It’s a good question. It’s the same one Caesar Augustus
asked Vitruvius in Rome centuries ago. There are so many facets that must be
reconciled to arrive at an answer! It’s another design problem. We are often
distracted by a few high priority topics and compromise with others to arrive
at an answer that is not a unifying concept. I think our education has taught
us that there are many answers but few exceptional concepts. Intelligence
gathering and logical evaluation are key ingredients for a concept that has the
potential to increase knowledge.
Architecture is a tactical plan to achieve a shelter
objective within a specific project area. It is written and drawn to lead and correlate
the work of many contributing technical specialties. Final form and appearance
symbolize the complex process and represent current opinion, knowledge and
ability. The result is measureable shelter capacity, intensity, intrusion, and
dominance that affect our quality of life within and beyond the building.
City design is a strategic plan written and drawn to
correlate tactical decisions that combine to affect shelter, movement, open
space, and life support within the Built Domain. The strategy leads tactical
decisions that affect our physical, social, psychological, environmental, and
economic quality of life.
The goal is a declared policy of symbiotic survival that is
the only cure for a pathogenic disease on the face of the planet that we call
sprawl. To succeed, we must learn to shelter the activities of growing
populations within limited geographic areas that protect their quality and
source of life – The Natural Domain.
ADDENDUM to “WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE?”
A concept does not become knowledge until it can repeat success
and avoid failure. In architecture, a concept is considered artistic
inspiration. Repetition is considered plagiarism. As a consequence, the pursuit
of fine art and the fear of plagiarism have led us away from the formation of
knowledge that can improve the practice of the entire profession. This will
continue as long as fine art is considered to be the answer to the question,
“What is architecture?” Only the best is fine art; and fine art is the form,
function, and appearance of a complex anatomy. This anatomy is created by an
orchestra of technical specialties with a score written, drawn, and conducted
by an architect. There are few masterpieces but many compositions. This is
architecture, and its greatest strength is a constant search for improvement
with logic that always grapples with the unknown. It is the only way to write a
score that correlates the performance of an orchestra.
The decisions that set the stage for inspiration are
consistent and mathematical. The values chosen determine the shelter capacity
of land and the intensity, intrusion, and dominance introduced. These factors
can also be measured at existing locations for comparison and evaluation.
Architectural form, function, and appearance emerge from these site plan
parameters to amplify the quality of life defined at street level. The
correlated result symbolizes a culture’s current opinions, knowledge, and
ability. This is architecture with a language that can elevate its tactical
efforts to the strategic level of city design. In other words, architecture is
(can be) a tactical and strategic profession that produces shelter strategy for
growing populations. It is served by movement, open space, and life support
within a Built Domain that must pursue a policy of symbiotic survival.
A logical, consistent mathematical foundation for ensuing
design decisions has never eliminated inspiration. It provides a platform of
knowledge to justify design decisions that are presently defended with
politically vulnerable opinion.
ON REFLECTION
On reflection, I have ripped my orchestral metaphor for
architecture from the drawing board and thrown it into a pile of discarded
efforts. The text below is another effort.
Architecture is logic
that correlates diverse technical specialists and aesthetic contributions to
achieve a shelter project objective. Unfortunately, these project achievements
are not led by a strategic language that is able to accumulate knowledge and
consistently lead project contributions toward shelter for growing populations
within limited geographic areas that protect their quality and source of life –
The Natural Domain. The achievement of tactical project objectives without a
strategic plan for symbiotic survival will continue to produce pathogenic
sprawl, resource depletion, and pollution across the face of a planet that does
not compromise with ignorance. Architecture is judged by opinion that
determines the building’s status as fine art, but opinion is not equal to the
contribution required for symbiotic survival.
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