All good designers are great at joining things together.
A classic example is the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the German Pavilion at Barcelona (1929) rather disappointingly alluded to by Kevin McCloud in a recent episode of the UK TV programme Grand Designs.
I say disappointing because the essence of the German Pavilion to me is how it connects spaces, whilst the building which was apparently inspired by the German Pavillion failed to make any significant achievements in this area.
But we’re not just talking about connecting spaces here, we are talking joints. Poor joints are where buildings go wrong, and good joints are what good design is all about.
As my modernist tutors taught me, the best way to connect two opposing elements is to insert something to mediate between them, and good architects do this with the Planning process. The client and the planning behemoth both get what they need, mediated through the design and negotiation of a good architect.
By inference, good architects should also be good at connecting people, or ‘Networking’. In essence networking is about working together to find areas of common interest and sharing these with others. Which is why I like working with property developers because I find it interesting, no inspiring, how they can see opportunities in these associations and make them happen.
This is the second of a short series looking in to what good architects can do for you. Read the first post here. If you’d like to suggest another topic in this series, please drop me a line.
wjmarchitect says
I love the beautifully poetic way you have connected space design and architecture with the connecting of people. I agree good architects should be good at connecting people but this seems to elude many in the profession.
I often hear from colleagues “this would be a great profession if it wasn’t for the clients and the contractors”.
Perhaps we can learn from the past. It is interesting that you chose Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe’s masterwork Pavilion as the metaphor for your point. Mies himself was a BIG offender in this regard.
In a Time Magazine article June 14, 1954, Mies is quoted as saying “The old way was to look at architecture as a display of forms. We concentrate on the simple, basic structure, and we believe the structural way gives more freedom and variety. Remember, we are not trying to please people. We are driving to the essence of things.”
In the greater context of art and history, I understand. In physics, around this time, Einstein was working to derive a single equation to explain and unify sub-atomic and universal forces. After Einstein had shown us E=mc^2, there was a growing belief that everything could be reduced to a single equation; A simple, beautiful, theory of everything. In an artistic way, Mies was part of this movement and “driving to the essence of things.”
However, pleasing people cannot be separated from achieving a successful design. As Mies did, it is possible to over-derive. To reduce something to less than it’s minimum constituent parts. Reduction to a point where it is no longer itself. It is less than itself. If you remove the important collaborative interactions between those engaged in the reason for, and execution of, the created design, in my opinion, you have reduced the design to less than it’s minimum constituent parts.
In a very real way we must come to understand that it is not just the architect who is designing. The client, the contractor, the end user are all part of the designing process.
We as architects need to learn that these people are part of our designs. Despite what others may think and say, you cannot create a successful building design without good communication, networking and respectful collaboration with the client(s) the contractor(s) and the ultimate users of the spaces that are created.
The best projects result from respectful collaboration.
It is very ironic that as architects, we master the connecting of space and materials, while connecting with people remains elusive.
seol says
The mode of thinking is simply great.The relation between the architect and the client is very important.The collaboration is necessary.