instead of replying, i thought this might be a more effective way to respond and even generate greater conversation from some of the current discussion going on. i also wanted to be sure that you all don't take corbu's dom-ino frame as only that..
the thing i want you all to be aware of is to think about le corbusier's intention with the dom-ino house beyond the diagram of 3 plates and 6 columns. this notion is the root of the idea...but then the enclosures, the apertures [windows] the plan are all free to change and respond to user and site.
[hybrid//pre-fab + custom] for this, the dom-ino is celebrating the notion of pre-fab with minimal structural base, but allows for an endless range of customization within and around. i can't imagine that there would not be great benefit from contractors and developers to adopt 2-3 structural layout an diagrams of their own, and allow for the SITE and its CONTEXT, along with an invested conversation with the future home owners or research on various target occupant demographics to determine a hybrid [pre-fab + custom]. this type of attitude could only create a greater investment and connection with the home itself, therefore perpetuating a life long relationship with where one lives. rather than a relationship with only the things we put in it [as suggested by krystal in this discussion], because the house itself is devoid of any character, sense of place, or emotion. houses today are beige, basic, and the same no matter where you go, how can you LOVE the house? how can the house inspire your everyday experience of living?
on the other wright seemed to look into primarily each house as a customized expression of the owner and site. this seems less realistic in our modern world and less efficient. however, it is a testament to the act of engaging user profiles and site conditions in the process of design with the success, reflections, and unique fondness the occupants of his usonian homes have in his usonian community.
[man and/vs. nature] the houses do embrace some of the interior/exterior relationships and begin to play on scale and space similar to wright. only these houses tend to look "machine like" because of corb's infatuation with the simplicity, functionality, and efficiency of the "machines" of the 21st century. honesty of materials...he also in some ways "de-materializes" his homes to put greater emphasis on the VOLUME, SPACE, and LIGHT, creating a greater contrast between nature and man. corbusier as you can see aims to separate the two...but still have a harmonious relationship with one another. [the columns suspending the homes above the ground,e tc.] wright seems to do the opposite and aims to grow from the ground like a tree. become and extension of nature and the "organic" as he often references it. corbusier further's he's notion of the machine by creating continuous, smooth white surfaces highlighted by accent walls of color to create greater emphasis of depth and movement. pristine and white. where wright allows for the skin of the house to be further expression of the natural textures, and patterns. he uses concrete as well but dyes it. the house itself obtains a textural and material quality that we often relate to and love about the object we put inside our homes.
It is evident, especially from the virtual tours of the Le Corbusier homes, that both architects designed spaces to take full advantage of natural light and emphasize the indoor-outdoor feel through large openings and little partitioning of social areas. As mentioned, Corb's houses focused on form through sculptural solid structures, and used non-textured walls with solid color to emphasize this form. In Toward an Architecture, Corb was said to bring mass production to housing because it was being used in commercial aspects- ships, trains, cars- so why not with architecture. He said "nothing was ready but everything can be done", referring to the "state of mind" that the industry needed to be in to embrace mass produced housing (p. 259). Interestingly, Corb's Villa Savoye virtual tour reminded me of a cruise ship with the curved, solid white walls, interior outside space, and white railing. Nothing is distracting in this home and the interior feels very synergized with the exterior. In contrast to Corb, Wright designed texture that mimicked the surrounding nature throughout his interiors. By this method, a similar synergy between the indoor and outdoor is created. Two initially different aesthetics with the same underlying design principles- which are very successful.
ReplyDeleteHow can today's suburban housing learn from these designs and be implemented? The hybrid concept seems very probable. As we all know, owner "buy-in" to a design highly increases when they are involved in the process. As a result, the homeowner has a greater emotional investment to match the financial investment, therefore increases the longevity of ownership and better upkeep. These days, pre-fabrication and mass production seems more realistic and efficient, compared to custom residences, as Lindsey suggests. And this has been the case for many years, while custom homes are looked at as a "luxury" (which I think Dan previously brought up).
The question lies then: how can we get mass-production or pre-fabrication to involve customization, if this marriage in fact opens the doors for housing success? And how do we invite nature at the beginning of the building process in a mass-produced market and not just bulldoze a plot of land to make way for a subdivision? How can the customization part of "hybrid" building be made more realistic and efficient today?
Change needs to take place in the building and developing process. Traditionally, we are consumers and we buy a home, yard, backyard already built and designed. In the same way that we buy shoes and clothes off the rack at a department store, many of us are buying our homes. If given the opportunity, consumers love to help with the design or features (e.g., shoedazzle.com "welcome to your own personal style paradise" where designers get to know you and design shoes for you at affordable prices). Consumers are more invested when they are involved. When it comes to developing neighborhoods, homebuyers are the last piece of the process. With a little change in the developing process, consumers can become integral parts.
Also, as consumers and a society as a whole, it would help to think outside of suburbia's current box and develop again neighborhoods that work with current topography. Again, this happens at the planning phase and affects the end product (the supply) that consumers have to choose from.
In the Wright Brandes House video, the owner stated the house would spark the interest of a "unique audience" and she hoped to find a buyer that would appreciate the home. She has a point that many homeowners or potential buyers today don't know what they are missing because they haven't been exposed to a home designed in this manner.