1. The Chosen Site and Research Topic
The need for analyzing and criticizing design in architecture
The issues derived at preliminary stage are as follows :
Not everyone is born with the ability to differentiate the good from the bad of designs in architecture, especially with arts and design being subjective. Thus, what makes one building a success and another a failure? Logically speaking, not everyone is a saint as people actually do judge a book by its cover despite it being subconsciously or not, people just do it. Thus, most buildings too are judged merely by its final outcome. This means, a person that lacks the ability and skill to weigh the good and bad of the design architecturally, will definitely just judge the building merely by its aesthetics. The whole process that architects go through, such as generating ideas and thoroughly considering many other important factors will have gone to waste. This will gradually lead to the death of architecture as architects will no longer strive for functional ideals but rather produce soulless buildings that scream with high aesthetics. In fact, just because many have failed to see the intentions and ideas of architects has led to the failure of many great periods in the history of architecture. Thus leading to the need for more people to be able to think critically and analyze a building properly before condemning it as a bad design.
The need for analyzing and criticizing design in architecture
The issues derived at preliminary stage are as follows :
Not everyone is born with the ability to differentiate the good from the bad of designs in architecture, especially with arts and design being subjective. Thus, what makes one building a success and another a failure? Logically speaking, not everyone is a saint as people actually do judge a book by its cover despite it being subconsciously or not, people just do it. Thus, most buildings too are judged merely by its final outcome. This means, a person that lacks the ability and skill to weigh the good and bad of the design architecturally, will definitely just judge the building merely by its aesthetics. The whole process that architects go through, such as generating ideas and thoroughly considering many other important factors will have gone to waste. This will gradually lead to the death of architecture as architects will no longer strive for functional ideals but rather produce soulless buildings that scream with high aesthetics. In fact, just because many have failed to see the intentions and ideas of architects has led to the failure of many great periods in the history of architecture. Thus leading to the need for more people to be able to think critically and analyze a building properly before condemning it as a bad design.
Topic : The need for analyzing and criticizing design in architecture
2. Why and How the Element of Research is the Most Crucial Part of the Issue
Justification
By looking back into the history of architecture, many periods/eras have failed because of the simple fact of many laymen not being able to understand the ideas and concepts of architects. In fact, it is because there are many periods that came after the Greek period that shows as proof to the statement that many lack the skill and ability to analyze and criticize designs in architecture. The Modernist period is one of the examples of which the ideals, theories and purpose of the modernist architects were strong and pure. They were trying to achieve the nirvana yet many misunderstood them and thought otherwise additionally, they felt trapped like being in a jail cell rather than in heaven. All these, merely because they were not able to fully grasp the concept of which the Modernist architects were trying to portray. Basically, what an architect may see is definitely not always what a general layman sees. The objective of this essay is to stress on the need for analyzing and criticizing design in architecture.
This study will undertake 2 aspects of research which is the primary and secondary data sources. Primarily, the research would be done by observing how buildings relate architecturally to their natural surroundings from all angles and having casual conversations with the people who frequent the buildings about the architectural design effect of the building and as to how they judge if the design of the building is a success or a failure (data will be collected via surveys and pictures). Secondary sources would range from research based on books, magazines and the World Wide Web (blogs, forums and etc)
3. Level of Research Study which will be Executed
3. Level of Research Study which will be Executed
Contents:
1.0 Introduction
1.0 Introduction
- Brief statements about the background and history of architecture.
- Designer’s point of view about design, architecture, functionality and outcome of a building.
- Layman’s point of view about the design in architecture.
- The necessity to implement more critical and analytical thinking when looking at a design in architecture.
2.0 Distinguishing the good, the bad and the mediocre designs in architecture
- The definition of a good design may be very subjective but the basics of idea generation is most similar. It’s the way an idea is developed that makes it an overall success or failure. It’s pretty much the same with cooking, as everyone can start with the same recipe, but the outcome (taste) of it will be different.
- A good design is not one that only thinks of the present day but incorporates thoughts of the past and the future as well. For example, a building that is functional and yet high in aesthetics in this current day should also have elements from the historical periods of architecture (be it ideologies from the Greeks to the Cubist) while incorporating sustainability to improve the future living.
- How is a good design in architecture judged by the public? For those who do not know how to judge on their own, or those who lack in personal opinions, they would very likely be heavily influenced by the mass media and the words spread by mouth. Hence, the dominos effect - with one person who thinks that the design is a failure, everyone follows along thinking that it is a failure as well despite the possibilities of the design being a success.
- What about those who do know how to distinguish the good from the bad in designs in architecture? These are the people who should be voicing their professional opinions and not let a good idea go to waste. It is because of the fear of their own image being tarnished that one does not help another person. Thus, this adds on fuel to those who are already opposed to the supposedly failed design.
3.0 Judging art by its colours
- Similar to being thought of never to judge a book by its cover, one also must exercise the concept of not judging art by its colours. Simply put, one should not judge designs in architecture merely by its outcome. As a good design begins with an idea and is improved by the developments made to it, despite the outcome it may still be considered a success. Take the Modernist period as an example, it is said that the Modernist era ended with the demolishing of the Pruitt-Igoe but in actual fact, up to today, people are still striving towards the Modernist ideals of more than five decades ago. Thus, the success and failure of design in architecture should not merely be judged by its literal outcome.
- Designer’s point of view about design, architecture, functionality and outcome of a building.
- Layman’s point of view about the design in architecture.
- The necessity to implement more critical and analytical thinking when looking at a design in architecture.
2.0 Distinguishing the good, the bad and the mediocre designs in architecture
- The definition of a good design may be very subjective but the basics of idea generation is most similar. It’s the way an idea is developed that makes it an overall success or failure. It’s pretty much the same with cooking, as everyone can start with the same recipe, but the outcome (taste) of it will be different.
- A good design is not one that only thinks of the present day but incorporates thoughts of the past and the future as well. For example, a building that is functional and yet high in aesthetics in this current day should also have elements from the historical periods of architecture (be it ideologies from the Greeks to the Cubist) while incorporating sustainability to improve the future living.
- How is a good design in architecture judged by the public? For those who do not know how to judge on their own, or those who lack in personal opinions, they would very likely be heavily influenced by the mass media and the words spread by mouth. Hence, the dominos effect - with one person who thinks that the design is a failure, everyone follows along thinking that it is a failure as well despite the possibilities of the design being a success.
- What about those who do know how to distinguish the good from the bad in designs in architecture? These are the people who should be voicing their professional opinions and not let a good idea go to waste. It is because of the fear of their own image being tarnished that one does not help another person. Thus, this adds on fuel to those who are already opposed to the supposedly failed design.
3.0 Judging art by its colours
- Similar to being thought of never to judge a book by its cover, one also must exercise the concept of not judging art by its colours. Simply put, one should not judge designs in architecture merely by its outcome. As a good design begins with an idea and is improved by the developments made to it, despite the outcome it may still be considered a success. Take the Modernist period as an example, it is said that the Modernist era ended with the demolishing of the Pruitt-Igoe but in actual fact, up to today, people are still striving towards the Modernist ideals of more than five decades ago. Thus, the success and failure of design in architecture should not merely be judged by its literal outcome.
- “Architecture is the thoughtful making of space” as quoted by Louis Kahn. I personally agree with that. An architect does not simply create interesting looks merely for aesthetic value but instead creates a space that has a sense of place, genius loci, which means genius of place is generally used to describe places that are deeply memorable for their architectural and experiential qualities. Additionally, architects design spaces to accommodate a specific program, experience or intent not merely just by creating an interesting space without a purpose. In fact, a lot of investigations on site and off are done before actually creating a conceptual idea. Thus, despite the failure of the outcome of a certain design in architecture, there is still a whole lot of behind the scenes thinking that could actually have been a success.
- Architecture begins with an idea. An idea is a specific mental structure by which architects organize, understand, and give meaning to external experiences and information. Without underlying ideas informing their buildings, architects are merely space planners. Thus, every idea is not a purely surface matter, but the core of every design. Instead of judging merely by the outcome, one should be more focused on judging what the architect is trying to convey, their ideas. Additionally, the failure of the outcome is most likely caused by a single wrong step in the development of idea. It does not necessarily mean that the whole idea and concept is a complete failure.
4.0 Death of architecture
- If everyone were to believe that a good design in architecture is merely something high in aesthetics or even something that directly conveys the meaning of a space, then no architect would be striving to create an ideal space that promotes the cost of living. If every building was to be made with the similar ideas of the Longaberger Basket Building in Ohio, it’s like making a mockery of architecture and its history as it projects the meaning of the building in a very literal way.
- However, a building that is very pleasing to the eye which is filled up purely with high aesthetic designs but lacks greatly in purpose and function will also lead to the death of architecture. Architects strive to create living spaces and concepts that will help the human living. Designing a space for a person is linked to the person both spiritually and mentally, meaning that the space created is supposed to be like living in that person’s heaven. Thus, every space is unique and has a sense of space not a mere square area that is filled with extravagant and expensive deco that has no meaning as this shows no link whatsoever to the individual residing in the space.
- A good building reveals different things about itself when viewed from different distances. This shows the great amount of thought and research put into a design before sprouting up a building. But if no one knows how to appreciate the efforts and claim it as a failure in design terms then architects will no longer have the will to muster up strong ideas that requires a lot of development. Basically, architects will lose the motivation to create wonderful masterpieces that can most possibly be historical buildings. Hence, this leads to a future generation that will have no reference to the history of architecture.- Architecture begins with an idea. An idea is a specific mental structure by which architects organize, understand, and give meaning to external experiences and information. Without underlying ideas informing their buildings, architects are merely space planners. Thus, every idea is not a purely surface matter, but the core of every design. Instead of judging merely by the outcome, one should be more focused on judging what the architect is trying to convey, their ideas. Additionally, the failure of the outcome is most likely caused by a single wrong step in the development of idea. It does not necessarily mean that the whole idea and concept is a complete failure.
4.0 Death of architecture
- If everyone were to believe that a good design in architecture is merely something high in aesthetics or even something that directly conveys the meaning of a space, then no architect would be striving to create an ideal space that promotes the cost of living. If every building was to be made with the similar ideas of the Longaberger Basket Building in Ohio, it’s like making a mockery of architecture and its history as it projects the meaning of the building in a very literal way.
- However, a building that is very pleasing to the eye which is filled up purely with high aesthetic designs but lacks greatly in purpose and function will also lead to the death of architecture. Architects strive to create living spaces and concepts that will help the human living. Designing a space for a person is linked to the person both spiritually and mentally, meaning that the space created is supposed to be like living in that person’s heaven. Thus, every space is unique and has a sense of space not a mere square area that is filled with extravagant and expensive deco that has no meaning as this shows no link whatsoever to the individual residing in the space.
5.0 Conclusion
- A appropriate conclusion will be added later on due to research not being completed yet.
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