthodox and snobbish nature of Modernist architecture was realized. Dogmatic an... more By the 1960s the orthodox and snobbish nature of Modernist architecture was realized. Dogmatic and divorced from its poetic context, Modernism soon found itself against competing schools of architectural thought conceived as a reaction to Modernist urban practices. Despite presenting varying proposals the reactive ideologies maintained a common ground in highlighting the importance of context and contextual forces towards the constitution of place/ architecture, opposing the Modernist notion of finding meaning in structure. Amongst many such figures, Venturi, Scott Brown, and Izenour, Rowe and Kotter, and Ian McHarg were individuals who directly advocated the importance of context-physical and psychological-in architectural practice while presenting a critique of Modernism. Nevertheless, Learning from Las Vegas by Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour has had the most influence on new urbanism since it was first conceived. Venturi, Brown and Izenour's ideas presented a new look at the building, advocating an architecture that was communicative, possessed character and were derived from and for the mass culture. Reminiscence of these proposals is evident in new urbanism in cities like Las Vegas, and Dubai, and evident in the works of Zaha Hadid Architects. In addressing Modernism's alienation with its context Ian McHarg in his Ecological Method advocated an efficient engagement and a protection of the natural environment1. His method, fostering the idea of ecological data of a place to determine the design of the place has influenced new urbanism and architectural discourse where the notion of sustainability and green practices has found popularity, with organizations such as L.E.E.D promoting practices with respect to natural systems and processes. Ian McHarg had the opportunity to test his site-specific ecological method in Woodland, Texas. The result of Woodland, Texas reveals the ecological method as a palimpsest processes of physical context with design occurring on the residual void. Given the technique, the primary critique of McHarg's method became his lack of interest in design and the plan becoming a fall out of the mapping method. Despite, having significance in the new urban architecture practice and discourse in terms presenting an architecture that is harmonious with natural processes, McHarg's Ecological Method did not pose a " direct " significant influence on new urbanism and urban planning to a high degree. [Type text][Type text][Type text]
What is the " fast company " that architecture today finds itself surrounded by or in competition... more What is the " fast company " that architecture today finds itself surrounded by or in competition with? What have been some of the dominant responses within architecture to those " external " technologies, media, and design practices? How has architecture attempted both to operate within an " expanded field " while at the same time maintaining a sense of disciplinarily or expertise?
Since 2004, when it first opened its door, the Seattle public library drew both appreciation as w... more Since 2004, when it first opened its door, the Seattle public library drew both appreciation as well as critics. Such contrasting views were inevitable since the project explicitly challenged preconceived notions of a public library in terms of form, space and program. The project reconstituted the public library that would facilitate the current intellectual atmosphere as well a future shifts. Stated to be " a library that puts on fishnets and hits the disco " 1by New York Times, the Seattle Public library aligns with the ideals of Post modernism and exhibits signs of interior urbanism. Characterized by a sense of hyper rationality, challenging the high modernist notion of flexibility while aligning with Koolhas's five key aspects of interior urbanism, the Seattle public library stands in direct opposition to the high modernist agendas. Joshua Prince Ramus, one of the key architect of the Seattle public library defines the hyper rational process as " a process that takes rationality to an absurd level " 2 as result producing instances that transcend expectations. The project is characterized by hyper rationality as it defies generic notions of space and archetype that may appear to be the result of OMA's and LMN's " whim and ego " 3. Joshua Prince however, explains that the from, as well as the spatial distribution is the direct diagram of the square footage each program consumed, sized and aligned wit zoning codes. This notion of hyper rationality is evident in works of pioneering post modernists, Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour who identified archetype " duck " 4 and " decorated shed " 5 that came about as a result of a rationale that was deeper-speed and scale in case of Las Vegas-yet transcended common notions and understandings while rejecting modernist ideals of deriving rationale through structure. Venture, Brown and Izenour, in rejection of the homogeneity [Type text][Type text][Type text]
By the 1960s the orthodox and snobbish nature of Modernist architecture was realized. Dogmatic an... more By the 1960s the orthodox and snobbish nature of Modernist architecture was realized. Dogmatic and divorced from its poetic context, Modernism soon found itself against competing schools of architectural thought conceived as a reaction to Modernist urban practices. Despite presenting varying proposals the reactive ideologies maintained a common ground in highlighting the importance of context and contextual forces towards the constitution of place/ architecture, opposing the Modernist notion of finding meaning in structure. Amongst many such figures, Venturi, Scott Brown, and Izenour, Rowe and Kotter, and Ian McHarg were individuals who directly advocated the importance of context-physical and psychological-in architectural practice while presenting a critique of Modernism. Nevertheless, Learning from Las Vegas by Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour has had the most influence on new urbanism since it was first conceived. Venturi, Brown and Izenour's ideas presented a new look at the building, advocating an architecture that was communicative, possessed character and were derived from and for the mass culture. Reminiscence of these proposals is evident in new urbanism in cities like Las Vegas, and Dubai, and evident in the works of Zaha Hadid Architects. In addressing Modernism's alienation with its context Ian McHarg in his Ecological Method advocated an efficient engagement and a protection of the natural environment1. His method, fostering the idea of ecological data of a place to determine the design of the place has influenced new urbanism and architectural discourse where the notion of sustainability and green practices has found popularity, with organizations such as L.E.E.D promoting practices with respect to natural systems and processes. Ian McHarg had the opportunity to test his site-specific ecological method in Woodland, Texas. The result of Woodland, Texas reveals the ecological method as a palimpsest processes of physical context with design occurring on the residual void. Given the technique, the primary critique of McHarg's method became his lack of interest in design and the plan becoming a fall out of the mapping method. Despite, having significance in the new urban architecture practice and discourse in terms presenting an architecture that is harmonious with natural processes, McHarg's Ecological Method did not pose a " direct " significant influence on new urbanism and urban planning to a high degree. [Type text][Type text][Type text]
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