Alex Webber
ARCH 329
Prof. Middleton
4.26.13
Reflection
As
we have looked at our modern architectural founders over the last few months,
it is important that I look back at all of the great architects that have come before
me and how they have changed our profession for better and always. There are
also lessons to take away from their ideologies and the way the marketed
themselves as designers and leaders. I’ve been exposed and learned from so many
different styles in this class, it’s easy to get distracted and lose your own
identity from influence from the masters of the modern age. Here is how I
identify with the styles, themes, patterns and processes from our studies from
the last semester.
1.
There
is no amount of history or theory that can replace your own style. We sign up
for the architecture experience because we are all passionate and driven
individuals and to lose that mentality along the way defeats the point. We can
learn so much from the architects and designers of the past, but it is always
important to stay true to your own ideas. Dare
to be different, dare to be original.-Alex Webber
2. To add onto point 1, one thing to
learn from the great masters is that they brought something new and exciting to
the industry. They weren’t afraid of changing the culture and changing
architecture forever. Yes, they were criticized and ridiculed by some, but in
the end you can either be the architect who tried something new and innovative
to change architecture, or you can be the architect that played it safe and
built the expected.
3. As designers, we all must be unique
in our own way, but we all must understand the need and requirements of our
time. We can create timeless pieces of work, but still take into account the
functional needs of our day and age. You can be an architect way ahead of
his/her time, but if the people of here and now don’t use it, why would your
work be around for the next generation? Architecture
should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timeliness-Frank Ghery
4. Respect the environment, both social
and physical. Culture is a beautiful thing along with the wonderful natural
setting, and to ignore them or destroy they is a sin that deserves the highest
punishment. This is why I don’t like Le Corbusier, he had no respect or
understanding for the environment. People
ignore designs that ignore people-Frank Chimero
5. The last point that struck a chord
with me was the idea of the “charismatic” architect. Being a designer means you
have to be confident in your design solutions and your own style, but being a
designer also puts your work up for criticism. We learned how cocky Corbusier
was and how humble Aalto was. We saw that Mies was a charismatic man, with high
integrity and I learned the elegance of silence from Ando. There are so many
personalities we can have, but the most important thing I saw was that you cant
let your ego take control. We are confident people us architects, but there is
a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and that is a hard line to walk.
Never be too big to change a design or listen to an opinion. Remember who the
project is really for….its not for our egos.
There
were many architects that I enjoyed learning about, and there were also many
that I didn’t prefer. I learned more about architects I already knew about as
well, whether my opinion about them changed or not depends. Out of all of the
architects Walter Gropius, Aldof Loos, Paul Rudolph’s early work really stood
out for me.
Simplification is the ultimate
sophistication-Leonardo da Vinci
The
idea of less is more and no decoration was very interesting to me because the
simplistic approach really speaks to me. The idea of exposing a building for
what it really is and letting the user connect with the structure and have a
spiritual experience is powerful. My research on Tadao Ando was very
influential as well. He takes that simplicity described by Gropius and makes it
serene so that decoration isn’t needed. I feel that the raw idea of less is
more isn’t necessarily correct, but leans in the right direction.
Our
final paper was difficult to say the least, but I don’t regret doing it in the
least. The ideas and elements I learned from Tadao Ando’s work really took
roots in my design philosophy. His understanding of materials and simple forms
is magnificent, and I can only hope that I can extend my knowledge as far as he
has done.
In
conclusion, history has yet again caught my attention and desire to learn more.
It’s always important to learn from the success and failures of your
predecessors and if we choose to ignore their ideas, we have limited our
success before we have even started. This class has helped us all in defining
who we are as designers and architects, and the reference to history has made
its mark. It impacted my 5 points above, and will continue to impact my choices
till the day I die.
