Between Silence and Light

Craft: Skill in doing or making something; an art, trade or occupation requiring special skill, esp. manual skill

^ Craft of furnishings at Monticello

Architecture has everything in the world to do with craft. In this case, architectural craft shows skill in construction of a building, whether it is by hand or by machine. During the arts and crafts movement arose a debate. Which method is more appealing: handcraft or machinery? William Morris seemed to be a firm believer of craftsmanship. “Morris established interior design and the production of furniture an furnishings as a valid enterprise for the architect and fine artist, firing the Arts and Crafts Movement in the 1880s to ‘Turn our artists into craftsmen and our craftsmen into artists’” (Massey, 12). This belief in handcraft became the foundation of the Arts and Crafts Movement, demanding that everything be handmade in order to earn value. This was contradictory, however, to the rise of new materials such as iron and glass. These materials were easily employed by machines to create buildings such as Paxton’s Crystal Palace and The Eiffel Tower. Craft is not only important in construction of buildings, but also in design. It is necessary for a designer to have good craft in all that she does. In order for an idea to be communicated, a designer usually has to build a scale model alongside multiple drawings and a presentation. All three of these aspects must be well-crafted in that the model must have neat and clean joinery and surfaces, the drawings must be thoughtfully composed and rendered, and the presentation must be clearly organized.

Public/Private
- Public: of, pertaining to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole; of or pertaining to all humankind, universal.
- Private: Pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal

^ A Private Room at Falling Water; notice the softness of the light

Public versus private space is crucial in architecture, obviously because usually buildings are built for people, whether they be public buildings such as a mall or a church, or private buildings such as a residence or office. There are different considerations when designing a public or private space. A public space requires more circulation space, with elements that accommodate a people as a whole. A private space, however, requires elements that accommodate one person or family, and each individual need and want. The desired effects in public and private spaces also differ. Private spaces tend to feel more welcoming and comfortable than public spaces. For example, Fallingwater was a more private space than Monticello, in that it was built first for family life, and second for entertainment. This can be seen through the use of dark hallways, keeping people from the private rooms, and the use of low ceilings and compressed spaces. At Monticello, the entertainment spaces were laid out closer to the entrance, while the private rooms were towards the back, and on the upper level. There were, however, many bedrooms; too many for a residence housing one person. There were bedrooms for people he hosted as well. This aspect of entertaining and inviting makes Monticello a more public space. During the Art Nouveau movement, much attention was paid to the public spaces in a residence, such as the entrance hall, dining room and living room. For example, Victor Horta creates an entrance hall with “a entrall placed staircase of white Carrara marble which forms the centerpiece of the whole design […] the visitor is led by this impressive stair to the upper floor if the house which contains the dining and drawing rooms” (Massey, 37). Art Nouveau was all about motifs and decoration, and using these to create grandeur within the exposed rooms of the house.



Technique: The manner and ability with which an artist, writer, dancer, athlete, or the like employs the technical skills of a particular art or field of endeavor; method of performance

^ Technique of using marker and white colored pencil to show light and shadow

Different designers have different techniques. In other words, their way of doing something might differ from another’s. This technique is dependent upon two aspects: style and the client. Depending upon style, a designer might use a particular color scheme, or a strict furniture layout. Depending upon the client, the designer will use techniques in her design to accommodate the wants and needs of that client. Technique is also important when considering the communication of a design. For example, what types of techniques need to be used in drawings and diagrams? What type of key will be used? Which media is most effective? These are all considered techniques during the design process. In the nineteenth century, there was a debate about technique. What construction technique was more useful? Handcraft? Machine? How the design was built depended on the preference of the designer. For example, the handcraft is clear in C.F.A. Voysey’s house, The Orchard. “C.F.A Voysey was an architect of the next generation who designed houses and their interiors with the Arts and Crafts regard for the vernacular and honest workmanship, and extended his interest to designing wallpapers, textiles, carpets and furniture for his schemes” (Massey, 16). This honest workmanship can be seen in the woodwork and craft of furniture in his house. Frank Lloyd Wright, however, chose to go against the grain and use machinery in the construction of Falling Water. He used mass-production materials such as glass and concrete. I’m not entirely sure that the construction of Falling Water would have been possible without machinery, actually. These are just some examples of the broad ranges of technique.

Language: any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures or the like used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, emotion, etc.

^ The complexity of language among countries

As designers, we are constantly aiming to communicate ideas, and how would this communication be effective without a language? The language of design is a complex one. Not only is it important in communication of design, but it is also important within the design itself. Let’s take Vitruvius’ three-element principle: commodity, firmness and delight. These three things exist within a language of their own. In order for a design to be effective, it must use all three. Also, the elements of design need to speak the same language with one another in order to have unity. Without language, or coexistence, unity in a design, and ultimately, success cannot be reached. Much unity is achieved at both Monticello and Falling Water, as both designs correspond with their location, using local materials. Falling Water almost even blends in with the cliff in which it’s built. These two “monuments” have a language through the connection with their locations. Language is also important between a designer and her client. When a designer creates a model, it must be an accurate scale replica of the completed idea. Along with a model, the designer must use skillful language in the layout of her presentation and composition of her graphics, whether they be digital or drawn. Language is the foundation of history in design. There is a language seen between eras, and this language is constantly repeated with revival, or more specific to our history unit, eclecticism. “Eclecticism- the informed and selective borrowing of historical building forms and details, rooted in associationalism- can be viewed as developing in a series of sequential related phases extending all the way from the early eighteenth century to the present day” (Roth, 470). This borrowing of historical forms led to revival of classical architecture from Greek and Rome, as well as the Gothic style. While von Klenze’s Sculpture Gallery in Germany was based on the image of the classical order (Roth, 472), the Houses of Parliament in London expressed a Gothic style (Roth, 475). These are just 2 examples of how the beliefs of eclecticism , or historical reference, were spread across Europe.

Virtual: existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or name.

After discussing the opus words in studio today, I am a little unsure of the intended meaning of the word “virtual”. Virtual, to me, does not mean “of virtue”. When one thinks of virtual, they usually think of a computer or television image or program. I think that virtual architecture is found in buildings that communicate a “story” or “meaning”. This idea of virtual correlates to the constant emphasis that is being put on abstract, rather than on literal. Virtual architecture is not necessarily abstract, but it is not literal. Let’s look at the precedent that I have chosen for my precedent analysis project. The Crystal Cathedral does not look like your typical church. It looks like an obnoxiously large glass business building. There is no sign of the cross unless you are looking from above, in which case the plan view resembles a cross. This building is not obvious about the purpose it serves until the interior is experienced. The Gothic Revival during eclecticism contradicts this idea of “virtual”. In England, the Gothic Revival during the 19th century coincides with a religious movement. “The revival of the Gothic style in England coincided with, and gave support to, a liturgical reform. The Gothic Revival phase of eclecticism that emerged in the 1840s in England was linked with a liturgical movement within the English Anglican church” (Roth, 480). When one sees a Gothic church, they instantly know that it is linked to Catholicism. This is a very literal concept. Virtual concepts are found within the interior as well. Experiencing an interior can be virtual in that a space can have a certain impact on you, but you won’t be able to put your finger on what makes it so effective. In fact, I think that the layering of elements and ideas within a space makes the interaction that much more virtual.

I believe that the main word to focus on this week is public/private. All four other words are the determinants of what makes a space public or private. For example, the craft of a residence will often be greater in that of residency than that of an office building. Why? Because in residential design, the designer is designing on a more personal level, and creating things within the space that relate to the client. Details might be traditional or more organic or geometric depending on the taste of a client, while office building design needs to be more generic, or applicable to all people.  Technique is also important in terms of public or private.