Distillation of infinity

The process of designing a piece of architecture is long and full of uncertainty. It begins with a desire of a client. And at the beginning, the possibilities are endless. There are just way too many options and factors that will shape the building during the process.

The purpose of an architect is to carve the reality out of the possibilities. Throw away what is not in clients interest and leave the essentials.

Therefore, the project could have ended in many possible ways and architect has to trim it.

Many of those possibilities would have been unfavourable. For example, we can position a building in many angles in a relationship with the sun, only few can be seen as favourable. The one thing architects do is pick the right position. And then choose the right shape, proportions, connections.

Designing a project is, in essence, a long list of choices that have to be made. And we have to pick the best possible one. And sometimes pick one in spite of the other. Maybe there is a stunning view, unfortunately, located north. What should we choose? View or sun? Tough choice, however, we have to choose to progress. And sometimes we may regret what we have chosen, as is common in a human life.

And with more experience, we can choose with greater accuracy what is favourable and what is not.

And at the end, have we designed the building or just picked the best possible outcome out of possibilities that could have been? And how close we got to perfect possibility? Is there a perfect possibility?

It might be better to leave those questions unanswered.

Cheers

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This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. Petra Bartosova

    A desire of a client – I think that is often what stets the limits for architects. If a project is desired to be finished ASAP and with low budget, we are much more tighten up when we talk about the design and shapes. But if we can play with our fantasy, come up with designs which suit the location and the clients’ desires, materials that can give the building a soul, than we are talking about much more fun!

    1. Ondrej Slunecko

      On the other hand, reasonable amount of constraint is beneficial. Many people think that architect would love to get unlimited budget and flat site to do whatever they please, however the best architecture happens, when there is something that sparks the reaction and tight budget can be a catalyst to come with some elegant and efficient solution. Time constraint is much more dangerous, quality takes time.

      1. Petra Bartosova

        I agree, to some extend. For example nowadays getting handcrafted products is becoming an architectural history. Sculpturing or locksmithery are disappearing because it is expensive to pay for manpower and skills. On the other hand budget sometimes makes us consider other solutions which in the end might be the most suitable and safe ones.

        1. Ondrej Slunecko

          And that is shame that people do not work with their own hands anymore. Some part of the work should still remain made by hands of talented craftsmen. Even though it might be more expensive, it is worth to have that soul in our buildings.

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