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Building Skins

designer_jawn

Currently, I am doing research on the role of building skins and the values that different cultures place on their building skins (structural, materials, uses local resources, responsive, symbolism, visual, etc). 

So the reason I am posting on this forum is to get a survey of opinions of what you think the role or roles building skins should have in architecture? 

Is it solely thermodynamic?

Is it solely visual?

Is it solely  digital?

Is it solely symbolic? 

Is it thick or thin?

Is it a canvas or a wall?

Does it reveal or conceal?

What values do you place on your building's skin?

What role/s do you want your building skin to serve?

 
Mar 25, 16 12:41 am
awaiting_deletion

all the above and more.

Mar 25, 16 7:41 am  · 
 · 

^ Agree.

The skin establishes position relative to a set of problems. 

 

For context, look at (all at once)-

Eyes of the Skin

On Weathering

A Home is not  a House

How Buildings Learn

In Praise of Shadows

Convergence: an Architectural Agenda for Energy 

 

 

And what do you intend to do with your findings?

Mar 25, 16 8:53 am  · 
 · 
citizen

This event isn't until later in the year, but will be of interest to you and your work.

Mar 25, 16 10:25 am  · 
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designer_jawn

Do you think we can have all of those instances in one building skin?

Marc: I have read Eyes of the Skin (really good book). Thank you for all the other sources. I do not know if you remember from way back last year on the forum but I was interested in ornamentation but had to abandon it for the purpose to get something done for the class last semester and needed more time to figure out what are my interests are in building skins. Now, I have taken the challenge on again but looking at it with a much wider lens by looking at the relationships between building skins and cultural identity. I started a timeline going from Renaissance/Baroque to today and mapping out the values we place on facades over time.  

Citizen: Thanks for the info on the conference.

Mar 25, 16 1:04 pm  · 
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I do recall that thread. I think you need to ground your discussion a little bit more (eg. why the Renaissance/Baroque vs. earlier periods of construction in western traditions). Framing is always the difficult bit, but the results are really valuable. 

With all that in mind I'd also include Vasari's Lives of Artists as context. There's a great period relevant treatise on how Basilicas and  Cathedrals were to be built, but I cannot recall the name. If I stumble upon it...

Most importantly, you've unraveled this ball of yarn in March and expect to be done rolling it up again by May...

I hope this isn't for a studio.

Mar 26, 16 3:42 pm  · 
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designer_jawn

I am actually doing an independent study on this topic that will continue into the summer. My thesis semester begins in the Fall. 

Thanks again for your sources and insight on this topic. 

Mar 26, 16 6:14 pm  · 
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Ah, I was worried that you were going to "say thesis defense in May." No matter, will you be presenting your findings? There's nothing like a public presentation to force your self to synthesize your findings.

Mar 26, 16 8:18 pm  · 
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