Design of the Highest Quality
Very few people ever consider the quality of the design when looking at buildings. When we think about quality and buildings, we typically think about construction. Is it "well built?" Is the detailing precise? Are the materials "high quality" (what does that mean, anyway)? Will it last?
Now granted, these are all important observations to make about the construction of a building, but none of them have any bearing on the building's success, or the quality of the design. So I have taken it upon myself to generate some criteria that, in my opinion, are exhibited in Architectural Design of the Highest Quality.
1. The architecture correctly identifies and responds to the problem statement.
2. The architecture is tailored to the site.
3. The architecture tells a story.
4. The architecture is placed in the context of the current times.
5. The architecture exhibits examples of original thought.
6. The architecture clearly expresses the skill of composition in both two- and three-dimensional reference.
7. The architecture contains personal meaning to the owners/users.
THE ARCHITECTURE CORRECTLY IDENTIFIES AND RESPONDS TO THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Design of the Highest Quality (DHQ) starts with the architect's ability to listen, think, organize, analyze, prioritize and reach conclusions against which all subsequent alternatives will be measured. This exercise starts with thorough (and sometimes numerous) discussions with the client regarding lifestyle, ideas, goals, and individual perceptions of the intended result(s) of the design. It demands that the architect take the time to think through these requirements, and correctly identify areas of conflict, harmony, mutual benefit, dependencies, etc. The architect then exhibits the ability to clearly see the analytical road map that will guide and inform the development of the building.
THE ARCHITECTURE IS TAILORED TO THE SITE
All building sites, no matter how small, contain clues to the proper location of buildings, rooms, and uses. As the sites grow in size, so do the options. The number of factors that come into play will vary, as well. A small, rectangular infill lot may yield as few clues as the shadows cast by an adjacent structure, or the need to make certain that adjacent neighbors not be able to see directly into large windows being contemplated. On larger sites, everything from environmental factors, to views, circulation, and issues of sustainability will all be assessed as options are developed and judged for their response to the site. DHQ will only be achieved if all valid site development alternatives have been identified and analyzed so that the final solution never leaves one pondering, "if we had only... "
THE ARCHITECTURE TELLS A STORY
Good architects are always contemplating the meaning of their architecture. Architectural metaphor has been a valid informant of design for several decades. Most are familiar with the metaphor of "the outdoor room," "the house as street," "the industrial campus," and "the building as a machine for living." Yet the notion of the architect(ture) telling a story can be much more personal, and can be brought down to very specific levels, in order to create a building of note. Typically the architectural elements, devices and design direction used to tell the story create very noticeable visual signatures for both the building and, possibly, the architect. Understanding this phenomenon, and successfully exploiting it, is a component of DHQ.
THE ARCHITECTURE IS PLACED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT TIMES
While there is no denying that an historically referential building, if executed properly, is a welcome departure from otherwise meaningless "theme" architecture, for a building's design to be of the highest quality it must exhibit the architect's understanding of the contemporary culture and the ability to respond to its clues and stimuli. For, much as we read books by Dickens and plays by Shakespeare to glimpse historically cultural slices of England, we can look to the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry for an understanding of the American 20th Century.
THE ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITS EXAMPLES OF ORIGINAL THOUGHT
An original idea successfully executed is an architect's "payback" to the profession and to the culture. Ultimately, it is what separates the leaders from the pack. These original thoughts occur at all levels of design. Some architects solve problems by looking at new ways to organize spatial relationships. Some architects create new engineering solutions. Some invent details to solve problems generated by a changing environment or society. Whatever the problem, whatever the solution, it is these individuals that "move the ball down the field," guaranteeing that architecture remains a dynamic and important part of culture and history.
THE ARCHITECTURE CLEARLY EXPRESSES THE SKILL OF COMPOSITION IN BOTH TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL REFERENCE.
Composition is the only purely visual criteria for design of the highest quality. In order for it to be achieved, the architect must have education, training, and experience in two- and three dimensional studio art. The composition of the architecture has nothing to do with "curb appeal," as it involves a much more serious analysis of form, proportion, and balance, whereas mere curb appeal can be achieved with popular stylistic themed vocabulary. Two-dimensional composition requires analysis and organization between the elements of the floor plan, the section, and the elevations of the building. Its process is akin to solving a puzzle. Three-dimensional composition is more intuitive, as there are fewer "process of elimination" steps by which a successful three-dimensional composition is created. Additionally, three-dimensional composition is perhaps more subjective than its two-dimensional counterpart.
THE ARCHITECTURE CONTAINS PERSONAL MEANING TO THE OWNERS/USERS
In order for an architect, who possesses all of the aforementioned skills, to also instill in the building a sense that it belongs to its owners and/or users, a final professional character trait must exist. That trait is humility. The architects of Designs of the Highest Quality take their work very seriously, but do not view themselves in kind. In the final analysis, they know that they provide a service, and the true owners of the architecture are others. Sometimes it is a mere individual. Sometimes it is a family. Many buildings are for the employees who will spend their careers inhabiting the structure. Maybe it is for art patrons, or school children, or worshipers or politicians. The ability to flesh out the symbols of meaning for these end groups and users, and to make concrete and integrate these symbols into the building, is the final evidence that the edifice has gone from a mere structure to a work of architecture of the highest quality, and has become a building of note.
Find more articles on residential and commercial design by Tobias Architecture at our blog: Malibu Architecture + Design
