Architics

A response to “The Temporary Contemporary” by Sylvia Lavin and “Environment, c. 1973” by Reinhold Martin

Architecture could be taken from different perspectives to render different understandings of itself. In Lavin’s text, curatorial practice shapes the home of individuals in comparing it to a museum, and the residents are the curators. To Martin, Environment is what shapes the economy and sociology of communities, and people interact differently in different lights. Also, the creation of this environment should take into account the interchangeability of the world, and be as interlaced and detached from nature as much as possible. Architecture, then, is the weaving of an environment to host a certain experience. Good architecture in this case accommodate _ physically and emotionally_ safe experiences while being sustainable for later generations.

In Lavin’s text, The Temporary Contemporary, she defined contemporary architecture as structures with the element of individuality, for it being a “fundamental expression of something real”. She differentiates the modern from the contemporary by stating that contemporary is based on “desire” and “client” while modernism follows certain characteristics like flat roof, exposed structure, and open plan. With the development of modernism, mass housing became the challenge for architects, building a shelter that fits all, or could adapt to everyone. Contemporary architecture on the other hand could have elements of different styles, for example arches from Gothic architecture, and still be considered contemporary as long as it embraces individuality. In another sense, specifically houses, residents shape architecture, by choosing what they want on display and where, they are choosing the forms they want to live in and the experiences they want to exhibit. Sir John Soane is a hoarder, having repetitive elements which he wants to cater to. Soane’s mental health finds shelter in a house that can accommodate to his collections. He serves as literal example of exhibition shaping architecture where he adds rooms and extensions to his house to make place for more objects on display.
In certain levels, this is true. Houses should be built based on the residents of the structure, for architecture is nothing without people, and people make architecture. Being subjected to that piece of architecture every day, residents are affected on a mental level by the houses they live in. Soane is an extreme example, but applies as well for all people as well. People want to live a certain experience and want to exhibit that experience to visitors of their territory, so certainly people shape their architecture.
Furthermore, Architecture all in all, is built in a frame of mind where the architect specifies functions to spaces. When people choose to rebel against the function of the space, they are changing in the architecture, so function shapes form.

In Martin’s text, Environment c. 1973, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon upon signing NEPA (National Environment Policy Act) sets a common goal for all Americans of preserving and saving the environment. In his language, he set people, which are usually variables, as a constant, and forced them as a unified subject against environmental problems. The Environmental Protection Agency set regulations which integrate the use of natural and social sciences and environmental design into affecting decisions. In other words, decisions which have an impact on the environment including construction, should be studied from a sustainable point of view. Here, Architecture plays its role into creating new living environments that don’t affect the already existing natural one. Natural and social sciences merge to accommodate for the people in a way that we share earth with different species.
As architects, we can make a difference. When we design, we integrate sustainability into the buildings we construct and consider measurements like risk-reward calculations. The difference today would be what we consider to be a worthy reward for the risk we take set a much higher bar than it was before, and as time goes by, the higher the bar gets. Sustainability today is a must, because the natural environment we should accommodate to halted accommodating to us. The goal we should all have is to deliver earth safely among generations, and that could be done when understanding how to go about shaping a habitat around an already existing one, the environment.
Contemporary Architecture and Sustainable Architecture are two words similar to each other. Architecture built in the contemporary world should be sustainable at first degree, and contemporary at another. These two restrictions should come by default in all architectural processes. When teaching this to the newer generation, we directly include sustainability in all buildings belonging to the contemporary world even the future one. In the end of the day we look forward to the future, but today we lie at a risk of not seeing the future. Everything we work for and everything we dream of comes in the future, never the present. This is one of the main reasons why we should develop our current world to accommodate to future changes. Environment, a few generations back, is not like the one in the present, and will not be like the one in the future, but we should try as much to decrease or slow down the impacts human beings project on nature.

In conclusion, Architecture is the way we as human beings shape the surrounding we want to live in. However, it is very important that we take into account the already existing environment of life. We should not change that environment to accommodate to us, but we shall find new ways and loopholes we can work with what was given to us. We should understand that we share earth with other species which, as we grow, overtake their territories and similarly their lives. Finally, as people shape their environment, maybe its time people started sharing their territories with other species to deliver a world for all across the generations.