Archinect - Architect of the Young

A World of Difference

2015-07-03T12:47:00-04:00

2 WTC Finalizes Ground Zero's Masterplan

September 11, 2001 will forever be ingrained in the minds of all Americans and many others around the world. It was on this day that America lost its sense of safety and became more vulnerable than it ever had before. Almost 15 years later, the memories still seem recent and the pain has yet to substantially subside but the proud people of the United States have progressed and life has continued. Shortly after Ground Zero had been cleared, the abysmal scars sent residual shockwaves through those that watched the towers crumble on that somber day. It was determined that in good American fashion, life needed to proceed and the scars that we wore would have to be dressed to heal and grow once again. Shortly thereafter the masterplan for the site of the horrific tragedy was set and the buildings began to sprout up shrouding the two deep cuts that remained in place as a reminder to never forget what happened and the pain that accompanied.

Fas...

Concepts of Change

2015-06-11T08:11:43-04:00

A short commentary on change and architecture

Change is perhaps the only constant we as humans can expect. In architecture and many other forms of design, change is an accepted reality that will force designers to increase flexibility and understand the dynamics that are in play for components of the objects which we create. As the chief technical operators, designers are behind the dark curtain shielding the public from the fragile thought-processes that drive many of the things that are made and the reasons for making them. While architects and designers embrace change, the general public has a much different perception of change and whether it is a necessity – especially when it comes to something as large as a new building. What may be found after closer examination is that most of the clients designers are employed by are stolidly against change – at least change that may be significant in nature. Change is not necessarily seen as progression as much of the population tends ...

Context: disregard

2015-04-15T22:04:00-04:00

MORPHOSIS - the LA-based architecture firm popular for the San Francisco Federal Building and Cooper Union's 41 Cooper Square - has been selected from a total of 8 shortlisted firms to design a monstrosity in Vals, Switzerland. Vals may sound familiar to many architecture enthusiasts because perhaps one of Peter Zumthor's most influential works lies at the foothills that carve the cascading valleys of the small town. A village with a population barely cresting 1,000 inhabitants, Vals has seen a recent explosion in tourism partially due to the Thermal Baths but also for its scenic backdrops and remoteness. With a new 1,250 foot high tower moving in, there may be many more people flocking to this quiet village negatively impacting its agricultural practices and quaint old-country atmosphere.

Contextualism in architecture has fluctuated in importance and focus over time. Many of the most popular 'starchitects' of their days flagrantly disregarded context (apologies Mr. Frampton) see...

Void_Design

2015-03-19T16:09:06-04:00

Architecture isn't about buildings. Capital (A)rchitecture isn't about the masonry, heavy timber, board-formed concrete spaces that envelope and dazzle us. Architecture is about experience. Experiences that are visceral and moving, providing a platform for an emotional response by those lucky enough to inhabit or interact with the space. What architecture really boils down to is the facilitation of encounters, interactions, emotions and a multitude of other things that combine to create an endeavor that befuddles even the most stubborn of users. Architecture is not buildings, it is the fostering of experiences that occur within its spaces.

It can be rather hard to convey that such concrete realities are not so much about the sum of the parts as they are the voids - the difference of all of the physical representations of Architecture. Whatever may happen within the confines of any given space is what is truly important - functionality and processional experiences. The designer ...

Architecture of Responsibility

2015-02-19T09:15:10-05:00

Wasteful Architecture: A Clarification

Wasteful Architecture received quite a large amount of critical response - much of which mirrored the basic questions being asked in that specific piece. Just a few of those:

Wastefulness of aesthetic or wastefulness in general?
Architectural efficiency of materials or sustainable efficiency?
Structural rationalism or minimalism?

Applauding the thoughtful repertoire of the general audience, there seemed to be a general consensus regarding the entire argument of the negativity of waste that architecture produces, but at the end of the day it kept coming back to two simple questions. What is wastefulness in architecture? How can it be solved? Specific to Wasteful Architecture, wastefulness was defined as excessive celebration of style or brand for the sake of self promotion and hollow expressionism. Zaha and Gehry were mentioned at length - a duo to be expected when speaking of architectural expression and iconic styles. The last piece even went ...

Wasteful Architecture

2015-02-04T22:12:00-05:00

Expression and architecture go hand-in-hand. Being one of the most powerful and experiential art forms, architecture inherently has a sense to impose its (dis)positions upon society even if they are unwarranted. As technological advances continue to push the envelope to new extremes, formal expression has found its way back into prominence among the brightest of architecture's stars. Within itself, expressionistic structure is not a bad thing, especially when it progresses society's abilities, views and beliefs. What has become evident of these new advances in building technologies is the massive amount of waste that is generated from creating such luxurious forms and geometries. In an era where sustainability is jammed down the intellectual throat of any designer maneuvering through universities everywhere, it seems counter-intuitive to encourage wasteful contortions that ultimately do no more than create VE'd monstrosities. While the smell of fresh sustainability is in the air...

Directionless

2015-01-09T15:23:00-05:00

In the matter of three weeks, the field of (capital -A)rchitecture has been brought to the forefront of media outlets in two different world-renowned, American periodicals. Both Forbes and The New York Times have sparked a debate deep inside the profession that has heads ringing and pedagogical debates spurring. Academia from all over the world are chiming in on the quality and state of architecture, including some well-regarded 'starchitects' who claim that normal, everyday architects like you and I create 'pure shit'. And therein, lies perhaps the largest problem of them all; the groups involved in this discourse are so far removed from the underlying issues that their coined opinions are nothing more than lackadaisical words strewn together to piss off the next turtleneck-adorned vanguard. Architecture is failing*. It's failing from the hackneyed use of pastiche style that has plagued our streetscapes over the past thirty years for the betterment of a singular's opprobrium. I...

#notanintern

2015-01-06T16:41:06-05:00

This post previously appeared on vincedefazio.com

I Am Not An Intern

Naming conventions come and go. They change often and sometimes dramatically, but either way you can bet that when a new series of conventions are introduced they won't last much longer than a generation, maybe two. With a constantly shifting focus on increasing visibility and understanding for the field of architecture, NCARB and the AIA have been stuck in the middle of who can be called what, when and why. The "Architect" debate to me, is not even a debate. It's the same thing as calling yourself a doctor when you are not, it is illegal and hurts the reputation and integrity of the discipline. With that out of the air, let's focus on the traditional convention for an 'intern'.

I am not an intern. I am however a recent graduate working in the field of architecture making strides toward my license. But please, refrain from labeling me as the 'i' word, not that it's bad but I think I've earned the right to be ...