Developing a unique, ‘one off’ concept can be an all-consuming and even lifelong process for an architect
by Patrick Killen, A.I.A.
As creators of the built environment we live in, architects not only have a commitment to their clients, but also to the community at large. Sometimes, these responsibilities conflict.
Architects are charged with translating the expectations of their clients into physical shapes that articulate forms and may manifest feelings of creativity, seriousness, whimsy, heavy or light moods, festivity or solemnity. Of course architecture is highly subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
So how does one judge the very essence of a project? Is it inherently good, bad or are we indifferent to it? The very same project maybe exulted by one critic and blasted by another.
Will the general public’s opinion change over time? When the Eiffel Tower was constructed for the 1889 World Exposition average Parisians and artists alike were horrified.
“Imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack,” wrote a letter writer to Le Temps in 1887, shortly the Eiffel Tower was completed. Today, it’s difficult to believe that what may be the world’s best known architectural monument, what symbolizes romantic Paris to many people, was dismissed as a “black smokestack.”
Architects have several approaches for choosing an aesthetic for a proposed building. Some may allow the client to select from the current market trend. For example in the 1980s there was resurgence of Victorian style buildings in the beach cities.
Another approach may be to comply with the surrounding architecture, as is the case with craftsmen homes in Pasadena. It’s noteworthy that the original craftsmen homes were regarded as modern.
Yet another approach is to follow the current trends in architecture. Presently, the trend is a spin-off of mid century architects such as Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler. Think of flat roofs with eyebrows over corner glass windows. I refer to as this as the architect-businessman practice.
Lastly, my favored method is to develop a building by incorporating the soul, function and mood in a way that is best interpreted by the user or casual community member. Developing a unique, “one off” concept can be an all-consuming and even lifelong process for an architect. I think of this as the architect-artist practice.
A stunning example at the beach is Ray Kappe’s iconic design at 16th and The Strand in Manhattan Beach.
This last option is not for the faint of heart. The architect choosing this path must be confident, accomplished, and a lifelong student of architecture. Most importantly he or she must be willing to put in countless hours of building physical models, drafting renderings and to endure constructive and destructive critiques of their eccentric ideas.
Architect Pat Killen’s Studio9one2 is in Manhattan Beach. ER
