ARCHIcafe 4

The values and functions of the tea ceremony: (above)

What I find clever and intriguing about the tea ceremony is the way it borrowed materials, techniques and traditions, to make something that united all classes in the same room to exist as equals. The tea houses were inspired by the techniques used in farmhouses and merchant cottages that used unfinished timber, thatched roofs and a fireplace as the centre (Engel, 1964). The design made people of high stature bow, bend to their knees and even crawl, and through these gestures they become equals to all at the ceremony.

The tea house was crafted with meticulous care and thought. What I enjoy about it is the meaning behind every beam or every turn in the path towards the house. Unlike a lot of Western architecture the users actions and movements were very carefully planned. It seems a lot of houses today have an awkward corner, an unusable wall or an unplanned movement in the space. This architecture however follows a relentless aesthetic framework that displays the idea of unpretentious beauty and refined simplicity throughout. It is the "humble space solely provided for aestheticism, self-reflection and spritual elevation within a meager dwelling" (Engel, 1964, p. 279).

The values of wabi-sabi that have been a framework for this Japanese tradition really appeal to my own values and desires as an aspiring architect. I think there is a freedom in architecture that allows people to be equal in space. In wabi-sabi there is an appreciation of poverty, unpretentious beauty, simplicity and imperfection (Kumarasuriyar, 2008). There is also a freedom in this type of thinking. It simplifies the process of meeting with people, because the rules are set and you know what is expected. It frees the user of social constraints that may inhibit where a person sits, who should enter first and how the room is designed.

I feel sometimes my own culture has a ‘near enough is good enough’ attitude or a ‘time is money’ point of view. A part of me longs to spend time on a craft that is not a financial pursuit. To sit and to drink tea and forget money or social status is far from the rituals of our society today. The simplicity of the act resonates with me as a busy adult in a world constantly working around a clock. Time to get up, get ready, to leave the house. Time to work, time to study, time to catch the bus. There seems no silence or stop to this constant wheel where we work to live and enjoy simple moments only when its ‘time’ to. It seems a lot of other cultures have this pursuit of silence, reflection and indulgence in simplicity.

I can only aspire in my own designs to achieve this kind of aesthetic harmony and simplicity. I don’t think it is a thing that can be learnt to draw or to design. It is a way of thinking about not only the architecture, but also about people and values and culture. Like the Japanese that closed their doors for 200 years on the world to refine and perfect what they had, I feel I need to immerse myself in my own culture to find out what it is and how I can speak to our needs through design.

References:

Heinrich, E. (1964). The Japanese house: a tradition for contemporary architecture. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from Queensland University of Technology, Course Materials Datatbase: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsptab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Kumarasuriyar, A. (2008). Lecture: The space and ritual of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology.

ARCHIcafe 3

This week the café began with a discussion in our groups about the roles we were given in the previous lesson.
Oliver – Co-ordinator (the boss)
Sharon – Plant (ideas lady)
Michael – Potatoes (in-between guy)
Me – Finisher (perfectionist)

Each of our roles are complementary and different, we have all the ingredients to make a good project recipe. Oliver will take charge, without being overbearing, Sharon will come up with some original and interesting ideas, Michael will see how to put those ideas into reality (with content) and I will perfect, polish and finish the job! Or so we think.. I guess exercises like this at least do make you contemplate not only your role in a team, but in society, family and work life. My role as a finisher does relate to the ways I present my projects, act in the workplace and reflects my role in the family. I like order, perfection and often don’t compromise when I can see the end result. Each of us reflected on what we perceive to be our nature, strengths and weaknesses.

Metaphors:::
A short exercise in cultural exploration saw the group trying to define culture by using metaphors. Some examples we came up with were:

Soul – Soul in the context of the religious belief of the soul in the body can be compared to the word culture. We chose this example to illustrate the driving nature of culture to shape human behaviour, interaction, movement or the environment. I found this metaphor interesting and delved a little more into the religious meaning of soul. According to Christian Websites (2002), the soul encompasses mind, body, will, spirit and emotions. The soul is connected to the body and will remain when the body perishes. It is the heart of a person, the fire within us and the spark that drives our personality and identity. Like the soul, culture can also be the heart of a city or place, or person. It can identify someone or something and can even be behind the passion to start a war.
Iceberg – This was another metaphor that came to mind when reflecting on culture. At first glance the iceberg’s enormous size and character cannot be seen or understood from the surface. It cannot be accurately measured, as underneath there is a huge submerged underbelly. In the same way a culture cannot be understood without taking a close examination and submerging ourselves in it. A person can’t enter a city for the first time and understand the enormity and history that is the makeup of that culture. Also, in the same way an iceberg melts to expose its underbelly a culture with its vast layers can be unveiled to reveal a vulnerable, sometimes secret world.
Onion – Layers, many make up the whole onion, complex yet ordered structure.
Mountain – Erosion/deposition processes of a mountain just like the inputs/outputs that make up a culture. These inputs and outputs make the mountain in its unique form. It evolves through time and time shapes it. Other influences shape it eg. Wind, rain, rock structure. Culture similarly has influences that shape it.Jewel – Value to some, not to others. Precious, should be nutured to enhance and reveal its materiality. Guarded and sacred. It is just an object, but the meaning and history is complex, diamonds start wars, lead to poverty, shape peoples future and city.

The art of waiting:::
In a search for a topic for our project, we stumbled on a lost art, the art of waiting. In western society we live in a world of increasing urgency. Everything is fast; ‘fast’ food, ‘fast’ service, and ‘instant’ coffee. Yet there is an inevitable space that our architects are still designing.. ‘The waiting space’. There is still a need to commit to one place for a certain amount of time, despite our hurried lives. The doctors, the dentist, the bus stop, the train, the chemist, the art gallery que.. The list goes on. But our group is wondering.. Are we designing well for these spaces? Are other cultures doing it better? Do other cultures respect waiting a little more and therefore take more care in designing these spaces? And the questions continue.

In an article by Gavin (2007) she contemplates the art of delay and comments that for certain things we are willing to wait. She writes, “people will quite happily stand in line for an exhibition for up to an hour if there is cultural enlightenment at the end”. So, we don’t seem to mind, so why is my hospital waiting room at the RBH so stark and uninhabitable? Why is the bus stop a seemingly impromptu place to stand, so much so that I feel naughty waiting there? These questions need answering and this research will be attempted.
And so the project begins…

References:
Christian Websites. (2002). The definition of the three parts of man. Retrieved 7 August, 2008, from http://www.tripartiteman.org/definition/soul.html

Gavin, F. (2007, May 25). The art of waiting. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August, 2008, from http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2007/05/the_art_of_waiting.html

ARCHIcafe 2: Identity Crisis!

Image 1: My current Identity.. Image 2: My Identity in 10 Years.. 39!

I guess Image 1 pleases me as a whole. It feels powerful, chaotic, hopeful and dreamy. I am all of those things. What I feel is my identity right now has a lot to do with architecture and uni. I am competing in this arena that seems often daunting, scary and unknown. The image at the bottom depicts this uncertainty and the image as a whole realises that to attain my goal I need harmony and order. I have a balance of being strong, aware of what I like and aware of my goals (to make somehow the world a better place). The image in the bottom middle square shows this goal and reminds me not to compromise my integrity to get there, to not let the power of the top image overshadow my ideals. There is promise and style to my present identity that wont waver in its strength.

The future image (2) (of myself in 10 years) is not as pleasing to the eye. I’ve made this image to include a lot more balance than I feel I have right now in the present. Because of my studies I often neglect other aspects of my life: partner, family, health and sometimes integrity! It’s not as pleasing to the eye I think because I don’t know this person yet. I’m hoping she will be as strong and together as this person now, but there are things I want to encompass in my life that I am lacking. I want to be more connected with the city (left image), with my partner, and the world. I enjoy travel and hope to incorporate this with helping people and want to open my eyes to global issues (not just read about them).

This week’s cafe began with the exploration of a question:
Q: How often as a user do you feel critical of constructed environments around you?

For me I find it difficult to think critically about a room, a house, a design. First it starts with a feeling. I ‘like’ the house, its balcony, or the roof. Since this degree however I am beginning to move beyond the feeling of liking or hating something and discussing in my mind ‘why’. I must make a conscious effort to explore why I like the roof. Is it the height, the shelter it provides, the tactility, the scale etc. Or am I just reacting to an emotion it evokes in me? Is it a memory of a roof type I played under as a child? To think critically about something comes with knowledge. As my knowledge broadens about the built environment my opinions refine and I have the tool of architectural language to discuss them.

In the reading by Fisher (2005), he discusses a topic about architects drawing knowledge from environmental psychology. He talks about the architectural community ignoring the vast information it provides about human behaviour and cultural needs. I believe that design needs to be multidisciplinary and open to different approaches. The built environment affects human behaviour, health, culture etc so much, why shouldn’t we be informed before slapping the pen to paper? In a recent article in Architecture Australia, Tanner comments that we “must accept and acknowledge that splendid, complex buildings are produced through significant teamwork” (2008, p. 15) We must work with other disciplines; landscape architects, interior and industrial designers, environmentalists, the public when throwing ourselves into design. This made me think about myself as a budding designer and the task of encompassing all disciplines seems quite daunting. I am willing however, to keep learning. To not limit myself to just learning about architecture and to keep an open mind about how I design.

A recent lecture outside of university prompted this aspiration. A local architect that works in the valley spoke about projects he was interested in that were helpful to minority groups in society. He discussed a recent project for a skate park, which appealed to young women who would normally feel threatened in these environments. What interested me was his approach to design and that with each project he had a new team. On this project the panel included a professional skater, an advertising buff, a graffiti artist, a landscape architect and an environmental designer. This approach seems so logical and in context to me I wonder why it escapes the attention of other architects to design this way.

Archicafe Task 2: The Belkin survey and analysis!
Findings: I am a… “Completer-Finisher”.

I feel these findings are quite true to who I am in a team. There are other aspects I like to contribute (new, fresh ideas and leadership) but overall there is a sense of order and urgency I bring to the team. I often am the person that sees the mistakes, edits the report, and sets out time goals for finishing the project. The exercise made me really analyse my role in a team and realise it was ok not to be good at everything. I feel I am often the gap filler, the person that sees the weakness in the team and sees where I can help to get the job finished. It also pointed out a weakness of mine to not place enough importance on the middle stages of a project. The middle process is important and often I like to rush this and skim over a lot of content just to make sure things get finished on time.

References:

Fisher, T. (2005). On Practice: Architects Behaving Badly. Harvard Design Magazine. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Queensland University of Technology, Blackboard Academic Site: http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/publications/hdm/back/21_fisher.html

Tanner, H. (2008, August ed.). Practising in the 21st century. Architecture Australia, p. 15.