Aesthetic
How does an object look?
Should we critique an object on its looks? Or is an objects aesthetic a defined
set of responses for a look, one that unifies a vision? Maybe it’s not so
obtuse, and probably involves all the above, but not yet considered as
personal. An aesthetic has to be personal, otherwise a response will not exist.
Francis D. K. Ching
describes ‘’aesthetic’’ as the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature
of art, beauty and taste, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity
of critical judgements concerning works of art… Visual Dictionary of
Architecture pg.10
A conscious use of the
senses to understand the environment which manifest in an aesthetic response…
as Bloomer and Moore described their understanding to aesthetic as being the
‘’sensual social art response to real human desires and feelings…’’ In relation
to buildings, architecture has to do with the planning, designing and
constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical,
social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations.
Architecture
‘’The art and science of
designing and constructing buildings’’. Outside this seemingly simple
explanation lies many complex analogies in which a sense of the word is more
often referenced. Where a simple activity includes for the building only, other
habitable environments are also part of architecture, the built-environment
could be used as a more encompassing phrase. Conceptually shifting the sense
within limited boundaries, it can also mean the style and/or method of a
built-environment characteristic of a people, place or time but one thing that
unifies the many significance of the word is the conscious act of forming
things resulting in a unifying or coherent structure.
Aspect
A term with multi meaning
within architecture, the first being an aspect of view, when in a space,
positioned in a particular spot, oriented to a specific direction, this is an
‘aspect’ of which the Architectural Practitioner must consider and re-consider during
the design process. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic ‘aspects’ of
realizing buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimating and
construction administration.
Building Regulations
The series of ‘’Approved
Documents’’ used by construction professionals (produced by The Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government) are published as guidance on ways to
meet building regulations. The building regulations themselves are stature law
and generally short with no advice or guidance.
An important note is that
the Approved Documents are guidance and other robust details are possible to
achieve the building regulations, there are other ways to satisfy the rules.
Circulation
Although a seemingly easy
task to analyse, this aspect of architecture can be forgotten, meaning the
existing/current circulation remains after major structural work will have
changed the massing and orientation. Good circulation is the confirmation that
movement from activity space to activity space is generous and instinctual. Any
change in architecture demands a re-visit and for something as fundamental as
circulation needs to be revisited several times to challenge the revised and
renewed philosophy. Fundamentally, circulation is the convenience of the space
for the client; this must be set to optimum.
Client Representative/
Compliance Teams
Dependant on contracts
(whether traditional, D&B or management) the client will always need a
group of trustworthy paid professionals. The minutiae of responsibility is not
being explained here but the importance of the team is. The advice given by
these professionals needs documenting, and distributing so each and every
member knows the comments and thoughts of the other. This leads to satisfied
clients with a project even the professionals are glad to have been part of.
Traditionally an
architectural practitioner takes the lead role, but it has been known for
designers and struct. eng. to also adopt this responsibility. In pure
management contracts it is deemed that the client themselves, by default, is
the ‘head’ in the project hierarchy. Where nowadays the pure contract form is
rare to find, the best tool is a design responsibility matrix where
responsibilities are allocated early on when building the team.
Environment
In architecture this is
often used with specific focus on the edifice and its immediate surroundings, the
totality of surrounding conditions. It is used for both physical and
metaphysical descriptions.
To satisfy the
contemporary ethos a building should be constructed in a manner which is
environmentally friendly in terms of the production of its materials, its
impact upon the natural and built environment of its surrounding area and the
demands that it makes upon non-sustainable power sources for heating, cooling,
water and waste management and lighting.
Further environment
conditions are … activity, lighting,
Function before form
This approach to
architecture is both hugely overused and then term hugely mis-interpreted. The
principle philosophy stems from the late nineteenth century when developments
in materials allowed architects to flex the structure rather than continually
adorn post and beam structures with ornamentation. The two activities
‘function’ and ‘form’ are often considered to be separate when, for them to
perform to their ambition, they do indeed need to be one; and are indeed one.
The idea that design is driven by function is admirable and must be encouraged
BUT, the form be reflective by nature of the process. The following of the
rules demands the two be one, creating integument systems which become the space.
Fixtures and Furnishings
Seemingly simple to
differentiate but at times the lines become blurred, the contract not clear
enough and litigation pursues. At high level, fixtures are all the items fixed
into place during the build; think plumbers’ pipes or electricians’ cables,
pretty much anything that cannot be removed without major work. What needs
confirming are the visual aspects associated with these parts of the works, and
if they are included in your contract; indeed, if they are included, then what
quality level is included. I would look at these items as being necessary for
the installation to work, without them the complete fixture is not fit for
purpose but the finishing touches can leave a lot to be desired from both an
aesthetic and quality perspective...
Furnishings are pretty
much everything else that coalesces the interior and exterior aesthetics, such
as tiles for walls and floors, carpets, joinery… furnishings are often an afterthought
but with some foresight you can increase the quality of the build. The
integument can be designed to accommodate perfectly the furnishing and make
more robust the installation.
Sustainability
Does not and should not
mean expensive; nor does engaging sustainable processes mean you will become an
eco-warrior who’ll start hugging trees (although I highly recommend the later)
but it does mean you can do your bit. Surprisingly to some, sustainability on
the right shoulders can actually be time and cost saving, it all needs to be
weighted up and seen as a whole. So, as well as the low carbon, ‘’ reduce
re-use recycle’’, green cred, and other monikers bounded about, sustainability
can cost you less; both immediately and longer term.
Residential
example - A simple example might be (if your lucky enough to live in a 2 story
or taller abode) the diversion of bath water into a wall mounted reservoir
(generally to the side of the house) and then use this ‘grey’ water for
flushing a ground floor toilet. No mechanical machines needed to affect cost
and introduce maintenance, plus downstairs loos are known to be used more than
those upstairs due to the living quarters being on the ground floor. A simple
diverter valve can also be used in the even the reservoir fills up and needs
draining into the main water sewage system. Simple and all gravity fed. (This
can scale from a single abode to buildings of multi occupancy/apartments or
even hotels.)
Residential
example - Another good example is the misnomer that green/brown roofs are high
maintenance, risky regards keeping alive and expensive to install. When procuring the roof, choose EDPM, a
single ply membrane material that reduces risk of water ingress often found
with other systems when water leeches in joints; then with careful
specification, choose the most appropriate growing medium and corrugated trays
and voila you have a low maintenance green/brown roof. Get the flora right and
the fauna will follow too; dress the space with logs and stones for a more
ecological twist giving an even lower maintenance roof.
e.g. Green roof section
drawing.
Outside these two pretty
small-scale sustainable systems, larger processes from solar to wind to ground
sourced heat are configurable to power the whole property or simply power an
aspect important to the client. We have installed a hot water valve system
where it supplied hot water for the underfloor heating system installed on the
whole ground floor of a cottage. Grid electricity remained and all the
water/waste was schemed as a traditional 2 pipe system.
GREENWASH – Usually
associated with marketing companies trying hard to make their clients looks
good, when really, they are pretty atrocious, but can be transferred as a
principle to residential scale discussions.
Typically used by people who don’t really know what they are talking
about and often a disguise to pulling the wool over our eyes. Often when a
sustainable credential is not exactly what is seems, then this will be the
greenwash. Offset of carbon credits is the corporate term, and on site, any
ruthless builder will say ‘… don’t need to separate our waste, just chuck it in
the skip. They do all dan the waste recycling place..’; just a different type
of greenwash. If your waste is not separated then it goes into general waste and
off to land fill rather than re-used, recycled or reduce
