"Architecture You Can Understand:" What Does It Mean? (Part 2)

Disclaimer:  Please pardon my often sarcastic, irreverent sense of humor.  The point is still made, though...

Last week, we discussed the nonsense many architects use to describe the inspiration for their projects.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, maybe) most of us don't live in that high-strung, "Frasier Crane-esque" world.  Our typical clients don't understand that jargon, or even pretend to (like we do.) They want a project that meets their needs, not ours.  I have never had a client, upon finishing a job, ask me to move in with them. (Although there was that blonde in Philadelphia...  But I digress.)

So if our designs aren't necessarily supposed to land us in the Abstract Thinkers' Hall of Fame, what are they supposed to do?  Here are three simple, down-to-earth suggestions:

I do NOT own a yellow tie!

1) Meet the client's needs and desires.  This may sound overly simplistic, but many is the time I have seen an architect browbeat a client into accepting something they really don't want.  We can certainly provide our expert opinion and reasons for thinking the way we do, but the decision is ultimately the client's.  If the homeowner wants that 2000 sq. ft. kitchen with hot tub and disco floor in the breakfast nook, who are we to argue?  It's the 21st century; let your freak flag fly!

Often times, our clients may have an idea about what they want, but don't understand the best way to accomplish that goal.  Then, it is our responsibility as designers to help the client achieve their desires in ways that perhaps hadn't occurred to them.  The result?  Good design, and the client thinks it was his idea.  Win-win!

2) Improve the neighborhood.  We may use fancy terms like "socially responsible" or "fabric of the city," but what it comes down to is this:  Don't be the guy who built that ugly piece of you-know-what in my town.  We can create good, responsible design without resorting to cheap stunts or over-the-top gimmicks in the name of "originality."  I don't care what the building codes say, don't put a four-story glass cube in a neighborhood of craftsman houses, and don't put a split-level ranch on Tenement Row.  You'll just end up screwing with the space-time continuum.

Instead, use designs and shapes that complement (without directly imitating) the surrounding neighborhoods.  Use local materials in a sensitive way, incorporating new materials that coexist and enhance the existing ones.  A good designer can find creative ways to express originality without completely ignoring the project's context.

Sorry, Mr. Architect; they're all at lunch...

3) Build economically.  This doesn't mean that everything has to be built using pre-fab metal building components.  (Sorry, Arco and Butler.)  The truth is, though, most of us don't have clients like the Kardashians that can afford gold-plated feminine napkin dispensers.  We actually have to worry about a budget.  That means using materials that are easily obtained with minimal shipping (yes, you could refer to it's "carbon footprint" if you're one of those tree-hugging types.)  It also means using construction methods that are reasonably familiar to local builders and craftsmen, because time is money.  Especially with union guys.

We also need to think about "life-cycle costs" (not to be confused with the "Circle of Life," which would be serious Disney copyright infringement.)  What does that mean?  Always check out the up-front costs of a building material or system versus how much money it will save you in the long run.  Sometimes it's worth it; sometimes (gasp!) it isn't.  You know that $50,000 energy-saving kitty-litter warmer you installed?  It saves so much electricity that it will pay for itself in only 146 years!

Okay, so that's a little extreme.  Most of us warm our kitty litter by hand nowadays.  The point is, be wise and don't necessarily follow every fad.  Good energy-conscious design will make sense, both to you and your client.  Combine this with sensitivity to your surroundings and sensitivity to your clients, and you will have good design.  And when your client "gets it," you will have Architecture You Can Understand.

"Architecture You Can Understand": What Does It Mean? (Part 1)

Disclaimer:  Please pardon my often sarcastic, irreverent sense of humor.  The point is still made, though...

Okay, it's pet peeve time.  Truth be told, I have enough peeves to start my own petting zoo, but this is one that relates to my own chosen field of Architecture.  I can't tell you how many times I've opened an issue of an architectural magazine to read about an architect describing his latest project.  Too often, it goes something like this...

Look, Mom!  I forgot my straightedge!

"My inspiration for the curved, yet linear nature of the underlying structure was the natural form of waves crashing onto the shore in Buenos Aires on October 27th of 1967.  The elevation of the entrance pedestal was set at the height of the Tibetan mountain lion to speak to the biodiversity of life in the tundra.  The 24.5 degree angle to which it is tilted is symbolic of man's struggle to achieve mastery over his inner racism.  The square footage of the project is the same number as the deaths in Rwanda in 1987.  And finally, it has the exact same carbon footprint as a Yeti in heat.  See how globally aware my project is?"

Don't get me wrong; I am all for creating energy-conscious projects that often incorporate symbolism in some way.  If not for responsible architects, we would all be living in those little wooden shacks that Home Depot sells in their parking lot.  I suspect, however, that often times the real reason for that 24.5 degree skewed pedestal was so that the architect could say, "Look, Mom!  I made it into Architectural Digest!"

What the %$#& ?

I know there will be many that disagree (everyone has the right to be wrong,) but I believe that too often architects design projects as statements about themselves as opposed to meeting the clients' needs.  I believe every design decision needs to be based on reasons that can be explained in down-to-earth terms to the client, even if that reason is "this will look pretty darn cool and attract a lot of attention to your business."

Perhaps this philosophy comes from many years working in small towns and cities, where the clients are a bit more pragmatic, but I firmly believe that we as architects should be honest with our clients.  Our design solutions should first and foremost reflect the needs of our clients in a reasonable, socially and environmentally conscious manner.  If our clients don't "get it," then we are not doing our job.  That is "Architecture You Can Understand."

Next week, Part Two:  "Well then, what the heck should our designs accomplish?"

My Start As An Architect

This was the architect's office where I first started practicing way back in 1986.  It started out as a 1940's era gas station!  The area that once housed the gas pumps was converted into a full-glass design studio overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.  The interiors featured brick floors and redwood ceilings.

Unfortunately, the building was lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Below is the "ghost office" image...

Gone or not, the building will always hold a special place in my heart...