tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388867462024-03-16T14:12:27.909+13:00The Organon Architecture BlogThe Organon Architecture BlogPeter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-36767155394767832882024-01-11T10:19:00.000+13:002024-01-11T10:20:24.500+13:00How to begin creating Organic Architecture ...<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi696P6PRXqJ5yOvneqXOsc0cSU-5NO-HlgNT4uTgORaja54qvA97HxhmQahmSAq0VB0NF_qPh3Q5QhepiGrMx2qeHGao9YSyZzAnAHVHqLuwbQ0Sur-Y8nW04Cx34cnXg4SnmMYt5P_Moe7-cXFa2Nwtnq9ZOuQRCFAJdMSM807vsyCnu-WTEmMw/s640/417221152_1419329375358296_7914815143260274405_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi696P6PRXqJ5yOvneqXOsc0cSU-5NO-HlgNT4uTgORaja54qvA97HxhmQahmSAq0VB0NF_qPh3Q5QhepiGrMx2qeHGao9YSyZzAnAHVHqLuwbQ0Sur-Y8nW04Cx34cnXg4SnmMYt5P_Moe7-cXFa2Nwtnq9ZOuQRCFAJdMSM807vsyCnu-WTEmMw/w640-h428/417221152_1419329375358296_7914815143260274405_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'House for Betta,' 1988, by architect <a href="http://www.schildrotharchitect.net/built-houses.html" target="_blank">James Schildroth</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Organic architecture is not about assembling boxes and coating them with candy floss. For that, read your latest glossy "architecture" magazine or Instagram page -- or watch the latest episode of Grand Designs. Former Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice<a href="http://www.schildrotharchitect.net"> James Walter Schildroth</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/james.schildroth.1/posts/pfbid02HBHrWtpqFkH41Vqom7vwJ9PSCALsxzXWUEyoFD7cZiGHgz8T8biXfzgH12BMbnubl">explains</a> that to design organic architecture, you need to start not from without but from within. Why? Because, as he says, "This is architecture not sculpture art. What is important is the human being who will use the space." Organic architecture puts human beings in relation to the world beyond. "Space never confines. Space is always in relation to the beyond."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's how he learned to design for human beings this way apprenticing at Frank Lloyd Wright's practice...</span></i></p><p></p><blockquote><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Learning to design at Taliesin</span></b><br /><i>By<a href="http://www.schildrotharchitect.net"> James Walter Schildroth</a>, Architect</i> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span>hen I arrived at Taliesin in September of 1959, I had good drafting skills and had taken three years of mechanical drawing in high school and one year in junior college. I had been reading several of Mr. Wright’s book including <a href="https://biblio.co.nz/search.php?author=frank+wright&title=A+Testament+&keyisbn=&stage=1" target="_blank"><i>A Testament</i> </a>and the <i><a href="https://biblio.co.nz/search.php?stage=1&pageper=20&keyisbn=The+Natural+House+frank+Lloyd+wright&omit_product_types=bp,bd,ns&strip_common=1&program=998&order=price_ship_nzasc" target="_blank">The Natural House</a></i>. I had been mentored by Will Willsey, Architect and Taliesin apprentice in 1954-55. Will, had introduced me to the use of the <a href="http://www.schildrotharchitect.net/unit-system.html">‘unit system’</a> and I was working out designs using the four-foot square unit. I did not understand how to get an original design. I was just emulating the Wrightian design and making a few of my own changes. <br /> I wanted to learn how to create original form and ideas. This why I had come to Taliesin and I was determined to learn and would stay as-long-as it took to know if I could do it or not. <br />The idea for an original design was the goal. How did Mr. Wright and others do it? <br /> Organic is “of the thing and not something applied for the outside.” It is not copied or made to look like something that exists. I could make a logical floor plan but the plan was not the idea, it was just a floor plan. The idea must come from some other place, but where and how? </blockquote><blockquote> <a href="http://pc.blogspot.com/2009/09/architectural-mini-tutorial-space-is.html" target="_blank">Breaking the box</a> was much talked about. <br /><i>Someone explained that if one was making a floor plan of a 120 square-metre house, they could draw a rectangle 10m x 12m and fit all the rooms inside. This was not the ‘Organic Way.’ The Organic way, was to let the individual areas of the house be put in a relationship to the site as well as in a relationship to each other. </i><br /> <i>Ask each function or area what it needed. Start with the parts and put each part on the site plan where it was best served. </i><br /> An example is a breakfast area. Now most people eat breakfast in the early morning and may want the morning sun coming in the window. So that would locate the breakfast area on the east side of the plan. Continue this with all the areas of the house plan. <br /> I call the function areas of the house the ‘Parts.’ <br /><i> Mr. Wright’s saying: “Part is to part as part is to, whole.” </i><br /> This exercise is not a design it is the beginning of understanding the needs in relationship the conditional requirements of the project. <br /> I learned to do this on the topographical site plan and place the parts of the areas on the site plan at the same scale. I made cutouts of each area like bedrooms, labeled each one and so could move these areas around on the site and in relationship to each other. The result was an organisational relationship. This is not a floor plan yet. What it does is point out the problems that need to be resolved. You learn very quickly that if the lot is small and the area needs are large that you will have a two-floor house. <br /> Put each area in the best location and you will have some conflicts. <br /> <i> Mr. Wright’s saying: “The solution to the problem is contained within the conditions of the problem.” </i><br /> Understanding the problem is the most important beginning. I learned not to start by sketching or making drawings. <br /> So, what can I do? How can I make a design without drawing it? <br /> <i>Mr. Wright said that he did the design in his mind before any drawing.</i> I said to myself “if Mr. Wright said it was the way he did it, I would try it.” After completely understanding the site and the requirements I did not focus on what the design could be. I did not look for an existing design to copy. I did not start sketching. I did something else, anything else. <br /> As I was doing other things often a partial idea or even a way to solve one of the problems would come into my mind. These beginning ideas are not fully formed and need to be kept in the mind to develop. If you sketch them, you will freeze them and it will be more difficult to allow them to develop and change. <br /> <i>Mr. Wright said: “Let the idea stay in your mind until it more fully develops so you can visualize it and walk through it inside and outside.”</i> When you can see the idea in your mind, then is the time to start to draw it. <br /> I also start to think about a design by putting myself on the real site and seeing the features of the site all around me. I let the design develop around me. I do not look at the design from the outside but from the interior space in relationship to the site features. <br />Organic Space<br /> I learned that Mr. Wright was not simply making floor plans, he was drawing plans that represented the space he had in his mind. </blockquote><blockquote>What is ‘Organic Space’? <br /> It is not a room. It is not a box with holes for windows. <br />“Organic space shelters and defines but never limits or confines” is my way of putting the concept. The areas are in a relationship with the whole of the interior and the site features on the outside. <br /> Jack Howe taught us not to trap space but to find a way to let it flow beyond. <br /> Space is far more than area or volume.<br /> Space engages and involves the mind of the person that is having the experience. This involvement invites the mind of the person experiencing the architecture to be in relationship to the architecture by completing the space in the imagination. <br /> Space never confines. Space is always in relation to the beyond.<br /> Space allows the mind to complete, in imagination that which goes beyond.<br /> Organic Space shelters and defines but never limits or confines. </blockquote><blockquote>Some of the so-called organic shapes to my mind do not have this aspect of Space. They have curvilinear shapes that are called organic, but they are still boxes, because they confine and contain the same as a rectangular box. To be Organic, Architecture must have this quality of Organic Space. It must allow the mind of the person to freely play with the infinite just as it does in the out of doors in nature.<br /> Buildings are made with a floor, walls, and a roof. How the architect does this makes all the difference. The usual way is a box room put together with a lot of other boxes. This is trapped space a kind of prison. To break the box, one must let the edges go beyond the walls and the roof. Just as the floor inside goes outside through a sliding glass door to the wood deck. The walls can also go from inside to beyond outside giving the feeling of openness and continuity. The walls become protective screens and masses of stone or brick with open glass areas between. The whole of the interior is in relationship with features of the site outside. The ways to do this are infinite and up to the designer’s talent. I always let the function guide my choices. <br /> Mr. Wright’s saying: “Form and function are one.” This is architecture not sculpture art. What is important is the human being who will use the space."</blockquote><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXaZNxgagDNdAXShYuCI9ZbkIA_cibSV3bnPUuZR7A6KaCuimbTqo1R68W5ZeESDurruobuIbO1O0bJDwvTkVb2aoHM-__P5wXq3N_HcSecFPwWWTncVh5VYQ9Y_-B2MZyjFRLah7QgMUR9Pb0YZzaNmKYagbXyy4pvlgLualcsofE4KWHIiwZg/s465/2b26c5ed6c04e1f5abf0b117d8d92628.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="465" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXaZNxgagDNdAXShYuCI9ZbkIA_cibSV3bnPUuZR7A6KaCuimbTqo1R68W5ZeESDurruobuIbO1O0bJDwvTkVb2aoHM-__P5wXq3N_HcSecFPwWWTncVh5VYQ9Y_-B2MZyjFRLah7QgMUR9Pb0YZzaNmKYagbXyy4pvlgLualcsofE4KWHIiwZg/w640-h514/2b26c5ed6c04e1f5abf0b117d8d92628.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'House for Betta,' 1988, by architect <a href="http://www.schildrotharchitect.net/built-houses.html" target="_blank">James Schildroth</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-28533670700702829382023-12-06T15:31:00.004+13:002024-01-11T09:10:33.016+13:00Bruce Goff: "As an architect..."<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMwzk0bQGOMGSSQax4QKfprhv_DD4CaCw2qCykmOmLQaDVv39MOZDTwnEQFZ-MiW7H06xS-EjwFK4kDtXuvOHVqAOyY0yrrAE5si9jj1Hh9nUiySrhZD-6Ofv5qD7MtPTQ33SI4byb5C0tbSzAbQ6yH7jwY2fXtEuFX90RDxIhhU9IFdG-GJiBQ/s488/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.27.34%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="484" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMwzk0bQGOMGSSQax4QKfprhv_DD4CaCw2qCykmOmLQaDVv39MOZDTwnEQFZ-MiW7H06xS-EjwFK4kDtXuvOHVqAOyY0yrrAE5si9jj1Hh9nUiySrhZD-6Ofv5qD7MtPTQ33SI4byb5C0tbSzAbQ6yH7jwY2fXtEuFX90RDxIhhU9IFdG-GJiBQ/w396-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.27.34%20PM.png" width="396" /></a></div><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Architect Bruce Goff was a leader in what's been called "the other modern movement," i.e., the practice of organic architecture, pioneered by the likes of Goff, Frank Lloyd Wright, Aaron Green, and Walter Burley Griffin -- and after which Organon Architecture (in large part) <a href="http://organonarchitecture.blogspot.com/2019/07/q-what-is-organic-architecture.html" target="_blank">bases its name</a>.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgn3S32MGarnhbXZCLqy-J7raMi9C5nT8XFFbRrTxSfZBJCxmDP45NPd86Q5F70l7NZbeZZ9lEA_6t-nyqY1DVUsPj9P7XLOmnsVzwvGPAim8ZQCfHtscj5WPOJfJ0IBg9Lfsw5DtqYgXsvG1VukOx6rnAybrrXaXB4pUEDfLTvGTBo3iagcpxw/s769/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.20.52%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="769" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgn3S32MGarnhbXZCLqy-J7raMi9C5nT8XFFbRrTxSfZBJCxmDP45NPd86Q5F70l7NZbeZZ9lEA_6t-nyqY1DVUsPj9P7XLOmnsVzwvGPAim8ZQCfHtscj5WPOJfJ0IBg9Lfsw5DtqYgXsvG1VukOx6rnAybrrXaXB4pUEDfLTvGTBo3iagcpxw/w640-h426/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.20.52%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Bavinger House, Norman, Oklahoma, 1950-1955, no longer extant - <br />“the most amazing work of residential architecture I had ever encountered” <br /><a href="https://www.papercitymag.com/home-design/bruce-goff-controversial-great-american-architect-hidden-sides/" target="_blank">says</a> Robert Morris (Photo by </span><span class="il" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Anthony</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> V. Thompson).</span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Goff wrote this piece below in 1978, four years before his death, for an exhibition of his work “Coda: As an Architect” essentially summarises his life as an architect and what a work of architecture is -- based on his expectation that a close relationship existed between all forms of artistic activity and life.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">They seem like ideals by which to live and work ...</span></i></p><h1 style="break-after: avoid; color: #2f5496; font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 12pt 0cm 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Coda: As an architect</span><o:p></o:p></h1><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBPwl8cc5Tknwvx_M4s3eeFLcGskxn9sTIabnrmgg3c2mY30-OA5f_9jRB_IvKXyGtw2AIzRF3JT5WjQ6q04dTuD7638UBIYaV3q6HCV9087FDK5sMouj_WjaAcsOeJmHHUvgfnSFCQxGwGYdye5WGQwNZZTCxcmeAWNQoWxcFjFXq-fvcKJnOA/s1403/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.23.13%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="1255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBPwl8cc5Tknwvx_M4s3eeFLcGskxn9sTIabnrmgg3c2mY30-OA5f_9jRB_IvKXyGtw2AIzRF3JT5WjQ6q04dTuD7638UBIYaV3q6HCV9087FDK5sMouj_WjaAcsOeJmHHUvgfnSFCQxGwGYdye5WGQwNZZTCxcmeAWNQoWxcFjFXq-fvcKJnOA/w360-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.23.13%20PM.png" width="360" /></a></div><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> do not solicit clients they come to me as they would to any professional man for specific professional services.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I do not work for clients…I work with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There has never been a building built before by anyone else or myself, that my client should have; we must work it out together. I forget what other architects and I have previously done so we can start as freshly as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I must be sensitive to my client’s needs, wants and budget. I do not build <u>upon</u> a site…I build <u>with it</u> as part of its region, climate and environment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I must be free from narrow-minded prejudices regarding materials, methods, colours, textures, forms, ornament, structure, and spatial determinates; all such aesthetic and utilitarian matters as felt and understood by the clients and myself must be freely disciplined by me, as an architect, into grammar from which will be composed the whole complete architectural concept.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There shall be no starting with a predetermined over-all shape or form in mind; no subdividing it off into rooms cluttered with furnishings…with the clients and their lives squeezed and compressed within. This is usual, and as usual in no more than the usual container for the use of humans!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rather, the whole thing will start with accommodating people and their ways of life, and grow organically from within outward thus becoming its own shapes and forms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">If I give the client only what he asks for, he may be temporarily satisfied with it, for a while, but eventually he will just get used to it. As an architect I should give him what he wants… and more. If it is a work of architecture, the client will continue to grow aesthetically in such an environment…therefore there must be a continuing surprise and mystery beyond what he initially understood to hold his interest and to be a continuing, rewarding setting for his lifetime.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbASKJwPsjOEEfOR8sGzbK_-X3svnVj811dpmYSOvEnTnMEaCWYAt2FIpnrObaoOR6iN4YL6apwMwnDVs7pjH1IhxVgCI0FId7_Bj_pq34YR3ID8G9q1F9VyEqz4JC5eu3SAZ_mEXWl2-I-D3UlFAa5ms2B-RFgG7Gglv8t1LcYDLbHNqui79Qw/s1211/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.24.08%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1211" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbASKJwPsjOEEfOR8sGzbK_-X3svnVj811dpmYSOvEnTnMEaCWYAt2FIpnrObaoOR6iN4YL6apwMwnDVs7pjH1IhxVgCI0FId7_Bj_pq34YR3ID8G9q1F9VyEqz4JC5eu3SAZ_mEXWl2-I-D3UlFAa5ms2B-RFgG7Gglv8t1LcYDLbHNqui79Qw/w640-h504/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.24.08%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></p>Architecture is the only art which we can actually physically inhabit! It is often our desire to enter or take part in a work of art in order to make it ours, thus in literature we involve ourselves with it while we read…in music we must participate in it, as we listen, if we are to understand it. More and more we like sculpture to be large enough so we can be spatially involved with it. We project ourselves imaginatively into paintings and other visual arts. We can be happy adapting ourselves to pre-existent art works, but those created for and with us as a part of them seem most alive and vital to us.<p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0z8bYvoDW6Qsdj97mrGuHiJsorjBb5VZZ-elxbwad1XHPt3ZQgMRQUAczbS1gYqJ1xgjdgEw-VheiGFKA5gvWfskjdQ3tTj3nNxhjmXiCldqgCUbRTLLTtartOS1TOC-fPTf6ztfl2q5GynYvh_pVYW6i_Ud08YIzIfL35S6CMufBF5Ge-e6zA/s875/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.22.37%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0z8bYvoDW6Qsdj97mrGuHiJsorjBb5VZZ-elxbwad1XHPt3ZQgMRQUAczbS1gYqJ1xgjdgEw-VheiGFKA5gvWfskjdQ3tTj3nNxhjmXiCldqgCUbRTLLTtartOS1TOC-fPTf6ztfl2q5GynYvh_pVYW6i_Ud08YIzIfL35S6CMufBF5Ge-e6zA/w220-h320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.22.37%20PM.png" width="220" /></a></div>As an architect I know that technology and superb building techniques are necessarily a part of all of this, and we must be more aware of the ones we already have and of those new ones we need, but good building, in itself is not enough to be called good architecture, however, architecture is good building plus!<o:p></o:p><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">An architect’s works are personal and impersonal…timely and timeless; having a license to practice does not mean, in itself, one is an architect any more than having a driver’s license means one is a good driver. This is what separates the boys from the men.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The real architects are the young ones, regardless of age, with continuing enthusiasm, imagination, industry, inventiveness, curiosity, and dedication to architecture for all people as their reason for being.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Anything needing to be built, small or large, simple or complex should and can be architecture. We have many more people wanting this than we have architects able to supply their demands. We must never forget that architecture is for all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">As an architect, I know that our works often make some people mad and some glad.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The creative young are intrigued, inspired, and stimulated by them, as are those who use them. By such examples we continue to renew faith in the creative spirit and its potentials, thus, we are also teachers, but not academic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I have never sought publication or publicity, preferring to let the work earn this for Itself if it is worthy, and so I too continue to “maintain my amateur standing” as a beginner, beginning again and again in the continuous present…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 4.5pt 0cm 0cm;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i>Bruce Goff, Architect, April 1978</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJpsuaGjh9eGZOLpUQid8ttlfa1BV6smQ61jXbhy7wEG0vcOCQM2XzczVG_Ct1IdtW9pwHiQ9obuSIUfDot4OLYD1nWgDIchuZNK2oNJEaYmwElVBJ9KOpIf8JckQAWJE660MvzomaewnRyf4NOv4yXxprJXFiJfKDtelePtIsmozIq3u0pssuw/s837/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.15.19%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="769" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJpsuaGjh9eGZOLpUQid8ttlfa1BV6smQ61jXbhy7wEG0vcOCQM2XzczVG_Ct1IdtW9pwHiQ9obuSIUfDot4OLYD1nWgDIchuZNK2oNJEaYmwElVBJ9KOpIf8JckQAWJE660MvzomaewnRyf4NOv4yXxprJXFiJfKDtelePtIsmozIq3u0pssuw/w588-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%201.15.19%20PM.png" width="588" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-60987845131230000132023-07-20T11:43:00.004+12:002023-07-20T12:08:50.305+12:00"The Need for Therapeutic Architecture in Today’s Society"<br /><br />"With the rise in mental illness there is an increasingly strong need for therapeutic spaces," <a href="https://www.architecturalab.com/post/psycho-architecture" target="_blank">writes architect Abigail Freed</a>. "Therapeutic architecture," she argues "lessens the need for the typical patient-doctor relationship. The space itself becomes the 'therapeutic apparatus'."<br /><br />What a fascinating idea!<br /><br />I've been told by some clients that our initial design interview is "a little like psycho-analysis." Architect Richard Neutra, a friend of Sigmund Freud, made that connection explicit. Explains Freed:<br /><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;">He required his clients to keep diaries and subjected them to a lengthy interview process. These tactics were Neutra’s way of gaining insight into their daily lives, their conscious and unconscious desire, their habits, their personal and interpersonal struggles and triumphs, as well as their deepest thoughts and feelings. Neutra believed that “architecture should operate like psychotherapy by assisting clients to satisfy unconscious psychical desires” and that the architect “operates on the basis of an emotional dynamic with a client developed through analysis of childhood experience.” From this process he felt fully equipped to create a physiologically curative design.”</span></i></blockquote><p> Bethany Morse <a href="https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/21400/MORSE-THESIS-2013.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank">outlines</a> his four-fold "biorealist" approach:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVan38DxPWZEoRIbp6C6EQa1IDAyQrCDypHC635gwvI7CWJ2whJOlfLSwmkhImyWPGFxXe1ScUFgHiNsxz0BAlpx0GMxOfvUEwIE0uR5phCVMDMcbiwXUZZV8llNIcxPSqasNKliRqnymHUrNesEs5l4CJp-nXiDv_qN9A1uvEVbZdDbqARWKEZA/s1100/Screenshot%202023-07-20%20at%2012.04.46%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1100" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVan38DxPWZEoRIbp6C6EQa1IDAyQrCDypHC635gwvI7CWJ2whJOlfLSwmkhImyWPGFxXe1ScUFgHiNsxz0BAlpx0GMxOfvUEwIE0uR5phCVMDMcbiwXUZZV8llNIcxPSqasNKliRqnymHUrNesEs5l4CJp-nXiDv_qN9A1uvEVbZdDbqARWKEZA/w640-h402/Screenshot%202023-07-20%20at%2012.04.46%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Abigail Freed outlines some of the "design tactics" Neutra used to fulfil the brief he gave himself, to better connect the "subject" to their environment and "imprint" upon them better mental habits.</p><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the most notable features “of Neutra’s work during the 1950’s was an intense concentration on dismantling conventional barriers between inside and out.” He achieved this effect through the implementation of various tactics such as transparent glass, “spider legs” and mitred glass corners. <br /> In all of Neutra’s post war houses there is an emphasis on the glass exterior. </span><br /></i></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn6Ld99P5ggM1BTQkRhKmFYu5B8NrT1CHtCPEM0W5yYAbRtTTj6Rjrx14IFkQaN9zcyGVJzg3RIoAXBQtLYE-wQGvp63xIKD9Yl78xkrgoVltPVAidilWbo3v8oBfw2fbWqo86XiLAhPabRFlkERc5b8mu9gB94dLQOn18P1rjQyJm98jg-X1cQ/s1920/3de992_38965b53755d4480abb07d5898c966bf~mv2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn6Ld99P5ggM1BTQkRhKmFYu5B8NrT1CHtCPEM0W5yYAbRtTTj6Rjrx14IFkQaN9zcyGVJzg3RIoAXBQtLYE-wQGvp63xIKD9Yl78xkrgoVltPVAidilWbo3v8oBfw2fbWqo86XiLAhPabRFlkERc5b8mu9gB94dLQOn18P1rjQyJm98jg-X1cQ/w640-h426/3de992_38965b53755d4480abb07d5898c966bf~mv2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> In the Rourke house (1949) “the outside world intrudes through large glass panels. These are not simply picture windows that frame views or glass walls that structure the house as in traditional… instead the glass window/wall is actually a door that moves and permits movement. The wide overhang of the roof creates a zone of shadow attenuating and extending the boundary of the interior. The overhangs that all but eliminate reflection further reinforce the indeterminate simultaneity of enclosure and exposure. The glass becomes not transparent but invisible to leave the house unbounded.”</span><br /></i></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17ON77WkBzXkOnA3kxjIetJLPDptk0l39Qh-UkqhY_mPWKemSbBkWZPIyBsIitcxbIE7qGX7Xz-2QR-rPKxPbbLn0QsJCCapDy0CZoPVsRRuPHn5uUxKfCLqQTG01heSegna0Q_wsqbZaaNtFf8Xr4iI6P8lrlTfKuKEJPdYPU30naxzXhQne6Q/s480/3de992_fdea699f5718484c824b6539782dc44e~mv2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17ON77WkBzXkOnA3kxjIetJLPDptk0l39Qh-UkqhY_mPWKemSbBkWZPIyBsIitcxbIE7qGX7Xz-2QR-rPKxPbbLn0QsJCCapDy0CZoPVsRRuPHn5uUxKfCLqQTG01heSegna0Q_wsqbZaaNtFf8Xr4iI6P8lrlTfKuKEJPdYPU30naxzXhQne6Q/w640-h320/3de992_fdea699f5718484c824b6539782dc44e~mv2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7swPecfc2SagpOnNhfCNqgxhyXaVzTGeT1n9bjQiC_Wd0WtzSJpk_sb_71-r4b_cTyzxuqkI2S-9c0RCK1ppdf1HBqXCLHY77T2kLpLVaNIKQC2XkeduD4kwxLVxffFiUj1LUNTMttnyXJ5k56SMyPIH6fWMT5ZNAhDj26m5alHlHhYa-cGEZWA/s1769/3de992_5a2ddbdaff88469bb58c17098748af51~mv2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1769" data-original-width="1180" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7swPecfc2SagpOnNhfCNqgxhyXaVzTGeT1n9bjQiC_Wd0WtzSJpk_sb_71-r4b_cTyzxuqkI2S-9c0RCK1ppdf1HBqXCLHY77T2kLpLVaNIKQC2XkeduD4kwxLVxffFiUj1LUNTMttnyXJ5k56SMyPIH6fWMT5ZNAhDj26m5alHlHhYa-cGEZWA/w426-h640/3de992_5a2ddbdaff88469bb58c17098748af51~mv2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXqW8jy6UftlxSC2rYmcIBNbS3WBzeGM3KZvNLW9CUtm6E2KwAhT8uFv9fBDrBLd_-_rYtiZJRMAY58-i4lV9yZHXu2CfTSLz33cqKdN7SD45ilPtjwGuAXyM4LWBZr702iNdLc242y65H4ZabdzjsyVBGXH1WooIpDrh7zX7k9_x8eXLo_3pww/s3000/3de992_3cfacc06b0e84e7c8d74d1670c41ecd5~mv2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2387" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXqW8jy6UftlxSC2rYmcIBNbS3WBzeGM3KZvNLW9CUtm6E2KwAhT8uFv9fBDrBLd_-_rYtiZJRMAY58-i4lV9yZHXu2CfTSLz33cqKdN7SD45ilPtjwGuAXyM4LWBZr702iNdLc242y65H4ZabdzjsyVBGXH1WooIpDrh7zX7k9_x8eXLo_3pww/w510-h640/3de992_3cfacc06b0e84e7c8d74d1670c41ecd5~mv2.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> Neutra used his Spider Legs (pictured above) “to collapse the normally primary architectural distinction between exteriority and interiority”. The spider leg is a single beam or fascia that “fascia stretches far beyond the edge of the roof at a major corner and turns down the reach the ground”. By displacing the corners of rooms and “in some cases the very structure of the house such normally stabilising architectural elements are indeterminately inside and outside at the same time.”</span></i></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcH4BiGne2Znz83LfNjGJafFzU_YitRlWwHaG3K6bLIuGwnI1yckzrQNmnHa0dX1Mb8UEfgtfaekNgpPafI5WRmiNNCa6ODgeZ6CgQ35voNcW6KdJ0J3WMTkY2G4TZ8EbTgfxOS0uJBF_jWOFKd_pH5IuobCbm_bGcrhy2SR5GcByl0OvwoFq6Q/s315/3de992_a52383aeebb44ed48607b3f12e5d964f~mv2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="315" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcH4BiGne2Znz83LfNjGJafFzU_YitRlWwHaG3K6bLIuGwnI1yckzrQNmnHa0dX1Mb8UEfgtfaekNgpPafI5WRmiNNCa6ODgeZ6CgQ35voNcW6KdJ0J3WMTkY2G4TZ8EbTgfxOS0uJBF_jWOFKd_pH5IuobCbm_bGcrhy2SR5GcByl0OvwoFq6Q/w640-h512/3de992_a52383aeebb44ed48607b3f12e5d964f~mv2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the most celebrated features of his architecture is the corner where one glass plane meets the other. At this corner the floor to ceiling glass meets at a mitred edge to produce a glazed environment of intense spatial ambiguity. Here there is a distinct oscillation between opacity and transparency, interiority and exteriority, solidity and fluidity and it generates perceptual confusion. Here the “glass and frame perform to both produce and suppress the edge of the house.” In the Moore House (1952) “the corner provided [Mrs. Moore] with a sense of the inter-relation of Nature without and living within that could do nothing less than eliminate the depression which we feel. She felt this interrelationship especially on a misty gloomy day, in other words when the house was at its most moody and when she turned to the window to get out, to enter its distant view over the far landscape and to join what she called the ‘mystery over the mountains’.” Neutra saw this corner as the precise moment where instabilities and uncertainties collect and where desires, both psychic and organic are projected.</span> </i></blockquote><p></p><div>Our human psychology, Neutra recognised, comes from our human birthplace of "the primeval forest or the grassland of prairie and pampas," but has now become 90% man-made. Nonetheless, we still feel most comfortable in places that replicate the patterns of our ancient birthplaces. One of the most potent is that of "prospect and refuge." As Barbara Lamprecht <a href="https://barbaralamprecht.com/2011/07/14/the-most-beautiful-box-neutras-taylor-house-mies-and-the-20th-century-box-the/" target="_blank">explains</a>,</div><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;">“prospect,” meaning looking out above your surroundings from a commanding position … afforded by glass walls. In contrast, the kitchen and the bedroom/dressing area, with their walls of warm mahogany, create the counterweight to prospect in the quality called “refuge,” or shelter, or what Gaston Bachelard called the cave. Both prospect and refuge are necessary to us. </span></i></blockquote><p>Bothe qualities, of course, would have been physically necessary when subject to potential attack by wild animals, or other humans! Now they are just as necessary psychically. </p><div>Those manipulations of corners, opening them up in contrast to a deep and sheltering corner opposite, is just one of the patterns Neutra built into his houses that recognised this deep psychological need. And this strong contrast between the deep sheltering "cave" set off against the opportunities for prospect made the whole space appear larger, and more active.</div><div><i><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Neutra delivered a small space that feels expansive, not cramped, because it has an effect beyond its four walls. As he often said, his goal with small houses was to “stretch space” ...</span></blockquote></i></div><i></i><div>So how well did all this work in practice? Freed summarises it as seeing its success from the few failures:</div><div><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: medium;">One of his clients, Mrs. Logar, wrote to Neutra in 1956 (just four years after building the home in Granada Hills California) saying that she and her husband wished to sell their house. She states, “it looks messy all the time and there is no place to hide things away. We are entirely exposed to view from all sides. This is just about right for some executive and his wife. I think I prefer to live in an old hidden away place for a couple of years to clear my thoughts.”Mrs. Logar was exhibiting one of the common criticisms of Neutra’s homes: the feeling of vulnerability and extreme exposure that accompanied living in the glass house. <br /> However this complaint is the home’s very success, not failure. Based on the Freudian understanding of empathy, which is defined as “an unconscious defense against internal impulses… to projection onto an inanimate object… into a defensive transfer of feelings onto another subject” it can be inferred that those who are experiencing these fears of exposure and vulnerability are actually experiencing their unconscious repressions becoming conscious. In the Freudian manner Neutra has brought to light what they have repressed since childhood- their fear of exposure and vulnerability- in order to overcome these fears and be cured of their neurosis. <br /> Mrs. Rourke, contrary to Mrs. Logar’s opinion, “argued that Neutra had given them a new living experience [and she] could think of only one word to describe the way she felt about it: Liberation.”While Mrs. Logar failed to overcome her phobia, Mrs. Rourke’s statement suggests that she was able to embrace the vulnerability tied to exposure from all sides at all times and was rewarded with a improved quality of life. The “improperly bounded environments of these houses permitted psychoanalysis to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The houses’ naturalising materials, blurred structure, and camouflaged glass are both in the open and deliberately evade the gaze, enabling their therapeutic actions to be everywhere while out of view.”</span></i></blockquote><div>Understanding a building's enclosure in terms of patterns like "connecting with nature" and "prospect and refuge" allows us to understand how we can shape our houses today to meet the psychological needs of today's inhabitants. As Abigail Freed concludes:</div><i><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">This type of architecture is always a success if it at the very least helps those struggling feel as through they are helped. What is the harm if it relieves only the inner anxieties of some? Critics may claim it is “all in their head”, but that is the very basis of emotion -- we all exist in our own heads.</span></blockquote></i>Agree or not, perhaps the most important thing to take away is that our psychological facts and requirements are just as important to the design of our houses as our physiological needs, or the house's structural demands. They are all facts of existence that we must take into account in our designs.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we do, successfully, they can be a curative.<br /><p> </p></div>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-68419528923256086632023-06-21T09:35:00.007+12:002023-06-21T09:39:33.116+12:00Humble House for Hamilton<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5bhiU4jO70E4siw8W1jcYDzc2WiF2lbVlkj8kH8zHHTbOOeRfUNBFcq5JJHAY2_VosCdmpnzDStOin3M0JnX8XjLzX3kfOHDINeykfavxAFjTV-h6M-KOHtnABPoW045h4ocUdZsHhvozTTsf2FCG_1b6p4UuEfG0YZ_oPQuOxoeXQxDyKCkJQ/s1601/Screenshot%202023-06-20%20at%205.20.57%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1601" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5bhiU4jO70E4siw8W1jcYDzc2WiF2lbVlkj8kH8zHHTbOOeRfUNBFcq5JJHAY2_VosCdmpnzDStOin3M0JnX8XjLzX3kfOHDINeykfavxAFjTV-h6M-KOHtnABPoW045h4ocUdZsHhvozTTsf2FCG_1b6p4UuEfG0YZ_oPQuOxoeXQxDyKCkJQ/w929-h508/Screenshot%202023-06-20%20at%205.20.57%20PM.png" width="929" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here is why I call myself a "humble house designer": A humble wee house -- one of two, for the same extended family -- on a small well-surrounded site in Hamilton.</p><p>See of you can deduce the connection between this house, and Frank Lloyd Wright's explanation of <a href="https://organonarchitecture.blogspot.com/2023/02/by-organic-architecture-i-mean.html" target="_blank">what he means by the term organic architecture</a> ....</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1hFqNh7Biq0c4vPzl_EUmvUr0FilxXQ2zX_VtrI-OTWrmZD8Nx5xyllkuu1I9XWQnlHl-n4eh03PImVlwKhVAr5O-oj7GmwhuNf4J2lCKWY90UFlrLV9V0pF-w3ueM6Ub-4tMSYPynhwsOhUY7kYqlkf3a_zDqCRZVSHaVcjFdDog6sbX7g9eQ/s2213/Screenshot%202023-06-21%20at%209.15.34%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1709" data-original-width="2213" height="641" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1hFqNh7Biq0c4vPzl_EUmvUr0FilxXQ2zX_VtrI-OTWrmZD8Nx5xyllkuu1I9XWQnlHl-n4eh03PImVlwKhVAr5O-oj7GmwhuNf4J2lCKWY90UFlrLV9V0pF-w3ueM6Ub-4tMSYPynhwsOhUY7kYqlkf3a_zDqCRZVSHaVcjFdDog6sbX7g9eQ/w830-h641/Screenshot%202023-06-21%20at%209.15.34%20AM.png" width="830" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-38899642988560116702023-03-02T09:30:00.000+13:002023-03-02T09:30:00.210+13:00"The current building regulatory environment cannot genuinely support innovation without a major rethink."<p><br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">"C</span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>oncerns about the complexity of the [building] regulatory framework and its impact on innovation have been raised by BRANZ* in recent submissions to both the Commerce Commission and to MBIE....</i><br /><i> "While the regulatory framework has been designed to allow flexibility to use new products [</i>Ahem!<i> - Ed], in practice, it has not been totally effective. We believe this is because the regulatory system is too complex and creates uncertainty around how to ensure a product will comply.</i><br /><i> "This uncertainty then incentivises designers, builders and building consent authorities to favour tried and tested building products to ensure lower personal and organisation risk. In short, the complexity of the regulatory environment is driving behaviours and decisions across the building system that are risk averse, conservative and not conducive to innovation.</i><br /><i> "[T]he current [building] regulatory environment cannot genuinely support innovation without a major rethink."</i></span><br /><div><blockquote>~ <a href="https://www.gns.cri.nz/news/chelydra-percy-appointed-as-chief-executive-for-gns-science/" target="_blank">outgoing</a> BRANZ* CEO Chelydra Percy, in an unusually frank assessment of the regulatory impediments to innovation in the building industry, '<a href="https://www.buildmagazine.org.nz/index.php/articles/show/holding-up-a-mirror-to-industry" target="_blank">Holding Up a Mirror to the Industry</a>'</blockquote></div></blockquote><p>* BRANZ, i.e., the Building Research Association of NZ is the government research body overseeing and appraising building materials and systems, funded by a compulsory levy on all Building Consents.a</p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-25432142783627454082023-02-25T14:22:00.009+13:002023-02-25T14:22:50.021+13:00"By organic architecture, I mean..."<blockquote><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"B</span><span style="font-size: large;">y organic architecture, I mean an architecture that develops from within outward in harmony with the conditions of its being, as distinguished from one that is applied from without."</span></i><br /><blockquote>~ Frank Lloyd Wright</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><br />Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-35687948591627572702022-12-12T09:15:00.001+13:002022-12-12T09:15:00.228+13:00Architecture by Artificial Intelligence. Too soon?<p> </p><p>Are architects no longer needed to come up with ideas?</p><p>Can we get the new Artificial Intelligence engines to dream up ideas for our projects, and others to then draw them up to get consented, and built?</p><p>Just for fun, I had a look at the DALL-E engine, that spits out images created on the spot, however crazy your request. </p><p>I tried a few phrases based on current projects.</p><p>These four below were generated by the search term 'Auckland apartments by Frank Lloyd Wright' ...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjus87gI8CrEbEfgSVkKdJ4fuAIVH9Hpu_f6LdSyaoKISnX6qqwi_KuBsprova3rfkrOjDjXtNFmtIUly65D9dssgOzxy6AqE8TbxGoAYhWETofO0CwPx6bmajtsdNZt6yMTJZM77SkwGe9DkaPaNWJ9_znTkeKrqFhIiz4v9OA3rkiOsjtuIY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjus87gI8CrEbEfgSVkKdJ4fuAIVH9Hpu_f6LdSyaoKISnX6qqwi_KuBsprova3rfkrOjDjXtNFmtIUly65D9dssgOzxy6AqE8TbxGoAYhWETofO0CwPx6bmajtsdNZt6yMTJZM77SkwGe9DkaPaNWJ9_znTkeKrqFhIiz4v9OA3rkiOsjtuIY=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Auckland apartments by John Lautner</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH2c1xgqvH6a39QG4qbybv23VAb_UXYM66UGzmjTvuFWhfRzvOJI0x3IHbyOIbgrTr4bvMPSL9qwbmsx_jBL7SOq_U4NWPdRWPfDtebIXo7gaZYrhZZQw9onZwgAGK4X6xRVMoMMdPb1W9DYXFwNh3xNdfS9BzOj7eXDGtZRnf2hGTS4c4f18" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH2c1xgqvH6a39QG4qbybv23VAb_UXYM66UGzmjTvuFWhfRzvOJI0x3IHbyOIbgrTr4bvMPSL9qwbmsx_jBL7SOq_U4NWPdRWPfDtebIXo7gaZYrhZZQw9onZwgAGK4X6xRVMoMMdPb1W9DYXFwNh3xNdfS9BzOj7eXDGtZRnf2hGTS4c4f18=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Auckland apartments by Louis Sullivan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJmHhB32L8xCgMa_kKdXt-jA6f03ivWl7Iczm4oOh9sn_QpEuVADm_JZrO7e4b1TBQ7Zr7yYPfuUrusNXZXbkyGZXKHfsla0OLulF0KrMBZjSP3XGpQifZxO9VMUo_YSoW16FxugsX13OBG9TizOgkOJi-FsWXKeL0GxP3bMomCJ-rq3VyzLg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJmHhB32L8xCgMa_kKdXt-jA6f03ivWl7Iczm4oOh9sn_QpEuVADm_JZrO7e4b1TBQ7Zr7yYPfuUrusNXZXbkyGZXKHfsla0OLulF0KrMBZjSP3XGpQifZxO9VMUo_YSoW16FxugsX13OBG9TizOgkOJi-FsWXKeL0GxP3bMomCJ-rq3VyzLg=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br />... New Zealand apartments by Louis Sullivan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcCI87OMcOqSkH0PhVpHICNeGPRR9DHi-4XRExQjr7kFTRIAAy06COV3mubHIfh9kts3wC6t3yOVa66wZJM1JoUZzX9wv2OpC-Yojm4-ojg_vm7pndiSat6VFXgcQVZHYYWgkhMWyGtWmmExxCod_hbTUY7UhosGa5Jsu64q-zEeYxuEIR3Co" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcCI87OMcOqSkH0PhVpHICNeGPRR9DHi-4XRExQjr7kFTRIAAy06COV3mubHIfh9kts3wC6t3yOVa66wZJM1JoUZzX9wv2OpC-Yojm4-ojg_vm7pndiSat6VFXgcQVZHYYWgkhMWyGtWmmExxCod_hbTUY7UhosGa5Jsu64q-zEeYxuEIR3Co=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br />... Aotearoa apartments by Louis Sullivan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE479iohwvzVQ5PE5mPj1iGPIOBFETGJHy-aMbQN_mGyjuf44kqcoRhCHq3hF5F7mN2bHYpk8bGaHRkAG3RNKuH_q3OyvQJ9C4kuTVau3w1CAJx2F1XeS5MydF9r11SV-9-kKjRTOYrO6riNI-BfirTGtG9TEtOXzNyKHlenuosx9RPGntv_8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE479iohwvzVQ5PE5mPj1iGPIOBFETGJHy-aMbQN_mGyjuf44kqcoRhCHq3hF5F7mN2bHYpk8bGaHRkAG3RNKuH_q3OyvQJ9C4kuTVau3w1CAJx2F1XeS5MydF9r11SV-9-kKjRTOYrO6riNI-BfirTGtG9TEtOXzNyKHlenuosx9RPGntv_8=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br />... Wellington apartments by Louis Sullivan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX5DnaSe778kSqVLA0TUnbZuODSrebHn1odEs3zxQvhpF1k0v_dTMSF006luJ2vDw-4_p58ynMstAp_8IDugajpYEvzh-eIJlGeXK2A0_I6fFb6oMm5LzgLfPbDHt474DDz9gPDTr6w75kzoZRO3Vfnk9oBSuuQ4YuptQpzkPBBaafRw9ymTE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX5DnaSe778kSqVLA0TUnbZuODSrebHn1odEs3zxQvhpF1k0v_dTMSF006luJ2vDw-4_p58ynMstAp_8IDugajpYEvzh-eIJlGeXK2A0_I6fFb6oMm5LzgLfPbDHt474DDz9gPDTr6w75kzoZRO3Vfnk9oBSuuQ4YuptQpzkPBBaafRw9ymTE=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A Usonian house in Auckland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggEU2DW-8tABBwzhw6BNLdlgOHqU4czZrwMG4pxqwXn1YGQemt9-1u68p9qPnlqvB6YBrQnro5ytEx_TuJ0FoVkl_vtEPUy0Z6g1U9zuIG22tfnrDPHJ5GvvTdZ4_lvKJ7JbG5ABHVj0ZwZWqQdUu5fW7-PaiF1ziFwT3wF3uoB08eiwATBGE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggEU2DW-8tABBwzhw6BNLdlgOHqU4czZrwMG4pxqwXn1YGQemt9-1u68p9qPnlqvB6YBrQnro5ytEx_TuJ0FoVkl_vtEPUy0Z6g1U9zuIG22tfnrDPHJ5GvvTdZ4_lvKJ7JbG5ABHVj0ZwZWqQdUu5fW7-PaiF1ziFwT3wF3uoB08eiwATBGE=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Usonian house in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4DFo8_hI-nc3phKkJI_5dSYcPaLzd3Kr66nXWqTyj33iY7r67XlR78uK4NgLpERSC9R3OXyUE0LXcHs6HGKws32YYPm_eSEmlIJB_1aPHoS7Ds4ZZyBkUqDH-jIPDLDzK1CfaftAnBl4E1r8SBIl1ZrETfxAW5pxqWjBw28ow7TOMHsF7AVM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4DFo8_hI-nc3phKkJI_5dSYcPaLzd3Kr66nXWqTyj33iY7r67XlR78uK4NgLpERSC9R3OXyUE0LXcHs6HGKws32YYPm_eSEmlIJB_1aPHoS7Ds4ZZyBkUqDH-jIPDLDzK1CfaftAnBl4E1r8SBIl1ZrETfxAW5pxqWjBw28ow7TOMHsF7AVM=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Usonian House in New Zealand</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxDUJXoOHxfC67dmmhAkSGzO9Gf7xwW51GyTxuY294YR6tNKmwIcn2Mjymz6wszXUi3Yz8pvCmEh3TiEqQ7dDFm34XlqBF1NI2-laLlPtqcyVd8_WpnF-r4Vw5RkPSuNAek-upWQYcxJHgBAlsP41rGXUSOEFL9Y9VpKYI5DhC3Ne4MVoABow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxDUJXoOHxfC67dmmhAkSGzO9Gf7xwW51GyTxuY294YR6tNKmwIcn2Mjymz6wszXUi3Yz8pvCmEh3TiEqQ7dDFm34XlqBF1NI2-laLlPtqcyVd8_WpnF-r4Vw5RkPSuNAek-upWQYcxJHgBAlsP41rGXUSOEFL9Y9VpKYI5DhC3Ne4MVoABow=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... John Lautner house in New Zealand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTqq6_v4w_F5wA69q6bAQ15lXfQyvsP1t28NsiODO2e11s6QINMMbg4Z99s_aHijJ_Qj67Iyog3pakZGXd-2XOHxvvm5bDUoEHXUl_afVRD02v8riRv17ntx5itOo41b1HQxFBfGdBOkJZuIjzL-dwzX8COP0rvQCn23sJZu4ymuKX0dNkr7g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTqq6_v4w_F5wA69q6bAQ15lXfQyvsP1t28NsiODO2e11s6QINMMbg4Z99s_aHijJ_Qj67Iyog3pakZGXd-2XOHxvvm5bDUoEHXUl_afVRD02v8riRv17ntx5itOo41b1HQxFBfGdBOkJZuIjzL-dwzX8COP0rvQCn23sJZu4ymuKX0dNkr7g=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">John Lautner glamping cabins in New Zealand</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGMOiYnBr0ymZLmlk14Km5CqMT72X9Frs0JSBnGEqjAs9T53CKg5e0m8Rpz0Z1s_285xAuePICnVL1ZOs7xusDUGtj5NS97ORt1zunE9MXQaLzy_xOdyOoMx5EoKNBYJEUdKJRs6yxZZupIW-H5Z3Blww-cYfonQifytVIMATdfrd68JIld1E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGMOiYnBr0ymZLmlk14Km5CqMT72X9Frs0JSBnGEqjAs9T53CKg5e0m8Rpz0Z1s_285xAuePICnVL1ZOs7xusDUGtj5NS97ORt1zunE9MXQaLzy_xOdyOoMx5EoKNBYJEUdKJRs6yxZZupIW-H5Z3Blww-cYfonQifytVIMATdfrd68JIld1E=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>... John Lautner glamping cabins in Aotearoa</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8iczlUCOB0mj3Xl2rWb-kmCytFtN_fxr49nlVzoPD_J-kWWcQhSTRP_oL_BDgrQK8B4uyQwC2C0rcaj-eTdkQD_2Qx1uQHA2cSM3m35xOiDQxHKfFshrPhk-UqsMDJ0uJOO0e_2_GLIRbLcEYTzxfRBKYzFTUVeW7JuSn3Ets24RSj-8gVPI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8iczlUCOB0mj3Xl2rWb-kmCytFtN_fxr49nlVzoPD_J-kWWcQhSTRP_oL_BDgrQK8B4uyQwC2C0rcaj-eTdkQD_2Qx1uQHA2cSM3m35xOiDQxHKfFshrPhk-UqsMDJ0uJOO0e_2_GLIRbLcEYTzxfRBKYzFTUVeW7JuSn3Ets24RSj-8gVPI=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">... Frank Lloyd Wright glamping cabins in Aotearoa<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZnHDwMOGwABOhfpbWpVI84hxq5-45K_nhXvAOvqByQ9N_XvP6B7QO1VH8PxIqy6K82xZQavYlVmBfRWDMk9NTRD1gjSDThAEalje0Xnjk_RUHff7agYPGor8bLOw6I5wSZog4YdffkrP5EmdsYQU6aUnPwBHrMbyzeJO_v6wFfVfZdpSmBTg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZnHDwMOGwABOhfpbWpVI84hxq5-45K_nhXvAOvqByQ9N_XvP6B7QO1VH8PxIqy6K82xZQavYlVmBfRWDMk9NTRD1gjSDThAEalje0Xnjk_RUHff7agYPGor8bLOw6I5wSZog4YdffkrP5EmdsYQU6aUnPwBHrMbyzeJO_v6wFfVfZdpSmBTg=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Frank Lloyd Wright glamping cabins in New Zealand</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggWef_UAmN705elN9LSS5HudfXqFiH-x8grqYx16UBiMtkJYp3-y9NrXGgcyyFrN2XV0UCO2D3SqkmxnBGixnnO-oxxj_5u4I6o-g4EmrjxfZdLBBRdkKgOL5JOEePvBjmLRU556bybE6QwyGC0n_RBgkcHeYVC8xitk2raYv4MTmP1Cb1pDQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggWef_UAmN705elN9LSS5HudfXqFiH-x8grqYx16UBiMtkJYp3-y9NrXGgcyyFrN2XV0UCO2D3SqkmxnBGixnnO-oxxj_5u4I6o-g4EmrjxfZdLBBRdkKgOL5JOEePvBjmLRU556bybE6QwyGC0n_RBgkcHeYVC8xitk2raYv4MTmP1Cb1pDQ=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Richard Neutra glamping cabins in New Zealand<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqDu_E8-Ax7XGKR_XPjl1r-OZwZZsuIgbR8wp7yJiQXGEOXaR6rdUxD_3UO26lfPj9fPOx16IAh9sd-QrbbJnCuWygKWUmSruVB7qqZKxzSnPSdOihOBXxRLmQ8ZtciZ9Fe4zCFjVAkbXjPjoumPNPChnvC-4Sb622uUr-nXTbTbyVXurCoN4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqDu_E8-Ax7XGKR_XPjl1r-OZwZZsuIgbR8wp7yJiQXGEOXaR6rdUxD_3UO26lfPj9fPOx16IAh9sd-QrbbJnCuWygKWUmSruVB7qqZKxzSnPSdOihOBXxRLmQ8ZtciZ9Fe4zCFjVAkbXjPjoumPNPChnvC-4Sb622uUr-nXTbTbyVXurCoN4=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>... Bruce Goff apartments in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdggS2pQIVRFmk-_4fOHZPV7B6_NJ4OK4l-dDEnFiuqs5Z01ljVsWWHt53jN6vxZGmvcQh-0T-d5JHuarKGfZpoRnFyiLq0CSuc_aRs1MPK9bxDNyaU0veu9F-jVXX4CIVtrh0qNHfcdT9wjZ8GC5EG3Yu3XlWZxGfV5C87fIflqnoQ2NpPhs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdggS2pQIVRFmk-_4fOHZPV7B6_NJ4OK4l-dDEnFiuqs5Z01ljVsWWHt53jN6vxZGmvcQh-0T-d5JHuarKGfZpoRnFyiLq0CSuc_aRs1MPK9bxDNyaU0veu9F-jVXX4CIVtrh0qNHfcdT9wjZ8GC5EG3Yu3XlWZxGfV5C87fIflqnoQ2NpPhs=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Bruce Goff apartments in New Zealand</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh22RkdhnG1ioKq8Jz3r-gEsp3E7Tm96W8c7SIsz4zkAe0wyAkdMOTfQAKEfuIjK5S85g6DSk5DwPxEFenNN9lOVV3avIglRacuER16SAnv9mf00Gb5e7qPjUYUmoYLkxkqzuYerSo_KptDeUm_6MFuwCU1oIbtPpyTBKBctKEIJYSV4DP08nU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh22RkdhnG1ioKq8Jz3r-gEsp3E7Tm96W8c7SIsz4zkAe0wyAkdMOTfQAKEfuIjK5S85g6DSk5DwPxEFenNN9lOVV3avIglRacuER16SAnv9mf00Gb5e7qPjUYUmoYLkxkqzuYerSo_KptDeUm_6MFuwCU1oIbtPpyTBKBctKEIJYSV4DP08nU=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Bruce Goff apartments in Auckland</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM6gpVX5vZUgKSlosljdHyFmHzPDS-iaX4Y-Q_kMFo9TF1Fo0KzOvS-dwIfqOKGMwy2cJl4q1cctu1mVhLrGpTQ2rANm8OgfN-Dldenucv5e4Q3efH_Hv46-fmbHg0V9Il7Fdwn0yEpJKL9UXl59T8YBhVPWxZJi81G62zowlvhQ4PK55GD6A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM6gpVX5vZUgKSlosljdHyFmHzPDS-iaX4Y-Q_kMFo9TF1Fo0KzOvS-dwIfqOKGMwy2cJl4q1cctu1mVhLrGpTQ2rANm8OgfN-Dldenucv5e4Q3efH_Hv46-fmbHg0V9Il7Fdwn0yEpJKL9UXl59T8YBhVPWxZJi81G62zowlvhQ4PK55GD6A=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div>... Carlo Scarpa apartments in Auckland<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwn6zmZtAcoAosk5VPZrsI3U0dH3DqNeU1YaDaFQyASA-ze611E7XDr1qW-S4sP-p6uDj_Oo5Gir_dYfctPENCGifN4L5tdh1vv9vSwuvqt4iu35qV9nyR7kXQBW0DprEyw23mIfyhjiWdQ5RbCdBtVRK6wlxzbZYdSLNo-OMF3sspgs_6nlU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwn6zmZtAcoAosk5VPZrsI3U0dH3DqNeU1YaDaFQyASA-ze611E7XDr1qW-S4sP-p6uDj_Oo5Gir_dYfctPENCGifN4L5tdh1vv9vSwuvqt4iu35qV9nyR7kXQBW0DprEyw23mIfyhjiWdQ5RbCdBtVRK6wlxzbZYdSLNo-OMF3sspgs_6nlU=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">... Pier Luigi Nervi apartments in New Zealand</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifvnwg8e24rt_ssOMH4wm3PT83Aqj19xXLl3mhwnjITCRcqEg0_c2Q038L1CtppTDc3TyEJug4l0BS5l81OfBqd7xfZEAIy4CX2NWKUxZ7aH-stSLkkMwnPVLBx_ezF8tc9IDD4aUlearMawx2SIEBd_DcqjDIUSP8FNSsHvdfqzkLc-l1XGM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifvnwg8e24rt_ssOMH4wm3PT83Aqj19xXLl3mhwnjITCRcqEg0_c2Q038L1CtppTDc3TyEJug4l0BS5l81OfBqd7xfZEAIy4CX2NWKUxZ7aH-stSLkkMwnPVLBx_ezF8tc9IDD4aUlearMawx2SIEBd_DcqjDIUSP8FNSsHvdfqzkLc-l1XGM=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Pier Luigi Nervi apartments in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6PQ4P_6GN4XFtdo8MpVu921x8nXGrQ5h4cMb0yovJ-buEJEdGKrxnzaRoZNn8UhFZHnxSLMq-JyJXSxfhhsWZh2kyen0pZMyt4JGQ3GNbfFoW4Fi2l8YuXfhPxQ7Oj8UbjlA8ND_NgvmAgdP7AwLcuFopXSyp7JIp_WazsTX6fvWPATHnG1E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6PQ4P_6GN4XFtdo8MpVu921x8nXGrQ5h4cMb0yovJ-buEJEdGKrxnzaRoZNn8UhFZHnxSLMq-JyJXSxfhhsWZh2kyen0pZMyt4JGQ3GNbfFoW4Fi2l8YuXfhPxQ7Oj8UbjlA8ND_NgvmAgdP7AwLcuFopXSyp7JIp_WazsTX6fvWPATHnG1E=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Carlo Scarpa apartments in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4wvYUnhT0oOX2u-zk0KUaKP21BjF1JHK4M5JJyrVv7cBuRwv7Yi3c-PFbfQ89qaJvlZ97sY_IFBFGJGQyrEqOhsrciWnU9uTZjGZCrM_StHI3tjZaq84i1-KzOlziVzYW1ElYqt9KFXGDOcfRk38jXflwZJE2ScxPQn0OSeQRdhS5_KzVdjE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4wvYUnhT0oOX2u-zk0KUaKP21BjF1JHK4M5JJyrVv7cBuRwv7Yi3c-PFbfQ89qaJvlZ97sY_IFBFGJGQyrEqOhsrciWnU9uTZjGZCrM_StHI3tjZaq84i1-KzOlziVzYW1ElYqt9KFXGDOcfRk38jXflwZJE2ScxPQn0OSeQRdhS5_KzVdjE=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Carlo Scarpa dream home in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWTSQjJfO7oau_uDYWV7R5udpXCtKB0ncUvIObGKx2Sp_sUQLlaV8S09JKgpiQ0FuMkg7tHsV-ntHgkQIjgl95eX97TTSKLCm2RqsLqUitGXnzVEFUNSyCAegFPP5CBZ8O_8zfeOQ5ztb_2c5e1aRfogi0EMpM4B5HDXhU-pgMNfs-5Pc4UdM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWTSQjJfO7oau_uDYWV7R5udpXCtKB0ncUvIObGKx2Sp_sUQLlaV8S09JKgpiQ0FuMkg7tHsV-ntHgkQIjgl95eX97TTSKLCm2RqsLqUitGXnzVEFUNSyCAegFPP5CBZ8O_8zfeOQ5ztb_2c5e1aRfogi0EMpM4B5HDXhU-pgMNfs-5Pc4UdM=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... Frank Lloyd Wright dream home in Aotearoa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWjfxLMoZXXRIFtX2eVrwfFNKx4MgKtb37nHvONbqqn6xp3Z12Xu6v_A2OtpaHizk_9HPSz_4aektgv9oh3rSnMzn1uNMuosKrNjrf4yA7z0F3kC_F0NNifSydXFxCrxEAvnIZ_NMHuPeU4dRcm3_XVKukVDwhraf9QiVka4wA9Gxo7DdRICY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWjfxLMoZXXRIFtX2eVrwfFNKx4MgKtb37nHvONbqqn6xp3Z12Xu6v_A2OtpaHizk_9HPSz_4aektgv9oh3rSnMzn1uNMuosKrNjrf4yA7z0F3kC_F0NNifSydXFxCrxEAvnIZ_NMHuPeU4dRcm3_XVKukVDwhraf9QiVka4wA9Gxo7DdRICY=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>... John Lautner dream home on Auckland beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4i53UIDqcCKoePlQYkIchwiSur80yoecxXIHUepDtrCfZPXMr--jva66jRqV1-8Mzc_jP1znzVuBufDjcrRSi9b1WLii2sdjkksNN7IVHCIgGM56gdViA95OhCsDa723YWs-T5Q-xYs0mBdf-wO74pY9t_mM5KBmGwlCMwu7kEixyizYCjrg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4i53UIDqcCKoePlQYkIchwiSur80yoecxXIHUepDtrCfZPXMr--jva66jRqV1-8Mzc_jP1znzVuBufDjcrRSi9b1WLii2sdjkksNN7IVHCIgGM56gdViA95OhCsDa723YWs-T5Q-xYs0mBdf-wO74pY9t_mM5KBmGwlCMwu7kEixyizYCjrg=w640-h157" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>... Richard Neutra dream home in New Zealand</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlFruPtTxXd89uS0C9bG9qPMq7nDGf1qPpJbH9n669NKiWiQAr_fXdi1jo_x90UecYCyPvSVcuM6zif6_JjlT_3QVlJHYrhJ_cAmfDzExFfxE-mkRqYCszVBHDj3BEofpC1A7CStrxmBFHpDMh7GBuJo7kmHSO5JZKJN6hj60PKhpH6v2Mnn0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="2739" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlFruPtTxXd89uS0C9bG9qPMq7nDGf1qPpJbH9n669NKiWiQAr_fXdi1jo_x90UecYCyPvSVcuM6zif6_JjlT_3QVlJHYrhJ_cAmfDzExFfxE-mkRqYCszVBHDj3BEofpC1A7CStrxmBFHpDMh7GBuJo7kmHSO5JZKJN6hj60PKhpH6v2Mnn0=w640-h156" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />I'm not convinced the architects named would recognise the work as their own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But what say you: Are local architects redundant yet? Any of these buildings here that you'd like to order up?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-86870627512521569002022-08-23T10:31:00.003+12:002022-08-23T10:31:50.606+12:00Home V2.0<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGNvwTvrF1vYb0ykRjubMEhj_hAIXEb9ESjletckXoFA6joowboexYHsiuUDFDlQxVmdIXtgT9XrSW4TxVKxZr59dav0XgVK0mrE8ZHsUhQttovvThUrWKS-RryXcrkuAGi6GC2eALAw19_l5EN-NXCi8llQGJljy-WA9oeLlU5CxVtZVnSM/s1019/Home...%20-%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGNvwTvrF1vYb0ykRjubMEhj_hAIXEb9ESjletckXoFA6joowboexYHsiuUDFDlQxVmdIXtgT9XrSW4TxVKxZr59dav0XgVK0mrE8ZHsUhQttovvThUrWKS-RryXcrkuAGi6GC2eALAw19_l5EN-NXCi8llQGJljy-WA9oeLlU5CxVtZVnSM/w462-h640/Home...%20-%201.jpeg" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sandersstudies.tumblr.com" target="_blank">@sandersstudies</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-2582589693302591932021-02-10T07:54:00.003+13:002021-02-10T07:54:17.341+13:00"Beauty's higher prizes are not for the timid." <p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT4pMTG6DYtx8Qze1M1oC8JkmsLPK8WL4a01fZLM8TZEf0rKwi60UpxaWvSp8feRp5AOho7918mM5zWwrMHqOXD17lK5qrhIRyI9hvhsExbwa2lqwPybFb9nBXI8ncDEwrps_ng/s1200/IMG_3342.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT4pMTG6DYtx8Qze1M1oC8JkmsLPK8WL4a01fZLM8TZEf0rKwi60UpxaWvSp8feRp5AOho7918mM5zWwrMHqOXD17lK5qrhIRyI9hvhsExbwa2lqwPybFb9nBXI8ncDEwrps_ng/w640-h360/IMG_3342.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://luxurylaunches.com/travel/this-gorgeous-retreat-in-japans-hokkaido-mountains-is-literally-what-dreams-are-made-of.php?fbclid=IwAR2C5e2W43Ufa64WVi_02GPGPf7Gg8sglUH1Pqc__FCT9KNZB6K_lftu3tM" target="_blank">Retreat</a> in Northern Hokkaido Mountains in Japan, by international architecture studio <a href="https://l-e-a-d.pro" target="_blank">LEAD</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> "B</span><span style="font-size: large;">eauty's higher prizes are not for the timid." </span></i><div> ~ Richard Neutra</div></blockquote><p>[Hat tip <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Kebyar-112375852912" target="_blank">Friends of Kebyar</a>]</p><p><span style="color: white;">.</span> </p>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-56582166073795155572020-03-23T11:57:00.000+13:002024-01-11T09:10:33.017+13:00Architectural Mini-Tutorial: Tips for your home office<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House in Mt Eden. Existing sunroom opened up to lounge, home office created <br />in new sunroom extension (at rear of picture). Pic by Organon Architecture. </td></tr>
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SO YOU'VE BEEN FORCED to work from home, and we're all pretty clear nothat it's likely to be for a very long time.<br />
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You can only work from the kitchen table for so long. And using a laptop<i> on</i> your lap for any length of time will quickly leave you with neck pain and feelings of frustration.</div>
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Having had my own office at home for many years now, I've learned a thing or two so that I can help you setting up your own.</div>
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We all know the usual tips for working from home: get dressed, have a regular routine, don't work in any kind of pants that have a drawstring....</div>
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But what about how to set up your home office, now that you know you may be using it for some time.</div>
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I don't know much about drawstring pants, but I do know a bit about spaces and how best to arrange them. So here are a few tips ...</div>
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Four major don'ts: </div>
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<li><u>Don't work from your master bedroom</u>. You need your regular bedroom for sleep, especially when (like everyone at the moment!) you really need that sleep to heal. There are ways to make it work architecturally (if no other option are available) but, in general, don't confuse your subconscious by mixing work and sleep -- especially if you're the sort of person whose desk isn't clear at the end of every day!</li>
<li><u>Keep away from the fridge!</u> It's too easy to graze all day when you're at home, without realising the message your mirror is sending you. So try to keep to a regular schedule of breaks and meals instead of being ongoing. And if you do lack the won't-power, then set up a kettle in your workspace so you can avoid the temptation. (A good idea anyway of your house has too many other distractions.)</li>
<li><u>Don't spend all day in your pyjamas. </u>Yes, it is a cliche. That's because it is too easy: throw off the bed-clothes, stumble into the kitchen, rub sleep out of your eyes as you drink your first coffee at your kitchen-table desk ... and then realise several hours later that those online quizzes and twitter chats aren't going to get your work done, and you're already full of aches and pains from sitting badly for too many hours. So do make sure you have a place that tells your subconscious "I'm going here to work!" and then get dressed for it and ready for it as if it's a regular work day. Because it is. (And then make sure you separate yourself from your work once the work day ends too. I recommend a martini.)</li>
<li><u>Don't stay inside!</u> One of the great things about working from your neighbourhood is (hopefully) access to gardens, trees and open spaces. Use them! Get outside regularly. Take regular walks, have lunch in the open air, talk to other people (from a suitable distance!). In short, avoid cabin fever and keep yourself linked into the outside world. (Especially important is to spend at least thirty minutes, early in the day, out under the open sky. Sleep researchers tells us this is the single most important thing we can do to lock in the circadian rhythms that support healthy sleep.)</li>
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Another thing: with the possibility of schools and daycare closing soon, your children may be in the house with you. Which makes it even more important to carve out your own special space <i>away</i> from all the hubbub so you can focus. If your partner is home too, maybe you rotate shifts keeping an eye on anyone who needs it, but do make sure you can carve out three-hour blocks of time (minimum) to focus on your work. [I'll make a few comments in a few days about home-schooling, if anyone's interested.]<br />
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And you are going to need that quiet uninterrupted space too when you get into all those online work meetings. Who can forget this now-famous TV interview -- you (possibly) don't want this happening to you!</div>
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So, some <b>Architectural Tips</b>. This may be your workstation for some time. Do it properly. You may need to do some minor (or major!) renovation to your home; or you may be able to think laterally and only move around a bit of furniture -- it's amazing how a bit of lateral thinking can free up space! - but you have to make sure that <i>its going to work so that you can enjoy working there. </i>It has to be ergonomic, have decent shelving so your stuff is all to-hand, it is has to work <b>efficiently</b> and productively.<br />
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And it has to feel right, to support you psychologically. Especially now, when everyone's an emotional mess. It has to be a <b>place of your own</b>.</div>
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You don't necessarily need to use a whole room either. Try to get your spaces do <b>double duty.</b> Think about how much space you can make in a boat or a caravan -- often with things that easily hide away. That's the kind of thinking you might need to use.</div>
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Look for a spot you don't use -- an attic, behind a chimney space, part of a wide hallway or passage, large wardrobes ... there's more room available than you think, especially if you're thinking laterally.<br />
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You have to make the <b>lighting</b> work for you too. No shadows across your work from lights or windows in the wrong place (so you'll have a totally different arrangement depending on whether you're right or left-handed). No high-reflective surfaces. Proper visual weight to the lighting arrangement. No looking directly into light fittings (see the <i>effect</i> of the light, <i>not</i> the light source). No glare on your screen from either lights or late-afternoon sun, enough light on your paperwork so you don't hurt your eyes. In the right place so it supports your work rather than hinders it -- and makes you look good in online meetups too!</div>
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And remember: add <b>delight</b>. You are going to be here for many hours, possibly for many months. Make sure you have a view, or some art, or some plants -- or all three! Any place in which you spend this much time has to feed your soul just as much as you are busy feeding your out-box.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">[Pic from <i>Not So Big Remodelling: Tailoring Your Home For the Way You Really Live</i>]</td></tr>
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Some principles to think through:</div>
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<b>*** A PLACE OF YOUR OWN (POYO)</b></div>
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Some people can work with things going on around them. Most can't. Especially in these difficult times, the space needs to feel like it's your own. Like a kind of private daily retreat that feels good to be in -- light filled and pleasant to be in so that you <i>want</i> to be there. Otherwise you won't be.<br />
If you do want to keep yourself linked into family activities when you need to, then perhaps keep the space close to the main loop of family activity, but with doors you can close off for acoustic privacy when you need to.<br />
Better to make a space that is totally separate and private, that doesn't become the family control centre. These are two different functions; don't confuse them!<br />
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<b>** MAKE SPACES DO DOUBLE DUTY</b></div>
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Your new home office or "away room" can be anywhere and, like the fittings in a boat or caravan, can be tailored to adapt or change or fold away -- to be hidden when not in use. A "transformer space."<br />
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Or the space may be a lesser part of a multi-functioning space, one that won't create interruptions for you while working, of course. Perhaps there's a handy alcove that will accommodate a desk, into which you can add doors to close it away when you're not working.</div>
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Or you could convert a space you rarely use, like that garden shed, garage, or large formal dining space (which can do triple duty as your library!), or the media room (which you only use when you're <i>not</i> working, right?) into a home office cum social space. Or that extra-large wardrobe. (Just re-shelve some of those shoes!) Or the guest room which, unfortunately, you may not be using so much (and when you do, a foldaway bed can work).<br />
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If you're using a foldaway bed, try to keep at least 750mm between bed and computer when the bed is down. That may mean a moveable desk, perhaps on a cart.</div>
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<b>** PERMANENCE</b><br />
Double-duty doesn't mean things should look temporary. Your workspace should feel as interesting and comfortable as the rest of your house, and have the same feeling of permanence.<br />
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<b>** VISUAL ORGANISATION</b><br />
Visual organisation is more than just organising your space so it works well. It's making sure the underlying visual order works to support the space -- this place in which you are going to spend many hours every day. So we need to bring visual order to the space to avoid the perception of chaos. So think through points of focus, pattern and geometry, alignments and the composition of the space, so that the space directs you to your work and reduces the apparent visual clutter around it.<br />
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<b>** LEADS! </b><br />
Speaking of visual clutter! The bane of many a workspace is your leads to power all your 'puter stuff. Lots of leads under your feet makes you feel cluttered, so think through lead placement and the installation of enough plugs and plug boxes to make your space work. (If you're installing a lot of equipment, then maybe make a call to an electrician to set you up properly, or just to ensure your system can take all the new loads without blowing all your fuses!)</div>
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<b>** BATHROOMS</b><br />
You don't really want to be adding new bathrooms. But especially with more hand-washing going on, you need to make sure your home office has easy access to bathrooms, without distractions <i>en-route</i>. Think that through.<br />
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<b>** ERGONOMICS</b><br />
Ergonomics is more than just the study of efficiency in working environments: it's about making sure the human body meshes organically and efficiently with your work tools for comfort, efficiency and to avoid long-term bodily injury. At a basic level, it's making sure seat, desk, keyboard and screen are set up perfectly for <i>your</i> body dimensions. At a deeper level, it's ensuring the whole space and its dimensions works the way you work: seating, shelving, screens, desks and reference table. Get your seat right (don't skimp on this one!) and get the work arrangement and all its associated dimensions right, and you will feel physically better working there, and your workspace will takes up only as much floor area (and no more) than it needs to.<br />
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<b>** SHARED OR SEPARATE ENTRANCE?</b><br />
Your new home office doesn't need to be accessible from inside the house, or even in the house at all. If you make it weather-tight , moisture-proof and insulated, and get reliable power there, then a garden shed, garage or basement can do the job. Or a rent-a-cabin. A separate entrance may be best anyway to give you that feeling of mental separation from your work: strolling to the (former) sleepout in the morning could be just the thing you need to refresh yourself before work each day.<br />
Or a combined entrance, sharing the same entrance hall, giving that little necessary feeling of extra separation.<br />
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<b>** VIEWS</b><br />
Views out and/or long views within a space are important. When we grasp a thought, we often find ourselves staring into the middle distance. If that view is pleasant and plant-filled, or connects us to the wider world without distracting us, or throwing us into it, that's ideal.</div>
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<b>** DELIGHT: COLOUR, PLANTS, ART ...</b><br />
Last but very far from least: feed your soul.<br />
Be bold with colour: don't be scared to paint the space your favourite colour -- or maybe just a feature wall. (It's easy to change again if you get sick of it. Or just change it every season just for variety.</div>
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Have as many plants around you or in there with you as you can reasonably manage. Living things keep us connected and help clean the air in our workspace.<br />
And have art in there! Do have all your friends' and family photos in there, but make sure to leave room for art: for colourful prints, small and engaging sculpture, even mementoes or things that remind us of important events, people or ideas in our lives.<br />
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Now, more than ever, we need to remember and connect with what's important.<br />
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Especially in that space in which, for months or even years, we are now going to have to spend many hours every day.<br />
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Hope this helps!<br />
<br />
PS: I'm gearing up to consult on the installation of your new home office -- anything from a few hours conversation and advice, right through (if needed) to working drawings and tracking down a builder. If that interests you, drop me a line here at <a href="mailto:peter@organonarchitecture.nz">peter@organonarchitecture.nz</a> or <a href="mailto:peter.organon@gmail.com">peter.organon@gmail.com</a> to talk more.<br />
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Cheers<br />
Peter Cresswell<br />
O R G A N O N. A R C H I T E C T U R E<br />
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[Source: All pics from <i>Not So Big House</i> and Houzz, except where noted.]</div>
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-25375719603431220842019-12-12T09:45:00.003+13:002019-12-12T09:45:55.464+13:00"The building as architecture is born out of the heart of man, permanent consort to the ground, comrade to the trees, true reflection of man in the realm of his own spirit." #QotD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5K5xPmmfYe9Ea1PspATNY6D2PyiA8ocOqBnTaqB6DB3W2FNO5YJ4ZnZg1MM17KlDaxBmmT7MPYHOh5mNROGweyH2EDOyDWKLa6awA_vbdEHlTwkw29CM43aB44BJ3LWJhNj33g/s1600/Taliesin-2013-0391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5K5xPmmfYe9Ea1PspATNY6D2PyiA8ocOqBnTaqB6DB3W2FNO5YJ4ZnZg1MM17KlDaxBmmT7MPYHOh5mNROGweyH2EDOyDWKLa6awA_vbdEHlTwkw29CM43aB44BJ3LWJhNj33g/s1600/Taliesin-2013-0391.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>Pic: Wright's home Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin, <br />from the <a href="https://www.springgreengeneralstore.com/http-www-onlyinyourstate-com-wisconsin-spring-green-attractions-wi-utm_mediumemailutm_sourcewisconsinutm_campaignnewsletter/">Spring Green General Store</a> site. </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"The building as architecture is born out of the heart of man, permanent consort to the ground, comrade to the trees, true reflection of man in the realm of his own spirit."</span></i><br /> ~ Frank Lloyd Wright, from <a href="https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=KiaGDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA230&lpg=PA230&dq=%22The+building+as+architecture+is+born+out+of+the+heart+of+man,+permanent+consort+to+the+ground,+comrade+to+the+trees,+true+reflection+of+man+in+the+realm+of+his+own+spirit.%22&source=bl&ots=s4ph9IpVCv&sig=ACfU3U11nZDItikPRmajD65iYMfkdRIkOA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjb3IPGuK7mAhVb7nMBHcdEBKsQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22The%20building%20as%20architecture%20is%20born%20out%20of%20the%20heart%20of%20man%2C%20permanent%20consort%20to%20the%20ground%2C%20comrade%20to%20the%20trees%2C%20true%20reflection%20of%20man%20in%20the%20realm%20of%20his%20own%20spirit.%22&f=false"><i>The Essential Frank Lloyd Wright</i></a></blockquote>
<span style="color: white;">.</span> </div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-62230058109370787912019-07-11T15:35:00.001+12:002023-07-20T11:49:25.030+12:00Q: What is organic architecture?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I named Organon Architecture after two of my heroes.<br />
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"Organon" itself comes from Aristotle's <i>Organon -- </i>his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organon">collection of books on logic and induction</a> that, when rediscovered, led to the led to a rebirth of knowledge and science.<i>"Organon" </i>being defined as a tool or instrument, in this case an instrument of knowledge ...<br />
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And "organon" also refers to the principles of Organic Architecture -- sometimes called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Architecture-Modernism-Alan-Hess/dp/1586858572">The Other Modernism</a> -- that I try to practice and that Frank Loyd Wright was the first (and the best) to espouse.<br />
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Over the decades, Wright and others gave many explanations of what this Organic Architecture consists:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>architecture perfectly integrated with its site; a free architecture ... architecture that belongs where you see it standing, and is a grace to the landscape instead of a disgrace</li>
<li>recognising that nature and materials, machinery, and technologies are allies, not antagonists</li>
<li>understanding the higher truth that form should not simply follow function -- that outward appearances should reflect inner purposes -- but that form and function are one</li>
<li>an interpretation of nature’s principles manifested in buildings that are in harmony with the world around them</li>
<li>architecture used to make human life more natural, and nature more humane</li>
<li>an architecture from within outwards ... where the whole is to the part and the part is to the whole. </li>
<li>a building that functions like a cohesive organism, where each part of the design relates to the whole.</li>
<li>an architecture in which a building is allowed to develop in relation to the forces and context that generated it in a manner analogous to the way a tree (for example) develops according to its generating forces and site context -- a reinterpretation of nature's principles as they had been filtered through the intelligent minds of designers</li>
<li>an architecture recognising the human need for order, pattern, nature, prospect and refuge</li>
<li>an architecture in which space and time become place and occasion, and reason and self-esteem are embodied in the expression of motion and purpose</li>
<li>a building that complements its environment so as to create a single, unified space that appears to “grow naturally” out of the ground</li>
<li>choosing one dominant form for a building and integrating that form throughout (often in a fractal manner)</li>
<li>using natural colours: “Go into the woods and field for colour schemes”</li>
<li>don't simply imitate nature, but understand and emulate nature's abstractions of geometry, form, colour, pattern, texture, proportion, and rhythm</li>
<li>respect and reveal the nature of materials</li>
<li>open up spaces, using nested, overlapping and interlinked spaces</li>
<li>integrate natural foliage in the inner spaces and wider views of the outer spaces -- "capturing those views alive"</li>
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<i>Integration</i> is the key word: of site and landscape and colour and material with the life within.</div>
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Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer worked with Frank Lloyd Wright for many years. This conversation brings the ideas home ....</div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/59628256" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/59628256">Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer clip talking about Organic Architecture</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user12904125">Quasimotor Productions</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-73309481630303763592019-07-09T10:26:00.001+12:002019-07-11T14:44:21.173+12:00Quote of the Day: "Architecture is a building conceived from an idea or vision of good living."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzXrc4x9EW4cT6UhXByOeSxNdoRF4wrSS2ARA4TejFsdfSysy8vZpDwPfKp5e4N1k7M19WqGJoC3v4SxyOH2p9Pjg7iqWbRcaBCSmob04yUo25aAy5otOM6UqD1v3xPXN8c3cmg/s1600/Walsh-street-lounge-Darren-Bradley-e1521197391290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzXrc4x9EW4cT6UhXByOeSxNdoRF4wrSS2ARA4TejFsdfSysy8vZpDwPfKp5e4N1k7M19WqGJoC3v4SxyOH2p9Pjg7iqWbRcaBCSmob04yUo25aAy5otOM6UqD1v3xPXN8c3cmg/s400/Walsh-street-lounge-Darren-Bradley-e1521197391290.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"So to a definition: ... [architecture] is a building based on a concept of good living conditions... building conceived from an idea or vision of good living...<br /> "This vision, then is translated into reality by qualities of surface, space, structure and psyche. I could be more fashionable and even more alliterative by calling the last item 'soul.' Perhaps it is best to average it out and settle on 'spirit'..."</span></i><br />
~ Australian architect Robin Boyd, writing in his manifesto <i><a href="https://robinboyd.org.au/portfolio/living-in-australia/">Living in Australia</a></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuYvSyFvZi9xge2swnPxdSAGXxTTEiy24q6IOfnVdR7Wa5onk8WhU3JTIs0cxi_027pVqrwrmYHfZbx-pRhpnku2oZ-5t6thsXvKBmSoF2W4G9mMBYkjQeGmnrs-bh_ESu4kWtQ/s1600/robin-boyd-gummed-stamp.png.auspostimage.0*0.169.medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuYvSyFvZi9xge2swnPxdSAGXxTTEiy24q6IOfnVdR7Wa5onk8WhU3JTIs0cxi_027pVqrwrmYHfZbx-pRhpnku2oZ-5t6thsXvKBmSoF2W4G9mMBYkjQeGmnrs-bh_ESu4kWtQ/s400/robin-boyd-gummed-stamp.png.auspostimage.0*0.169.medium.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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[Pics of Robin Boyd House by Darren Bradley, from <a href="https://robinboyd.org.au/event/walsh-street-tour-13-june-afternoon-copy/">Robin Boyd Foundation</a> and <a href="https://australiapostcollectables.com.au/articles/recognising-the-legacy-of-robin-boyd">Australia Post Collectables</a>]</div>
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-71510545712062929942019-07-04T08:52:00.000+12:002019-07-11T16:16:14.569+12:00Recent Project: Malvern Hills: 'Wind Screen'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been dreadful at posting new projects here, mainly because I've been busy designing them rather than posting about them, but I'd like to catch up a bit. There are quite a few to show you!<br />
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This project here began being discussed two years ago. It's for a very exposed very steeply sloping site in Wellington. That's just Wellington, right -- but this one is a little different: with the very steeply sloping site comes striking views right across the harbour: which makes it extremely exposed -- both to the public eye and to the weather.<br />
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And as they say, Wellington doesn't have a climate. It has weather.<br />
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The strategy, a simple one, is to hang the house between the retaining walls that are needed to hold up the street, and the cantilever beams sprouting in pinwheel fashion from a single large concrete pile. This takes account of the sloping-site problem. One enters and sleeps at the top level, lives on the middle level, and offers children and guests sleeping and play space at the bottom.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkvYrdy9Rtf6vc9FwvepQa1sCPhAFZYiE2xK6kPZfRnbowHpbXS1GKQkIkvDvBUVcInH9oYIIUrOd36VqOjvzFYAdVuS76LnCPh-Ga9UBZ7536wdMymm6LOef-3PJ6gWgwf7ZUg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-28+at+2.52.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="933" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkvYrdy9Rtf6vc9FwvepQa1sCPhAFZYiE2xK6kPZfRnbowHpbXS1GKQkIkvDvBUVcInH9oYIIUrOd36VqOjvzFYAdVuS76LnCPh-Ga9UBZ7536wdMymm6LOef-3PJ6gWgwf7ZUg/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-06-28+at+2.52.41+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I say "simple"?</td></tr>
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Once out of the ground, the house needs to deal with the weather problem. Because this house doesn't just have slope: with that slope comes both the spectacular views over the harbour that make it worth building there, and all the winds of Aeolus sent to batter anyone daring to step outside to see it.</div>
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Trouble. But as they say, problems are an architect's friend!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU6WkvpKxARsrU6o5yel3NIkOFRBUsFiyRMW4b0gU0ChUFpJMbKzWGav0sMNOlBIocyoPHCqESX8awf5ULmWow1EooeOPQ65rXoaGE6jIEokpjmU9YnDdPL0850epsAJZe6MvqQ/s1600/ViewFromRoofTerrace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1547" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU6WkvpKxARsrU6o5yel3NIkOFRBUsFiyRMW4b0gU0ChUFpJMbKzWGav0sMNOlBIocyoPHCqESX8awf5ULmWow1EooeOPQ65rXoaGE6jIEokpjmU9YnDdPL0850epsAJZe6MvqQ/s640/ViewFromRoofTerrace.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">View from the proposed roof terrace: spectacular view; spectacular wind!</span></td></tr>
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So how to solve this problem? The answer is a "wind screen" built around the drum containing our lower floor and <i>protected</i> terraces.<br />
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Add these windscreens around the outer drum, intersect this with the main circular drum, add trees and vines, mix all ingredients sagaciously on this sloping site and you have this house -- or nearly so. From there it almost designs itself!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF0oobG5HTa-vd6m3VE0p9EGnRxdqyhaXPAlCrjy4MSi8gAeuRXuUwwHAEYLksXVRGcfpkVPFUpPprVaZA-FVNlG0mCYjrVE51crpXiFKSnnfsHXOGV9Gy2xT5zPNR5yiamRbmg/s1600/ConceptPlan+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1253" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF0oobG5HTa-vd6m3VE0p9EGnRxdqyhaXPAlCrjy4MSi8gAeuRXuUwwHAEYLksXVRGcfpkVPFUpPprVaZA-FVNlG0mCYjrVE51crpXiFKSnnfsHXOGV9Gy2xT5zPNR5yiamRbmg/s200/ConceptPlan+-+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concept</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO2IiewPKPuuSgW8ea4rN1Ja4KC9dEGt5ZOAeqroQ6-KEyvu41PMVmRiianof5gJ5k8nNVdiEWcRPGdwZm2KWzt_TTx-Pnria6CkEoKgMJNKu2CuVzKi2dbIw3BA0jbPY7xzdfw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-03+at+5.06.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="731" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO2IiewPKPuuSgW8ea4rN1Ja4KC9dEGt5ZOAeqroQ6-KEyvu41PMVmRiianof5gJ5k8nNVdiEWcRPGdwZm2KWzt_TTx-Pnria6CkEoKgMJNKu2CuVzKi2dbIw3BA0jbPY7xzdfw/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-03+at+5.06.55+PM.png" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concept Plan</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXACBTFyNFzHoLfwpa8eijopiGsR-KmpRRasf_8RqLnuDA_lpf2X6H3btETIHDC1y9hMincvx_05KfrdZV5uUeUj4xQi2pfC2rDq1sIqpHGK5CMhUZWsFikIyj218fM-FDIBHNiw/s1600/MALVERN-WindscreenHouse-Axo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXACBTFyNFzHoLfwpa8eijopiGsR-KmpRRasf_8RqLnuDA_lpf2X6H3btETIHDC1y9hMincvx_05KfrdZV5uUeUj4xQi2pfC2rDq1sIqpHGK5CMhUZWsFikIyj218fM-FDIBHNiw/s640/MALVERN-WindscreenHouse-Axo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house that designs itself: <br />
add retaining walls and one three-storey drum to a sloping site; to that add <br />
an intersecting drum with wind-screen,<br />
an open terrace extending the view back to the city, <br />
and trees and vines <br />
and <i>voila</i>!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf374_arUjVDKIABwFgMhh35dckCl0Q3TmHmbnd3suUup8o9LGLvjRKvBCya1nZfKaGQ2LeDQ18nplN1Z0RNGTUCYYoOe6Dk_xePQ6BJ_8MF5tjvX0EqnLhZ8acAfoFhI6BT_5vw/s1600/MainAxo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="702" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf374_arUjVDKIABwFgMhh35dckCl0Q3TmHmbnd3suUup8o9LGLvjRKvBCya1nZfKaGQ2LeDQ18nplN1Z0RNGTUCYYoOe6Dk_xePQ6BJ_8MF5tjvX0EqnLhZ8acAfoFhI6BT_5vw/s640/MainAxo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Can you see this rising from the hills above the Wellington Harbour? A strong form making it easily seen even at great distance.<br />
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And while the screen looks a little 'heavy' in the pictures, our windscreen is an almost diaphanous perforated metal screen, lightweight, decorated and visually permeable. A light steel veil draped over the drum and cinched down tight; a "breathable" screen, with sections easily slid away on Wellington's intermittent but glorious good days.<br />
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This Cultural Centre in Corsica gives you an idea of just how visually permeable a fine-grained steel 'veil' can be:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CVZVAcN3VwLYt-xiFKNtyFCMimgk0e1t4bZtVfzRq4EW4twJcieK9KPfoEGggbmYA5cXFnRB54HtbghwOdleX1v9wwajwB5IWQUGy0ZU1k1V8Op-Nk3AhhDMOh-YYsVEugff-w/s1600/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_0-936x669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="936" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CVZVAcN3VwLYt-xiFKNtyFCMimgk0e1t4bZtVfzRq4EW4twJcieK9KPfoEGggbmYA5cXFnRB54HtbghwOdleX1v9wwajwB5IWQUGy0ZU1k1V8Op-Nk3AhhDMOh-YYsVEugff-w/s320/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_0-936x669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNS5Af5GrlzIWXvaqq_qxWuwfajhTZI11KL3aL-65h9XbJlEpIxae1cxJTXy5kBoLRZsBYHqldELla_YXDzbz0IxKFjh3Z1IqOiQSVhlKRyFXMQfclCuKm_oDNNjpvwC5wbq6NQ/s1600/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_4-936x669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="936" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNS5Af5GrlzIWXvaqq_qxWuwfajhTZI11KL3aL-65h9XbJlEpIxae1cxJTXy5kBoLRZsBYHqldELla_YXDzbz0IxKFjh3Z1IqOiQSVhlKRyFXMQfclCuKm_oDNNjpvwC5wbq6NQ/s320/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_4-936x669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ajpb5xKesytXtfza5aShzeGDmGXrgEg-68igP6aoo3stO9mDaTYQOLQoJPYzk_mylun9CM7lJ086_dXI-Dln745NUh4HUVlPoXprHnnqSd54y1kPpix0c7fkgSTSWihYNOS49w/s1600/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_6-936x669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="936" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ajpb5xKesytXtfza5aShzeGDmGXrgEg-68igP6aoo3stO9mDaTYQOLQoJPYzk_mylun9CM7lJ086_dXI-Dln745NUh4HUVlPoXprHnnqSd54y1kPpix0c7fkgSTSWihYNOS49w/s320/cultural-centre-alb-oru-DDA-devaux-devaux-architectes-bastia-juan-bracco-cecile-septet_dezeen_1568_6-936x669.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2016/02/20/cultural-centre-of-bastia-corsica-dda-atelier-architecture-concrete-golden-metal/">Cultural Centre in Bastia</a>, by Paris Studio DDA</td></tr>
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And this house in Israel shows how permeable (yet still sheltered) a coarse-grained perforated screen can be.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V00DkthdlQ8Y0yEmX4wEZehF6NZFE5ywKGMQ-i9rVC3DzBLYFEyIWCrCkx0osY6p82X88Fy4bNB2bNRs85a_iA6RmwnXfzX6pI13A5NAfxgaY3_ZQCuJ-tBGznFv52dkBR1U5w/s1600/ma-house-pitsou-kedem-architecture-houses-israel-residential_dezeen_2364_sq_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="1576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V00DkthdlQ8Y0yEmX4wEZehF6NZFE5ywKGMQ-i9rVC3DzBLYFEyIWCrCkx0osY6p82X88Fy4bNB2bNRs85a_iA6RmwnXfzX6pI13A5NAfxgaY3_ZQCuJ-tBGznFv52dkBR1U5w/s320/ma-house-pitsou-kedem-architecture-houses-israel-residential_dezeen_2364_sq_12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Pitsou Kedem's '<a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/22/ma-house-pitsou-kedem-architects-aluminium-screens/">MA' House</a>' in Israel</td></tr>
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And this here is <i>our</i> screen, suggesting how decorated our screens can be; perforated metal being an ideal material to take integral decoration, we have added ornament based upon the interlocking circles of our two "drums." The effect in the sun is dramatic!:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhBrx3VtnvubbSlzcfUqW3QI9Tir0KuvnlybDa2dI2ijj2PzzM67YsaVRBhlDejkOlo83UhwWGF1acyenr86vrg4LPtSnGywCFa1hb2UltRlpqF61dJkU64sFu44XfhMvhu9PRg/s1600/MezzanineInSun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhBrx3VtnvubbSlzcfUqW3QI9Tir0KuvnlybDa2dI2ijj2PzzM67YsaVRBhlDejkOlo83UhwWGF1acyenr86vrg4LPtSnGywCFa1hb2UltRlpqF61dJkU64sFu44XfhMvhu9PRg/s640/MezzanineInSun.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Visually permeable perforated decorated</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> metal screen, rejoicing in the sunlight (above) -- and rendered in red below:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzP0lGQC23rjVg4w72GHK4l39i-KF9Q12wVQAjmtSyJKd4o5OqRpI2oH6ybpCMey7V4R7VJwS-p_boZmL5BM1kimYZnX8DDgWjWa4EIXAWk-Q3jVBz9swK2_HKZiaGg7goufaDg/s1600/MezzanineInRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzP0lGQC23rjVg4w72GHK4l39i-KF9Q12wVQAjmtSyJKd4o5OqRpI2oH6ybpCMey7V4R7VJwS-p_boZmL5BM1kimYZnX8DDgWjWa4EIXAWk-Q3jVBz9swK2_HKZiaGg7goufaDg/s640/MezzanineInRed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Drums in the sun</span></div>
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The perforated metal is used to create a see-through screen that offers protection from the wind on the main terrace overlooking the harbour, with other open decks (that can be used on better days) that take the visitor further out to enjoy views over the central city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU-6wi0zSCYZ7p1LGc7qAxZ92_SslLmbJdZc658LVXGhyHa0W4igBAJVngG6gdf1tTzb4zarHe4Iusivxn_-DeudDCgS5vSJfq_iyH1VmvqNwGRdFiPRwwvhdJHB0O4aTETKdUQ/s1600/Windbroken+Sun+Terrace+003%257E+20.09.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU-6wi0zSCYZ7p1LGc7qAxZ92_SslLmbJdZc658LVXGhyHa0W4igBAJVngG6gdf1tTzb4zarHe4Iusivxn_-DeudDCgS5vSJfq_iyH1VmvqNwGRdFiPRwwvhdJHB0O4aTETKdUQ/s640/Windbroken+Sun+Terrace+003%257E+20.09.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View out to open terrace</td></tr>
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The perforated metal drum continues from base to top floor, piercing floors all the way up to form the balustrade at our entry level. Each of our levels, of course, enjoy spectacular views!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzyuPNOPd_0fM1zZYHHA3Ev5tckMtqu2LZP1dRReeeXES-lMBcatZFera638q6OJPPPDX8U9p-eB2VAcMdHnE-M-U6k9pPzGEnSqZzZ5VL3zBx0nSL7TrzQSqVFH9kWFo7nbHhw/s1600/Bedroom+View+001+%257E+20.09.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzyuPNOPd_0fM1zZYHHA3Ev5tckMtqu2LZP1dRReeeXES-lMBcatZFera638q6OJPPPDX8U9p-eB2VAcMdHnE-M-U6k9pPzGEnSqZzZ5VL3zBx0nSL7TrzQSqVFH9kWFo7nbHhw/s640/Bedroom+View+001+%257E+20.09.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from day bed on upper level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaFlk02nkoqfae56F1JG-QYNX9ax3ZVEaOrKGuGy3WXeOgIRpNs1fc2_eY-cAGr78ZfOe0ZwX7ACYiOH5uUzsGedYigpDi317jbi5Fe106fOvgsogVVQuds5YT0YeLrcMY8mylw/s1600/Inner+Lounge+View+001+%257E+20.09.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaFlk02nkoqfae56F1JG-QYNX9ax3ZVEaOrKGuGy3WXeOgIRpNs1fc2_eY-cAGr78ZfOe0ZwX7ACYiOH5uUzsGedYigpDi317jbi5Fe106fOvgsogVVQuds5YT0YeLrcMY8mylw/s640/Inner+Lounge+View+001+%257E+20.09.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from built-in seating at 'back' of lounge</td></tr>
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These axonometric cutaway plans of each level should give you some idea of how it all comes together ...</div>
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[Hat tips, of course, to Sullivan, Botta, Melnikov..]</div>
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-84306793987585744182019-07-02T11:45:00.004+12:002019-07-11T15:41:13.974+12:00Quote of the Day: “A house is not a machine to live-in..."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnrfTB0TopSWFcN7EPfjMBSZSL6-84LzgWMcgW4SGmLu5WOPQnC-9lmQ-SIedqwmPzM31RXbb19HQUmng_ntRePZ8_5DpxovJG1xgimA1sN6VG9zJadpFYC8lxXbzcshvV5uvCA/s1600/berenice_abott_portrait_of_eileen_gray-973x1323-q60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1323" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnrfTB0TopSWFcN7EPfjMBSZSL6-84LzgWMcgW4SGmLu5WOPQnC-9lmQ-SIedqwmPzM31RXbb19HQUmng_ntRePZ8_5DpxovJG1xgimA1sN6VG9zJadpFYC8lxXbzcshvV5uvCA/s320/berenice_abott_portrait_of_eileen_gray-973x1323-q60.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic: Portrait of Eileen Gray by Berenice Abbott</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">“A house is not a machine to live-in. It is the shell of man, his extension, his release, his spiritual emanation. Not only its visual harmony but its organisation as a whole, the whole work combined together make it human in the most profound sense... </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">The poverty of modern architecture stems from the atrophy of sensuality.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">”</span></i><br />
~ Eileen Gray, architect and designer<br />
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-28362076990453764472019-06-28T14:17:00.004+12:002019-07-11T15:44:57.390+12:00An Italian-NZ co-production<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Two or three years ago, a delightful young architect called Marco Fois from Sardinia appeared in my office wanting to improve his English, and learn about New Zealand architecture. He spent over a year with me before heading home, and achieving his registration.<br />
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One of the projects he worked on while here was a renovation design underway when he arrived: we we just at the stage of hearing form our geotech surveyors that their more detailed site investigations had revealed the ground conditions to be very much worse than they'd originally reported.<br />
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So Marco and I wondered about a redesign, one that put a new house on a smaller footprint, and for the most part using the existing house foundations, which seemed sound. And since this was the project Marco knew best, literally from the ground up, when he returned home to Sardinia and began learning about Lumio (a sophisticated video presentation software) he modelled his scheme (without the pool) for that house. And here it is: an Italian-NZ co-production.<br />
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You can see how much fun he had doing it all:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R5VvMLGHpbg" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-32731863837494575292019-05-22T11:51:00.000+12:002019-07-11T14:44:21.160+12:00But don't all designers need to compromise?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS0rKH6hrhE_p-Q5fYjoxSlERkzPvXVLWAkwHGKDStM23j7cIlvjKEVxWgaEpHxppN_svLXTLBaQs2z8DLJaf3p6kB8yj-ZkPbjvmNM1dhFzNl7_WzG2Rgzjk8pEQf9XdfQ-OnQ/s1600/c82cc4e14a1d2c8c8ffff9840d24b558_L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS0rKH6hrhE_p-Q5fYjoxSlERkzPvXVLWAkwHGKDStM23j7cIlvjKEVxWgaEpHxppN_svLXTLBaQs2z8DLJaf3p6kB8yj-ZkPbjvmNM1dhFzNl7_WzG2Rgzjk8pEQf9XdfQ-OnQ/s640/c82cc4e14a1d2c8c8ffff9840d24b558_L.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The great Colin Chapman -- founder and designer of Lotus sports cars -- was once wrestling with a design problem: he had the world's most beautiful car on his drawing board, "a racing car for the road" he called it, yet early testing had indicated the roof needed to be raised 1 1/2 inches to fully accommodate most drivers. "I'm not doing that," Chapman famously shouted, "that's a bloody compromise!"</div>
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I had a similar discussion with some clients recently, listening to them bewail their need to compromise their dreams for their house because of their small site. "But we don't want to bloody compromise," they said.<br />
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It's said that all designers need to learn to compromise: sometimes dimensionally, like Chapman; often aesthetically -- if, say, your two favourite colours won't go together on the same page; frequently functionally -- when you wind up with your kitchen, with all its plumbing, near the plumbing (and smells!) of your bathroom; and almost always financially, when the client's champagne tastes won't come anywhere near their beer budget.</div>
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But is <i>compromise</i> really the right word for what designers really need to do when weighing up all the myriad factors that influence a design?</div>
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Spoiler alert: No, it's not. </div>
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It's not even the right way to think about it.<br />
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A <i>compromise</i> is "an adjustment of conflicting claims by mutual concessions" -- a process beginning in conflict, and usually leaving all conflicting parties unhappy when they finally leave the table.</div>
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What a designer needs to learn to do is not to compromise, but to <i>harmonise</i>. Two ways to help a designer harmonise the competing claims of any design involves two concepts coming from outside the field of design: a notion from economics called <i>marginal utility</i>, and something from philosophy called <i>teleological measurement.</i></div>
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Let me explain the last one first.</div>
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<a href="http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/teleological_measurement.html">Teleological measurement</a> simply means <i>measurement with a purpose</i>, measurement that is "performed in and against an enormous context: it consists of establishing the relationship of a given choice to all the other possible choices and to one's hierarchy of values." </div>
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We do this all the time in the real world. The simple fact in any real-world situation is that doing one thing always precludes doing another. If I go out to a party on a Saturday night I can't also stay home and study. If I use my truckload of wood to burn during winter for heat, I can't also use it to build my house. If I spend my last few dollars on beer I can't also spend it on the bus home. What we do decide what we do in each of these cases reveals our own ultimate standard behind decisions like these, and our own <i>hierarchy of values</i> that informs these choices. Even subconsciously.</div>
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Every designer must do the same, establishing a clear brief for their design and, in many cases, testing the design over several iterations in order to <i>discover</i> the <i>ultimate value</i> of that which she is designing, -- and also all the several lesser values that contribute towards these ultimate values, and how precisely all these values are ranked.</div>
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<i>Teleological measurement deals, not with cardinal, but with ordinal numbers—and the standard serves to establish a graded relationship of means to end... This requires that [an individual] define his particular hierarchy of values, in the order of their importance, and that he act accordingly. Thus all his actions have to be guided by a process of teleological measurement.</i></blockquote>
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In any project, it may take some time and many iterations to uncover these things (this is after all one of the key aims of every period of concept design) but ranking in order of their importance the values associated with a design project is (or should be) a key part of every design process. </div>
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Ranking them properly means that the <i>final design need not be a compromise, but instead comes as a result of weighing up these values according to their place in our hierarchy</i>. </div>
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Sounds great, you say. But just how the hell do we do that?</div>
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That's where the economists' idea of <i>marginal utility </i>comes in.</div>
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The <a href="https://mises.org/library/ends-and-values-and-law-marginal-utility">theory of marginal utility</a> begins with this recognition that the values of each good are best ranked in order of their importance to the acting individual, the ranking providing a basis for these values to be harmonised:<br />
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<i>All action involves the employment of [finite] means to attain the most valued ends. Man has the choice of using the [finite] means for various alternative ends, and the ends that he chooses are the ones he values most highly. The less urgent wants are those that remain unsatisfied. Actors can be interpreted as ranking their ends along a scale of values, or scale of preferences. These scales differ for each person, both in their content and in their orders of preference. Furthermore, they differ for the same individual at different times.</i><br />
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(First)</div>
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1. Going for a drive</div>
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(Second)</div>
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2. Going to a concert</div>
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(Third)</div>
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3. Playing bridge</div>
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(Fourth)</div>
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4. Continuing to watch a baseball game</div>
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<i>The choice of which ends to include in the actor's value scale and the assignment of rank to the various ends constitute the process of value judgment. Each time the actor ranks and chooses between various ends, he is making a judgment of their value to him.</i></blockquote>
Marginal valuation recognises that humans value goods according to our ends -- to be precise, according to the <i>individual units</i> of those goods, and each of these units themselves fits into our values scale. (We value our afternoon's first ice-cream cone more than our first coffee, our first coffee ahead of our second cone, our first beer ahead of our second coffee...)<br />
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Discovering this sort values scale in each of our design projects allows us to avoid compromise, and instead to harmonise our project's values based on <i>each unit</i> of the finite means available -- trade-offs between goods happening "at the margins."<br />
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The recent discussion with my clients offers a good example of how we might do this.<br />
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My clients have a small site. Simplifying things enormously for the sake of illustration, they like lawn. And they want five bedrooms. How does marginal utility theory harmonise these apparently competing wants? Simple: by testing <i>each unit</i> of these goods against their position in the clients' values scale.<br />
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<li>The house's first bedroom (their master bedroom), is clearly more important than any patch of lawn.</li>
<li>The house's second bedroom and third bedrooms are still more important to them than any amount of lawn. (And on a tiny site, might preclude any lawn at all -- hence, they would be living in an apartment.)</li>
<li>The house's fourth bedroom is probably more important to them than that same area of lawn (although on that one, they are still deciding).</li>
<li>The house's fifth bedroom, they decided (when put to them this way) is definitely less important to them than that same area of lawn.</li>
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Thus, our quick discussion reveals that on <i>this</i> site and for <i>these</i> clients that the fourth bedroom is probably "the marginal bedroom" -- and they now have a framework within which to go home and think through whether that's truly the case.<br />
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The framework of marginal utility has allowed the clients to easily determine for themselves the likely number of bedrooms in their future house, and I will soon have a much clearer brief that better harmonises their wants with their site.<br />
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In a very simplified way, this is what I try to do in every briefing meeting. And it is what every period of concept design with every client tries to uncover.<br />
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Furthermore, it is precisely what every good designer does every single day, either consciously or subconsciously, when it looks like they're just pushing around lines on a page: they are seeking a way to <i>bring together </i>all the apparent conflicting values of a design into one harmonious whole. This framework of marginal utility allows the designer a way to think about that process <i>explicitly, </i>and to talk it through with their clients.<br />
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I often liken the design process as being, first, to uncover all the elements and inputs important to a design, and then to throw all these balls up in the air to see where and how they land. (And then doing that all over when we discover the need for a new ball.) That's essentially what happens when applying these two notions of <i>teleological measurement</i> and <i>marginal utility</i> in design. The first essentially gives us the relative size of our balls. The second explains how the balls bounce off each other to best effect.<br />
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Together they offer a designer a way out of any bloody compromise, and towards a more harmonious outcome.<br />
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Colin Chapman and his car's stylist produced one of the era's most beautiful cars, but there was never very much room inside and in the end only 1,000 of the cars were made, and on every one they lost money. Lotus however <a href="https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/the-wildest-1000-1962-lotus-elite-super-95/">went on to take the hard lessons</a> learned in producing the Elite and apply them to the Elan, which did make money -- and went on to become one of the most successful small sports cars of all time (a model of design that still survives today in <a href="https://viaretro.com/2017/08/the-mazda-mx5-is-not-a-modern-day-elan-its-an-mgb/">the watered-down example that is the MX5</a>).<br />
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We can only speculate how different things may have been if the great man had learned about marginal utility at an early age?</div>
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[Pic of 1961 Lotus Elite Tye 14, designed in 1957, from the <a href="http://www.mk14components.com/index.php/news/item/11-restoration-complete">Mk14 Restorations</a> website]<br />
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-24857879530477331032019-02-22T10:28:00.000+13:002019-02-22T10:28:08.647+13:00A notice to all readers ... an Organon Architecture home of your own?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP5wBUHxhjdzcbh6uTzprlcvZX-snPnTmeF-m92sEfBT2sxwZ4JD8kvyPErke6u5rgIjfZMqe3YRn1iQct7GkehM1NfB4Jte4FbcvA9Emp93UcarscvzHQz9tJ8gvTQ06ivE6Ug/s1600/LC16157_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP5wBUHxhjdzcbh6uTzprlcvZX-snPnTmeF-m92sEfBT2sxwZ4JD8kvyPErke6u5rgIjfZMqe3YRn1iQct7GkehM1NfB4Jte4FbcvA9Emp93UcarscvzHQz9tJ8gvTQ06ivE6Ug/s640/LC16157_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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An important notice to all readers: If you want to get your hands on a ready-made pre-loved home by Organon Architecture, then <a href="https://www.lodge.co.nz/Browse-Properties/Hamilton-East/21-Dawson-Street-Hamilton-East/LC16157">here is your chance</a> -- a home in Hamilton very much loved by its owners, who are moving to a new opportunity and new home in another city so need to find the right owner for this one.</div>
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Says <a href="https://www.lodge.co.nz/Browse-Properties/Hamilton-East/21-Dawson-Street-Hamilton-East/LC16157">the blurb</a>:<br />
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<i>The design is timeless, the combination of raked ceilings and lowered 'ceiling decks' cleverly defines spaces within the open-plan living areas.</i><i><br /></i><i>When featured in House 'n' Lifestyle magazine, this property was described as '... a meld of dwelling and garden that's innovative, subtle and clever.' </i></blockquote>
So if you or anyone you know is in the market for a place set in landscaped native bush and just a stroll away from downtown Hamilton, <a href="https://www.lodge.co.nz/Browse-Properties/Hamilton-East/21-Dawson-Street-Hamilton-East/LC16157">give this some serious thought</a>.<br />
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[Photos by <a href="https://www.lodge.co.nz/Browse-Properties/Hamilton-East/21-Dawson-Street-Hamilton-East/LC16157">Lodge Real Estate</a>]<br />
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Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-65110233085558704552019-02-11T12:44:00.000+13:002019-07-11T15:59:30.976+12:00Q: Why employ your architect for construction support during construction of your home?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Today I want to tackle one of those questions that every client asks as a project moves toward construction ...</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Q: Why employ an architect for construction
support during construction of our home?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It's a question I’m
often asked, and it’s one that every home owner <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be asking the designer of their new home: why the hell
should we be paying you to visit our new place during construction?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A very fair question.
Let’s see if I can answer it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">1. Because every new home has
many enemies<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There are several
levels of construction support, and man things it might be called, but the
first and very simple reason to employ your designer to make regular site visits
this: to make sure that your new home is built as you’ve had it designed. You
(the owners) and your designer have spent many hours getting everything about
your new place just right – getting each and every detail just the way you want
it, to make it just the house that you want. And it’s very easy (frighteningly
easy) to muck up many of those things during construction – for you or your
builder to do “small” things onsite that may have big implications for all those
big things you really want; or for you or your builder to be persuaded by a building
inspector or an engineer that things will have to be changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And every change may
have an unexpected impact. Change a door swing and a whole room may become a
place nobody wants to be. Remove too much wall in a renovation (or too little)
and you end up with spaces not flowing (or embracing you) the way they really
should. Alter a window and a space may not get the sun that makes it work. Add
a thicker layer of tiles and you suddenly discover your new stair no longer
works. Change a flashing material at an upper level and you may affect the corrosion
profile of all materials below it. Install a different lighting system and you
may end up repelling guests rather than welcoming them in. Even removing a tree
that your designer has relied on can end up in bringing in more sun than you
want – or end up in you and your neighbour seeing far more of each other than
you’d ever really intended!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Your builder won’t
necessarily see these things – nor will he necessarily identify, say, the
foundation or locational problems that might emerge from a slight change in,
say, the position of a post – and your engineer or building inspector will not
even be interested – but there is nobody better placed than the designer to do
it, and he can only do it properly if he’s on site to sniff them out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">2. Because every change has unexpected
implications<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You see, it’s your
designer’s job to be your eyes and ears on site, to sniff out all the
implications of any changes you or your builder may suggest, or may
inadvertently make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Your designer will not
be opposed to making changes – once a building project is under way, it’s then
that many improvements can be very easily seen, and made – but it is his job to
ensure that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">changes made are necessary</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">changes </i>(how many clients have been
gulled by builders/engineers/inspectors or just folk they meet at dinner
parties to do things that are utterly unnecessary and often very pricy). And
also that you do understand <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the full
implications of any changes you do</i> propose (implications on both your
wallet and on the way the house will work for you) before you authorise the
go-ahead. Not to be negative about any changes proposed, but to let you decide what
is more important <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to you</i> – the thing
proposed, or the thing that change may rule out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">3. Because your builder will have
many questions<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">At the very beginning
of a building project, and at the beginning of every stage thereafter, the
person who has most thought it through and will understand it is the person who
has drawn it up in the first place. So even if neither you nor your builder nor
anyone of the grey ones has proposed any changes, your builder will undoubtedly
have many questions that, in being answered, can save him an awful lot of time
(and you an awful lot of money).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And there is no better
person to answer those questions, or make time- or labour-saving suggestions,
than the building’s designer who has thought through the whole process, and then
watched the building being erected from the ground up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because it’s important
to understand that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every new-build is in
essence a prototype</i> – a one-off – and if it weren’t, then there would be
few reasons to have engaged a designer in the first place! (And it’s an old
saying that every builder likes building things that he’s already built
before.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So, being a one-off, that
will mean the design will almost certainly contain things your builder will not
have considered before, or considered doing that way before. And if he doesn’t ask
those questions out loud, you can be sure he’ll be asking them in his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Much better if he has
those questions answered before they appear in unexpected ways in his bill, or in
your house!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">4. Because every new-build is a
prototype<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The other very good
reason to employ your designer on site during construction is because of this
very reason: that every new piece of architecture is a prototype. It’s never
existed before on this earth, and so, even if your builder has no immediate
questions then, like every new thing as it’s brought into being, there will be
unexpected things occurring from time to time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is the very
reason that prototypes are made! To sniff out anything unexpected before you go
into mass production. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now, your new home is
not going into mass production, but it is still very much a prototype in the
sense that it’s a one-off that’s never been built before, and just as a
prototype for mass production is built in order to discover anything unexpected
about the product, we should (with every new-build) almost expect that
unexpected things are going to occur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It’s best when those
unexpected things are called to everyone’s attention that the designer be there
to help think through the best response. And he can do that best if he’s been
there every step of the way first, so he thoroughly understands all that’s gone
before, and all the cost implications of the decision(s).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because one of the important
implications of this is that if you do ring your designer when the unexpected
occurs, then if he hasn’t been part of the process up to that stage then he will
need time to try to come up to speed (because he won’t know all that’s happened
before this, and he will no longer have been focussed on the project), and you
will then generally have to pay him by the hour for any work he does at this
stage rather than have it covered by your agreed weekly/monthly/fortnightly
rate, which will often end up cheaper, and will almost certainly allow him a
fuller grasp of the issue in question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>4. Because having your designer on site
regularly affords him the fullest focus on your job<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ring your designer out
of the blue when you’re halfway through your job, and he or she hasn't been involved onsite thus far, and they will have to take their head away from the projects on which they're presently focussed, and wonder where they've stored your plans. In other words, you won’t have their fullest focus, and they can't do their best work for you. And you
won’t have that unless you've actually employed them to maintain that focus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><i>5. Because having your designer regularly on site makes them part of the command structure</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And another thing ... if your designer is not on site regularly and then you ask him to just show up out of the blue (which I guarantee will happen at least once on every project), what builder (or tradie, or QS, or site engineer) is likely to take them seriously? You've shown by not employing them yourself to provide regular construction support that you don't value that input, so why should they? And without that regular opportunity to be part of the command structure on site -- to share conversations about job progress and proposals; to vet quotes and payments; to run or attend regular site meetings; to issue variation orders when necessary -- there is no opportunity for your designer to gain that respect that can often, when the moment might arise, spread much-needed oil over unexpectedly troubling waters.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>6. Because regular payments are generally more
affordable for you, in the long run, than most of the alternatives<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because the thing is,
there are many reasons why you should and will need to employ your designer
during the construction stage – even if it’s just to draw up the now mandatory “as-built”
drawings that council demand at the end of every job (something easy to do with
regular site visits, but frustratingly hard without) – so in many ways the
decision is really this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will we be
paying our designer an hourly rate every time we call him</i> (which may discourage
you making that important call? </span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Or:</u> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should
we pay him a regular weekly/fortnightly/monthly rate for him to keep our
interests uppermost</i>?</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For my own part, as a
one- or two-person office, I much prefer having that regular engagement on site
that keeps me personally involved with the project, and being there regularly to support
the builder and owner. (And it’s much less stressful for everyone involved when
I’m suddenly involved in a project about which I’m by then somewhat unfamiliar,
and with tradesmen who I’ve never met.) For most medium-sized projects, unless
there is something particularly challenging, then one or two hours a week, or a
fortnight, seems to work well for both me and my clients, and for their builders.
Some weeks there will be more, and some less, but it generally evens out and (a
little like how insurance can cover the unexpected) when or if there is much
more work to be done, then those regular payments will generally absorb the
work required.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So why should you employ
your designer during your building project? Here's the short summary:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because even if you know how to build, no-one
will know your new building better than your designer<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because you will want to build the place you’ve
had designed, not inadvertently build something different<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because even if you do decide to build it
differently, you will want to know that you are aware of the fullest implications
of that difference<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because when you build something that’s never
been built before (or built in this way before) then the builder is going to have
questions<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because when you build something that’s never
been built before (or built in this way before) you need to expect the
unexpected<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because when you build something that’s never
been built before (or built in this way before) then you will want your designer’s
fullest focus when you or your builder do call with questions.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>B Because making your designer part of the command structure affords them the respect they deserve.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>Because it’s easier for everyone to have an
expected regular outgoing than an unexpected and reluctantly-paid hourly rate.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p>I hope that's helped to answer the question for you. </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p>Leave questions in the comments if you have more.</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /></div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-79200177217376438672018-11-19T18:31:00.004+13:002019-07-11T14:43:45.811+12:00Verandah Addition, Mt Eden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="216" src="https://bimx-webviewer.graphisoft.com/viewer?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ0c191cmwiOiJ0cnNpdGU6Ly8vRG9jdW1lbnRzL2ExYzVmMmMwLTNmMjItNDBkZS05ZGYxLTk2YTRmNDIzMTg5ZCIsInRzX3R5cCI6Ikh5cGVyTW9kZWwiLCJ4X2lldiI6IjAiLCJuYmYiOjE1MDc5NTg5OTksImV4cCI6MjE0MjIyMTM5OSwiaWF0IjoxNTQyNjA1Mzk5LCJpc3MiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXguZ3JhcGhpc29mdC5jb20iLCJhdWQiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXgtd2Vidmlld2VyLmdyYXBoaXNvZnQuY29tIn0.ShpRtZkYcIxW8UhzkOg5MJsjkNVzIbt3CM0vASfWaIc" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">NB: This 3d hypermodel linked above uses Archicad BIMX technology. Click </span><a href="http://bimx.archicad.com/en/#what-is-bimx" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> for instructions to make your exploration of the model easier and more enjoyable.</span></div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-28906852431870271502018-11-15T13:42:00.002+13:002019-07-11T14:43:45.805+12:00Carport Addition, Mt Eden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="208" src="https://bimx-webviewer.graphisoft.com/viewer?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ0c191cmwiOiJ0cnNpdGU6Ly8vRG9jdW1lbnRzL2RjMmVjN2E5LTIxOWMtNGUzOS04NjJhLTUyZjE2MWJhZjZmYiIsInRzX3R5cCI6Ikh5cGVyTW9kZWwiLCJ4X2lldiI6IjAiLCJuYmYiOjE1MDc1OTU5NzEsImV4cCI6MjE0MTg1ODM3MSwiaWF0IjoxNTQyMjQyMzcxLCJpc3MiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXguZ3JhcGhpc29mdC5jb20iLCJhdWQiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXgtd2Vidmlld2VyLmdyYXBoaXNvZnQuY29tIn0.Wl0NIdLqmCoNrJ9FztB6HMzsQIZKb5-Adpl34FS-YAA" width="624"></p>
<p>
<br></p>
</div>
</iframe><br />
<br />
NB: This 3d hypermodel linked above uses Archicad BIMX technology. Click <a href="http://bimx.archicad.com/en/#what-is-bimx">here</a> for instructions to make your exploration of the model more enjoyable.<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span></div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-80084868698745917682018-10-24T14:22:00.003+13:002019-07-11T14:44:21.181+12:00QUOTE: "The complete architect is master of the elements: earth, air, fire, light, and water. Space, motion, and gravitation are is palette: the sun his brush. His concern is the heart of humanity."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAP0aZDveH7JZ4w8OHi_DwySck2VUOpS-BICYSLRokzNjIMBk2jEsaPlorCZlmtcAMFKpi2e98TKlQcrmRC8e5npn8yFbGMtVE5hbaSBD9uar9NG-tjfygtxKQXTUWFJf6wcVWw/s1600/DpviKhNU4AA9ZNx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1200" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAP0aZDveH7JZ4w8OHi_DwySck2VUOpS-BICYSLRokzNjIMBk2jEsaPlorCZlmtcAMFKpi2e98TKlQcrmRC8e5npn8yFbGMtVE5hbaSBD9uar9NG-tjfygtxKQXTUWFJf6wcVWw/s640/DpviKhNU4AA9ZNx.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The complete architect is master of the elements: earth, air, fire, light, and water. Space, motion, and gravitation are is palette: the sun his brush. His concern is the heart of humanity." </span></i>~ Frank Lloyd Wright, 1949</blockquote>
[Hat tip to and photo from the <a href="https://twitter.com/WrightTaliesin/status/1052683987984867329" target="_blank">Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation</a>]<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span></div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-44163939810158276732018-10-04T17:22:00.002+13:002018-11-23T09:16:23.564+13:00Did you know you can explore the online 'hypermodel' of a Mt Eden house we're working on at the moment?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
See how you go... (I'm told folk used to gaming will <i>fly</i> through the documentation!) But you could make your exploration easier by going full-screen, and then clicking on the index at the top left of the screen.<br />
<br />
Enjoy...<br />
<br />
<br />
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}
</style>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="https://bimx-webviewer.graphisoft.com/viewer?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ0c191cmwiOiJ0cnNpdGU6Ly8vRG9jdW1lbnRzLzk4Y2QzYmEyLWNmZWYtNDc4MC1iNDgwLWQwYzllZTkyODgyZSIsInRzX3R5cCI6Ikh5cGVyTW9kZWwiLCJ4X2lldiI6IjAiLCJuYmYiOjE1MDM5ODAzODQsImV4cCI6MjEzODI0Mjc4NCwiaWF0IjoxNTM4NjI2Nzg0LCJpc3MiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXguZ3JhcGhpc29mdC5jb20iLCJhdWQiOiJodHRwczovL2JpbXgtd2Vidmlld2VyLmdyYXBoaXNvZnQuY29tIn0.ENjIeLhILdP_1-w5uJ1-fBPgnuGU4tqpHlVWr0teAlM" width="640"></p>
</iframe><br />
<br />
NB: This 3d hypermodel linked above uses Archicad BIMX technology. Click <a href="http://bimx.archicad.com/en/#what-is-bimx">here</a> for more detailed instructions to make your exploration of the model easier and more enjoyable.<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span></div>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-86244395810024443112018-08-15T09:02:00.000+12:002018-08-15T09:02:04.190+12:00QotD: “It is almost possible to say that there is a mathematical relationship between the beauty of his surroundings and the activity of the child; he will make discoveries rather more voluntarily in a gracious setting than in an ugly one...”<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">“It is almost possible to say that there is a mathematical relationship between the beauty of his surroundings and the activity of the child; he will make discoveries rather more voluntarily in a gracious setting than in an ugly one...”</span></i>~ Dr Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori educational system<br /><span style="color: white;">.</span></blockquote>
Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886746.post-83100748533086510802018-07-14T11:51:00.262+12:002020-11-25T08:49:19.027+13:00Q: How long will my building consent take?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FZsjv6V6bhsy1laZ9so1IA9ep3Teq-A_cKNJ6vDQpn9s5pRVZ7cI710AZ5i0F-m1szBOK_8HiSc5hVQWvweoaJEWLSogVGrCdEqSOfMjiHZdXBDMVywxsiqNdQTXke76SyqmZA/s1024/583994778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FZsjv6V6bhsy1laZ9so1IA9ep3Teq-A_cKNJ6vDQpn9s5pRVZ7cI710AZ5i0F-m1szBOK_8HiSc5hVQWvweoaJEWLSogVGrCdEqSOfMjiHZdXBDMVywxsiqNdQTXke76SyqmZA/w640-h426/583994778.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>There are several questions I get asked more than any other from clients, including "How much will this cost?", "When will my drawings be ready?", and "What's a <a href="http://organonarchitecture.blogspot.com/2009/10/architectural-mini-tutorial-ceiling.html" target="_blank">ceiling deck</a>?"</p><p>But if there's one question I get more than any other, it's "How long will council take to issue my building consent?" Which is also the most difficult question to answer.</p><p>You'd think it would be easy -- after all, the Building Act requires council <i>by law</i> to issue a building consent within 20 working days of the consent application being lodged. So does that provide a useful guide? Not at all.</p><p>You see, instead of applying their ingenuity to getting building consents out the door, overworked councils have instead devised many ingenious ways to get around this law that appears to hang a ticking clock around their heads. Most of them involve ways to stop that clock ticking.</p><p>Some councils, for example, will take a week or two to determine that your consent <i>has indeed been formally lodged</i>. Back in the days when we used to take hard copies into council offices, a meeting there would determine that you had indeed supplied all the necessary documentation, and the council's clock would then start ticking immediately. Today, it's different. First, the amount of paperwork we need to supply in lodging for a consent is a whole lot more than it ever was, so ti takes a whole lot longer to check it's all there. And because submissions are now online, it's up to council themselves to decide when the clock starts. Can you guess what sort of incentive they have to start that clock quickly?</p><p>So that's their first. It's annoying, especially when you're impatient to start. But it's nowhere near as maddening as what happens next.</p><p>Taking time to decide when your consent is lodged delays the clock starting. What happens next gives council a way to stop the clock ticking. What happens next is the result of another loophole in the Building Act -- that <i>every time the council asks us for more information their clock stops again</i>. And it doesn't start again until <i>they</i> have decided you've supplied what they're after!</p><p>Can you guess what incentives that sets up? Yes, you've guessed it: a huge incentive to ask any and every question they can dream up about extra information that for the most part is completely useless. "Please provide details of the stair fixing on the lower landing." "Please provide the make and model of the shower." "Please indicate the finish of the bathroom cabinet." </p><p>In recent months I've been asked about the colour of bedroom carpets (accompanied by a calculation to show they're bright enough); the normal process by which to pour a concrete footing in engineered soil (about which every apprentice could tell you); to abandon approved details because the territorial authority has decided they don't like them (replaced with those council themselves like but which look decidedly dodgy to me); the acoustics of polystyrene sheets (that are not being used for acoustic purposes); to resupply calculations and statements that the processor has already received, but lost; to explain why handrails are not required on steps with fewer than two treads; and how an opening window into an open lightwell allows light and air into a room; to draw up a list of a project's "construction and demolition hazards"; to provide mechanical ventilation rates for areas we've shown will use natural ventilation (i.e., windows); to draw up simple diagrams because processors are unable to read fairly standard plans; to confirm the use of smoke detectors (when they've already been clearly placed and labelled on drawings) -- just <i>some</i> examples of many, many, <i>many</i> recent Requests from processors, all of which have wasted my time and theirs, unnecessarily dragging out the consenting process, and all at the time and expense of clients who were once very eager to build. </p><p>The simplest RFI responses are to tell the questioner where precisely in the document set they can find the answer to their question, already addressed. And the stupidest I've ever received, "Please provide details of the basin splashback" -- this because the poor fellow couldn't find anything else in the drawing set about which to ask a question!</p><p>This is officially called a "Request for Further Information," or RFI, and they are the bane of every designer's and architect's life; instead of getting on with lodging our next job, we're instead answering stupid questions about our last one -- and all just to give our friends at council time to get on with what we'd all like them to be doing instead of writing letters to us!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoDhbBdWonQNIizOu6s_Nk-q38-5CbdsO4BTuqR6cA6m4nii9ZLffdL90vvQ4Php-C2vxDrg0eluolAi-H4W53123EJym7_epHLe4Worw2zbEM0hDzhXxmRvUh8Kmgka6AFVvlQ/s1600/IMG_1369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoDhbBdWonQNIizOu6s_Nk-q38-5CbdsO4BTuqR6cA6m4nii9ZLffdL90vvQ4Php-C2vxDrg0eluolAi-H4W53123EJym7_epHLe4Worw2zbEM0hDzhXxmRvUh8Kmgka6AFVvlQ/w480-h640/IMG_1369.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>This doesn't mean that every question isn't justified (when so much paperwork is required it's not surprising there might be some things missing!) But it does mean that the incentive on each of us designers is to supply an ever-increasing amount of paper in order to preclude any questions being asked -- giving council even more paper to process as well! -- while the incentive on council processors is not so much to process as to burrow through looking for questions. Which means, these days, that the process often feels less about being a designer than it is about being a lawyer, explaining the Building Code clauses to the processor at the other end of an email.<br /><br /><div>Did I mention that it's maddening?<br /><p>So, how long does it all take then? Or, as my clients so frequently ask me: <i>"How long will my building consent take?"</i> The simplest answer is that it won't be 20 working days. Generally it's only at 19 working days that we receive our first RFI. Yes, I did once manage to get a drainage consent while I was standing there in the council offices. But that was many years ago. In general now, the easiest answer is to give clients a range: which is somewhere between six weeks and six months. The quickest I've seen one come out in recent years is 10 days. The longest was 10 months. (And the most maddening thing was that <i>there was nothing substantially different about those two projects to justify that difference!</i>)</p><p> So there's just no way to give a good answer, I'm afraid.</p><p>That said, it can be easier if council are processing over the Xmas break, because over the Xmas period there are very few official legally gazetted working days, so that council processors who <i>are</i> working through -- which can happen sometimes, when council are busy -- can actually process instead of delay. So sometimes it can make a difference getting lodged before Christmas.</p><p>And we do have to remember that we're building something for you to enjoy over many years. At the end of the day, when all the problems have been solved and your house is built and you're sitting there enjoying it all with your family, who really remembers an extra week or two at this point except those of us who have fought to get your paperwork over the line?</p><p><span style="color: white;">.</span></p></div>Peter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.com0