This being the final week of opus i wanted to tie not only these words together, but the whole year. The design world is a community, we think in ways that not everyone can. There is a unique bond between designers everywhere, and it can even be seen in my own studio class. We as a community then work outwards and try to use our designs to serve the community. Architecture serves a purpose to the community, or according to Sir Henry Wotton, well building hath three conditions:commodity, firmness and delight."[1] Architects and designers serve the community by making buildings that are functional, lasting, and visually pleasing. Without the community architecture would only be a building with no purpose. When looking back at what we talked about in history this week historic preservation is to me what brings them all together. The reason that buildings are preserved is to keep the story of the previous cultures alive and imbedded into the community. A recent example of this is when we went and visited Monticello. Over time it has been preserved to keep what made it so magnificent at the time still alive today. It is all about keeping what was in the community before still thriving in the future, something we want to happen to our designs as well.
[STEWARDSHIP]
Over time, historic preservation has become more and more popular. Massey writes, "Alongside new builds with sustainable elements, there is also a trend to refit and refurbish existing buildings: a sign of increased interest in sustainability and in the historic past".[2] The world of design is finding it more important to keep what we have in good shape to save not only the history, but our earth. We have a stewardship as a community to take care of our planet and the resources and materials that are within it. We also have a stewardship to take care of what the past has created for us. The architecture of the past teaches us about our own design and how we can better it. By preserving the precious buildings that are already around us we are making sure that for generations the history will stay alive and keep on inspiring my own work.
[AUTHENTICITY]
With whatever design there is, whether it is your own or anothers, it is always important to keep the authenticity of it alive. When a design is created it says something about the person who made it and their own personal style. In the end, it is the character that a designer puts in their work that gives it its authenticity. When relating back to historical restoration authenticity is the key. If the renovation looses its authenticity its lost all the history and stories that it once hold, thats why restoration has to be taken into such careful consideration. A perfect example is the restoration of the Tate Modern in London. The building began as a power station but turned into an art museum. What is so great is that it keeps its authenticity and "rather than disquise and attempt to supplant the building's original purpose, the swiss architects...exploited the might of the vast turbine hall as the key public space of the building"[3] The restoration didn't strip the original building sown but rather embraced its character inside.
[INNOVATION]
As time passes the world of design keeps finding new innovations that transform future designs. The good innovations are embraced and used over and over in time in different ways and different styles. The bad ones however are often used as teaching tools of how not to construct a design or building. In restoration its all about innovations as well. The restoration itself is an innovation on its own, it is something new compared to what was there before. There are also innovations on how to do the restoration. As time goes by better ways of taking care of a restoration are handled. Finding the least disruptive way to get things done is the greatest leap a restoration can have. The OMA(office for metropolitan architecture) "are best known for uniting the latest technology with cutting-edge architectural theory"[4] Architects are using more technology and innovations in their work to make the best experience possible. There are also architectural innovations such as in the Boston public library. Th old is connected to the new in such a way that it is fluid and cohesive by a "defining wall along the southwest side of Copley Square, a major open space in a newly developed portion of Boston"[5] Innovations are what spur future creativity and design.
[WRAP-UP]
Over the past semester we have dawned back on a plethora of words and it is important to realize how those and the world around us effect not only design as a whole, but our own design. This week I focused on how historic restoration tells a broader story than it is made out to be. Design is about creating new innovations and experiencing failures and successes to get to a final product. Its important that there is a level of authenticity so that the design remains true to who made it. By creating these good designs we are giving back to the community, who are the consumer we aim to please. And by giving back we are being showing stewardship not only for those we design to, but the history and past that we come from.
[CITATIONS]
1-Quote from Sir Henry Wotton
2-Massey pg. 225
3-Massey pg 228
4-Massey pg. 235
5- Roth pg. 505
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