AN ARTISTS' COMMUNITY IN THE BACK BAY:
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
Kenton Leland Duckham
Bachelor of Design
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
June, 1982
SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JUNE, 1988
©
Kenton Leland Duckham 1988
The author hereby grants to M.I.T. permission to reproduce and to
distribute publicly copies of this thesis document in whole or in part.
Signature
author__
of
__
_ _ _
Kenton Leland Duckham
Department of Architecture
13 May 1988
Certified
by
F-ad--Fernando Domeyko, Lecturer, Department
of Architecture, Thesis Advisor
Accepted by
Department
Rotch
William Hubbard, Chairperson,
Committee for Graduate Students
JU
!Q-?8 ~t
ABSTRACT
AN ARTISTS COMMUNITY IN THE
BACK BAY:
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
Kenton
Leland
Duckham
Submitted to the Department of Architecture
May 13, 1988 in partial fulfillment of the
requirements of the degree of
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
This thesis is a study
continuity and change.
that architecture can
for growth and change
of
continuity
the
community.
on
of the relationship between
It's premise is the idea
be receptive to the need
while still being rooted to
or
its relative setting
Accordingly, this is an exploration of how a
or
continuity
the
can represent
building
The process
associative identity of a community.
will be to look for positive, place-making
elements, or patterns, within the context and
community. By working with an appropriate
range of uses, sizes and forms from within the
community, I hope to be able to generate a sense
I will
of meaningful space and form, or 'place.'
it's
within
enrich
a
place
ways
to
for
be looking
community - to give it meaning for those who
use and experience it.
The basic question is how can we conform to an
existing context, yet still accommodate the need
for change, and to advance our understanding of
our place in the world.
The design for an artists' community will be set
an
Back Bay,
at the edge of Boston's
clearly
defined
rich
and
architecturally
community.
The design of a small community
within a larger community will enable me to
focus on the activities, spatial qualities and social
patterns that are essential for inducing a sense
Ideally, the artists' community should
of place.
become a microcosm of the larger community - a
place where a diverse range of people and
a rich
to
create
can combine
activities
environment with continually changing social
relationships and the potential to reinforce the
total form of the community, while still allowing
different yet similar uses.
Design is an exploration of the possible, an
awakening to the wisdom of the world to which
It is the literal reflection of the
we all aspire.
In
ways by which we relate to our universe.
greatest
our
reveal
it
should
other words,
potential, reflect our highest hopes and dreams
and increase our understanding of where and
how we are in a particular place and time.
Fernando Domeyko
Thesis Supervisor:
of Architecture
Department
Lecturer,
Title:
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
Thanks to:
My mother and to my father and stepmother for
their encouragement and patience,
Fernando Domeyko for his unbounded
and commitment,
insight
Clara and George for their editing skills,
And to my wife, Alina for her endurance.
This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my
grandmother,
Irene Van
Alstyne.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
3
Acknowledgements
4
Introduction
7
Community
9
The Element of Visual
Patterns:
Communication
15
Continuity
43
Change
51
Site
53
Design
61
Conclusion
97
Bibliography
98
Piazza Navona, Rome.
INTRODUCTION
It
Continuity is the prevailing force of nature.
allows us to move through life from birth to
having
to
re-invent
continuity that embodies
of
a shared conception of
and
present
past,
inhabitants'
recognition
is
By
future.
our
the
background
for
continuing
structure
that
understood
to
live
bring order, unity and a sense of security to a
to
us
enables
Continuity
interaction.
without
and
others
with
interactions
a
have
to
meaningful,
actions
It
of use.
patterns
make
to
space,
through
move
to
death,
shared
life
scratch
from
In this sense we can live our lives
In life there must be
with minimum alienation.
enough understandable continuity in order to
of
patterns
interaction
social
of
basis
that
form
are
the
we
can
community.
each day.
induces
Continuity
about how
decisions
meaningful
make
us
to
develop
we
live.
and grow
in
to
fulfill
"someone
to
for
order
living
make
people
feel
to
somewhere"
they
they
are
must be
able
with
their
that
associations
certain
with
They need
that
time.
of patterns,
define
the
and
both visual and social,
continuity
therefore
allow
or
commonality
for
certain
of form
commonly
of
the
people
who
use
is
the
it
and
People need space to communicate
themselves, with others and with nature.
more
system
'Place'
imagination.
and
human
also
but
experience it.
It is these associations, built over
time, that give a sense of continuity to the life
One element that
and form of a community.
contributes to this sense of community is the
environment.
activity
human
consciousness
In
It not only has the capacity
within a community.
aspiration
directions.
positive
Continuity in this sense is understood as 'place.'
A place is identifiable space which has meaning
to
tangible
belong
than
to
larger
something
themselves.
People
and
seek
some form of immortality in the sense that life
will carry on with some reasonable certainty.
Meaningful place
has the capacity
to
transcend
It implies permanence and security in it's
expression of the life of the people who engage
it.
Identification with a place occurs over time -
of the latent build-up
it is the manifestation
association
or
identification
Through
action.
human
for
potential
of
come
people
to
understand their place in the world and can feel
more at ease to pursue 'life'.
For a place to have meaningful association with a
community it must not only contain the life of its
users but must also initiate and engage them.
It
must show them how to use, adapt and transform
to
fulfill
their
changing
collective
image
of
Collective
identity
itself
and
order
in
clarity
is based
of
and its
organization,
a
community,
by
all as
that
place.
on the permanence
community's
spatial
system of both visual and
social patterns of form.
understood
continually
Once this is commonly
a collective
then it can
image of the
be transformed
destroying it's sense of continuity.
without
In this way, a
place can continue to fulfill our expectations
of
it while still maintaining our valued memory of
it. Place, then, is the physical fulfillment of the
collective desire of the citizens of a community to
gather together in the celebration of their lives.
Roman Idyl.
Franz Roesler.
COMMUNITY
which
relationship
inescapable
and
Though
by
constantly
Modern
Architecture
intimate
an
is
community
Real
shows us who we really are; not simply who
we
to
others
we would like
are or who
we
imagine
think
we
Real
are.
community
acknowledges who we are in what may be a
all.
-
portrait
complete
distressingly
and
faults
Only in a truly supportive community is
of
experience
an
Such
and be fully oneself.
to explore
it possible
to
necessary
any
profound
no
multitude
buildings
of
that
of
relationship
with
their
from
with that
unwittingly
building
access
experience,
to
but far too often with
any substantial depth.
ever
make
incredible
an
any
of
range
connection
with
our world we must be able to establish some
depth
in our relationship
which we actually live.
in
ever
broadening
communication.
It is
the
necessarily
and
who
those
life
-
community
In
a
We
are
at
the
general
we
denial
of
cities
is
the
which
is
identification
scope
and
possibility
regional
of
casual
neighbors.
with
shopping
neighborhood
- that
texture
and
centers
shop
on
have
the
city
but that
lack
their
and
components
modern
size,
overall
it's
Such rootedness
in
of
reality.
of the
scale
complexity
society,
understanding
have ceased to build in the image of man.
in
contemporary
difficult
and
of self knowledge.
expense
the world
with
visually
a lack of
However, if we are to
meaningful
standing
They represent a lack of any
escape
have
free
in
great violence to the
narcissistic
society we
planning
buildings
one's self and the world, to real maturity and
In our modern pluralistic
town
and form of our great cities - and for purely
understanding
world.
problem,
to
our
disrupt
build them display
selfish reasons.
engagement
sole
unrelated
These
our cities.
is
of responsible
and
continue
psychologically
community
a sense
the
about an image of isolation
have brought
the
means
of
-
not
of
its
clarity,
works against
and
meeting
Impersonal
replaced
corner
the
where
of
hand,
other
the
On
acknowledgement.
gestures
made
may have
once familiar faces
excessive formal clarity and definition can be
an
richness of function and complexity
Today
there
differentiation
single
the
of
activities
cannot
create
They
communities.
perhaps
but
community,
alone
they
own.
with
In
that
associations
identification
built environment.
with our
impulse to create
working,
of and
enjoyment
our
prevent
have brought on cities in the
20th Century, but they may begin to create
forbid the
settings which less actively
they
damage
living,
and
experiences
be able to undo the
and planners may not
may be able to encourage it to flourish on it's
any case, it is the inherent lack of a rich mix
uses,
Architects
our environment.
separated
people confined to one activity at a time.
of
in
active
to
entertainment,
and
learning
shopping,
for
areas
homogeneous
of
large-scale
with
leading
zoning,
use
of form.
effect
increasing
is
of
expense
the
at
evil
greater
even
and
The mark of history on a city can never be
The transparency of time is one of
erased.
Change is
the most vital aspects of any city.
not only a process but a product, and the
layers of time should always be present for
Without history there is no possibility of
culture - our place in the world would be
all.
the
we
are
rediscovering
community
and
of belonging,
Today
the
in
ourselves
created
cities
thriving
or
expanding
becomes
situation
tragic
that
deny
Modern Architecture
more various
10
wholesale
militant
ever
possibilities
not
experience
apparent
that
accommodate
We need more,
change
preservation.
-
the
reaction
We need
more
in-between.
- something
it
not
less, of what supports the quality of each of
our lives.
proposed
our
more
lifestyles. -
having
Modernism
terms.
human
in
irrelevant
being
With
will
of
find
from
and
knowledge
we
of
communities
developing.
increasingly
yet
virtues
We need to become more critical
The
today
trend
is toward
rehabilitation
of
older buildings, but often at the expense of
displacing the original inhabitants. This only
causes
further
community.
alienation
Perhaps
a
more
within
a
enlightened
approach is for the owners and/or tenants to
be directly involved in the rehabbing by
working
In
one another.
and helping
with
this way the community is not dispersed and
its
bonds
in
strengthened
are
renewed
a
sense of cohesion and pride in its ability to
help itself.
Often the community, having lost
its identity,
may
communal
some new
need
space or focus as the image or expression of
community.
This
community
if
center,
body
of a coherent
represents the aspirations
it
of people, can often enhance the individual's
identity
community.
in the
and participation
The Architect's role here is a sensitive one, as
guide
and
helper
within
participative
a
It
rather than passive community.
aiding
needs
"A community should be built up from a
hierarchy of associational elements and tries
to express these various levels of association
(house, street, neighborhood, city) (size,
-Aldo Van Eyck
shape, material...)"
community
it follows
continuous
structure
-Aldo Van Eyck
in
community
articulating
its
and desires, and shaping a design that
recognizes the wishes of both the community
and the individual.
Traditional
and
"If the validity of the form of a
rests in the pattern of life, then
that the first principle should be
objective analysis of the human
and its change"
the
involves
demanding
neighbors
encountered
were based
communities
who
relationships
were
throughout
ones
on deep
between
inescapably
life
during
daily activities. Everyone had a place in the
and therefore belonged.
world
exerted
a morality
However,
people
communication,
escape
of
that was hard
were
settings
with
to
it offers little complexity or commitment, the
new
have
active
in
certain
meaningful
in other areas.
many
different
communities
communication
This
form
even
isolation,
relative
being
result
alienation.
most of us have
people. Friends and co-workers may live and
be
is more or less optional
and transitory, and
for it s inhabitants. It may offer freedom, but
live, work and play in many
the freedom to
different
find
be homogeneous
to
tends
pseudo-community,
and
environment
to
communities
freedom and fortune. Today
defy.
compelled
from the claustrophobic
traditional
to
of mobility
the increase
with
community
The
communities?
providing
(or
there
people
public
shops,
or
to
generate
We can begin
(such
mix of uses
offices,
restaurants,
by
space
shared
discovering)
is some
where
of community,
begin
we
meaningful
still
yet
with
can
then
How
as
residences,
This mix is important so that people can
etc.).
spend less
activities,
time travelling between
and spend more time in a familiar area with
Only in this way can people
familiar people.
really get to know one another and to have
community
matter
'To dwell in the qualitative sense is a basic
When we identify
condition of humanity.
with a place, we dedicate ourselves to a way
Therefore dwelling
of being in the world.
demands something from us, as well as from
our places. We have to have an open mind,
and the places have to offer rich
possibilities for identification."
-Christian Norberg- Schulz
of
in
with others.
association
some meaningful
this
sense
convenience
is
and
not
simply
enjoyment
also an expansion of the range and depth
A
a
but
of
the ways that people relate to one another.
It is this mix of activity that is the focus for
any
community.
activities
are
While
clearly
some
communal
recognizable,
others
may be more discrete depending on their use
and their frequency of use.
The hierarchy of
understand
focus is usually
structured by the
subtlety to
community
circulation and communication systems.
within this network
out
know
their different
each
becomes
It
other.
meaningful
and
roles
here
is
It is
must not
relinquish
that
associate
begin
It
identifiable.
and
to
space
that
collective
ultimate
their
and
individual potential.
How rare it seems that
these places exist.
We all in some way or
another
must
place
the
for
long
of
seriously to
is to listen
role
true architect's
The
control.
ultimate
and
clients so that their dreams can emerge
be woven into his own to produce something
than
greater
either
their
own.
This
relationship
have
could
created
on
is
here that space becomes place in the image of
It is here that people may begin to
man.
recognize
If
the complexities of this one.
are to be useful in this sense they
It is here that people can
with one another.
play
and
to recognize
can begin
people
-
with
respond
and
listen
to
honestly
trying
architects
space
of communal
to
-
in
of
network
complex
the
between
relation
than
worlds
fantastic
our
places
a
great
emphasis
on
communication
Architect
and
client.
requires
withstand
creative
honesty,
the
and
The
result
of
the
friendship,
it
resilience
to
of the
give-and-take
vigorous
process.
between
Like
tolerance
deal
should
be
a
It seems that we as architects should
to build our greatest dreams and
begin here
compromise where the Architect's art and the
beyond.
Architect's main duty is to produce buildings,
dreams.
client's
choice
coexist.
Although
the
it also requires him to listen, to dream and to
Architects must work not only to give people
what they want, with little demanding or
but to offer people what
stimulating to offer,
they hadn't dreamed possible.
impose.
engages
True
itself
- To offer not
architectural
less
in
imagination
conjuring
other
inspire.
Ultimately
he
must
be
true
to
himself, but if he's working in a void then his
truth
Architecture
has no meaning.
has been
and always
will
always
be ultimately
for
people - lets build their's and our collective
dreams.
-s
PATTERNS: THE
ELEMENT OF VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
our
context
in
form
view
we
Whenever
which signifies
our patterns of association
with
understanding of what we see is the combination
one
of visual elements, or patterns, and the way by
These visual elements are
which they are made.
In order to be able to understand a visual system
the basic substance of what we see, though they
the point, line, shape,
are few in number:
These elements are the raw materials
movement.
communication
of visual
of
range
language
scale,
dimension,
texture
color,
tone,
direction,
the
comprise
they
combinations
infinite
their
In
.
another.
of communication we must be able to recognize
the
system
as
a
whole
perceiving
its parts
When
see things
we
aggregation
and their
as
of parts,
is
that
determines
structure
which
visual
the
of
that
field
present
are
elements
visual
Together the elements
and with what emphasis.
Our
together.
except
for
relative to
constantly
one another - are perceived through
our senses
continuously
synthesized
through
knowledge
our
to
establish some meaning for us as individuals, and
more
importantly
individuals.
community
us
for
This
or
them
is the
is the
as
analytic
an
view.
and the way they work
is
as
collection
framework
the
society
a
-
our
of
relative
perception
is
in
a
progressing
This
sense.
phenomena
would be overwhelming were it not for memory Memory yields
the total synthesis of experience.
'pictorial
associations,'
a
synthetic
knowledge.
understanding of a meaningful language of form
encounters,
of
visual
and
changing
and,
fragmentary
simplest
the
of
common
is
perception
Therefore
incomplete.
- their placement
and their relations
and
that
The analytic view is useful because it makes us
of form.
the
interrelationships.
see
we
familiar with the parts
It
simultaneously
a whole,
when
view;
synthetic
while
intuition
produces
the analytic view.
clarity
in
On
and
other
the
other
words,,
hand
understanding
-
The analytic view, in its simplicity makes possible
a general view of things themselves, their order,
It is in the
and the way in which they appear.
become
things
that
mind
synthesize
the
information
with
of
input
constant
As
complex.
our knowledge
we
visual
mind has
our
the tendency to make much out of little.
The aim
represented
through
of
is
which
perception,
is always, in one form or another, the
organization of differences into unity - the
design,
Therefore,
assembly of parts into a whole.
that visual perception
recognize
is quite
we
simple,
yet complex, as is the nature of life in general.
is based on the part - whole
All understanding
In order for perception to
aspect of perception.
have
meaning
to
structure
qualify
the
some
be
relations
internal
between
the
Structure does not spring up ready made,
parts.
but
must
there
is developed from
internal
workings
the whole.
the total
an understanding
of the parts
with
of the
respect
to
In order to analyze and understand
structure of a visual language it is
useful to focus on the individual visual elements.
In the Black Square. V. Kandinsky, 1923.
This collection of visual elements is intended to
be more than a mere catalogue of shapes and
Hopefully, it is a loosely coherent system
forms.
the
it
However,
in
elements
is
an
also
a continuum,
to
attempt
where
way.
the
view
no element
is
treated in isolation, but where all are seen in a
another.
between one
dynamic relationship
As
we
continually
complex and synthetic,
quite simple
elements,
advances
perception,
yet
is
it
is
Knowledge
of
ultimately
and understandable.
basic
the
form
it, built
experience
assimilated
the possibility
through
of intuition.
We all have some degree of intuition, yet we are
hesitant to rely on it because we are unsure of
our perception and understanding.
Knowledge is
universal and measurable, and in most cases, more
reliable. Understanding is, on the other hand,
and relative.
personal
as
a
longing
ultimately
for
This thesis is manifested
greater
understanding
and
for greater control over form - making
and design.
-Point, Line, Plane..........................
to view
analytical
more
a
in
world
built
with which
and attributes
of elements
THE ELEMENTS OF BUILT FORM
built form (walls, floors, roofs)
-Direction,
Movement....................
public/private
space,
streets,
habitation
registration,
-Tone, C olor......................................
shadow, windows
light, shade,
-D im ension.......................................
size, relation,
structure,
use
amount,
-Scale.................................................
access,
entry,
association
-T exture.............................................
materials,
construction
-M ovem ent........................................
rhythm,
growth,
change
order, space,
THE POINT
Only the smallest of all things
timeless (dead).
It represents the absolute,
individual, non-existence,
reference
- the point - is
'silence,' unity.
for those things
the
It is a
around it or it is a
link between one existence to another.
A concept is not possible without it's opposite.
There can be no concept in itself; there are only
pairs of concepts.
static;
they
are
The opposing positions are not
interwoven
with
one
another.
Only the central point is fixed - at which point
the concept lies dormant.
Dualism is unity.
Guggenheim Museum, New York. F. Ll. Wright
1959. Discontinuous form establishes the
building as a unique point within the fabric
of the city.
18
THE LINE
are
environment
and emotion.
When the point becomes movement it becomes a
impersonal
The line is the static come to life - the
It embodies the element of time. It is
dynamic.
and
line.
continuity
creativity,
and the potential for change.
quality
direction,
and
It is
and
associated
with
The horizontal
cold.
It
human
is flat, expansive,
territory,
The vertical
personal and warm.
human scale
movement
represents
continuity.
definition,
activity
and measures
is activity,
It defines
change.
quantity,
Line is also the link between two points.
(rhythm).
It is the
acknowledgement of the association between
The line as the result of a point moved by a force
produces a straight line when the force acts
isolation.
The
line
in combination
forces gives rise to a zig-zag or curve.
becomes
rhythm,
Rhythm gives
life.
or
measured
the line dimension,
two
entities - a bond of brotherhood.
in
with other
Here line
movement.
direction
and
The position and direction of lines in the
Composition 8. V. Kandinsky, 1923.
19
PLANE
The square is linear movement
displaced. The square is associated
with dullness, honesty, efficiency.
When a line shifts,'it forms a plane - it defines
shape.
Line describes shape and it articulates its
complexity.
shapes,
the
The square
are
and the triangle.
the circle
square,
is based
on
fundamental
three
horizontal
direction;
-
controlled.
The
the two.
triangle
is
the
resolution
From these basic shapes,
infinite combination and variation,
in
we derive all
physical forms in nature and in the imagination
of man.
20
The circle is linear movement
rotated.
The circle represents the
cosmic, the eternal wholeness,
warmth, protection.
The circle is cosmic in that it is point
vertical.
between
There
The triangle is the tension between
point and line.
The triangle is
action,
conflict,
tension,
energy.
The
FORM
result
described
Form is created when a plane shifts.
It embodies
touching
of two
as:
or
forms
apart,
in
relation
grouped
but
can
be
separate,
interpenetrating.
space and time. It is point, line and plane in the
third
dimension.
Composite form is the result
when
two
another.
forms
into
relation
with
one
The complexity of form depends on the
relationship
contact
come
between
the elements:
in point, in line, in plane,
no contact,
or in space.
At Seven Over Rooftops.
Paul Klee, 1930.
Formation determines form and is therefore
the greater of the two. Thus form may never
be regarded as solution, result, end, but
should be regarded as genesis, growth,
essence. Form as phenomenon is a dangerous
chimera. Form as movement, as action is a
good thing, active form is good. Form as rest,
as end, is bad. Passive, finished form is bad.
Formation is good. Form is bad; form is the
Formation is movement, act.
end, death,
Formation is life.
-Paul Klee
21
TIC" --
1 11-1C."IT-1.
I S-_TE
DIMENSION
KENM-TAD
In
perceptible
artificial
Ll
make
to
order
dark
and
measurable
and
order.
light
we
This analytical
tonalities
create
an
sub-division of
light and dark is constantly at work in our minds
measuring
form
quantity
and
quality
and our movement.
assertively,
prevents
to
understand
in
relation
It allows us
where
we
to
to act
are,
and
as
the
us from bumping into things.
CVBTTI
(:a
Md.
Measurement
works
fundamentally
recognition of increase and decrease.
In order to
recognize
things,
the
relationships
between
view the world in perspective.
and receding form.
and
time
We see advancing
We see large and small, light
and dark, open and closed, etc.
space
we
with
We move through
measured
steps
and
in
relation to the limits of our bodies - each one
different.
the
Our differences allow each of us to see
world slightly different
and personally,
we all perceive essentially the same world.
yet
This
we have agreed upon as mankind and as culture.
22
Architecture
is both visual
and tactile.
visual aspect becomes too strong or
with
the
tactile,
then
the
If the
loses touch
building
becomes
merely an object.
Monument on the E dge
of Fertile Country.
Paul Klee, 1929.
23
Paul
Klee's
'Landscapely
physiognomic'
presents
the viewer with two faces, one which resembles
a tribal
cool,
the other larger
mask,
crystalline
primeval
man,
mask
The
shapes.
the other,
the
one of
central
represents
wisdom
of man.
The central face has a piercing,
all-knowing eye
with
set
a
'pendulum'
organizes
the
composition
which
when
placement
thus
of
in
motion
elements
circumscribing
in
the
the
realm
between the 'cosmos', and primitive man.
This is
the
'horizon'
at
clearer
even
made
the
by
of the
center
establishing
eye'
'all-knowing
which
divides the earth and sky, contrasting the cosmic
The third eye
globe above with the mask below.
of the
'face
of wisdom'
shifts up
toward
the
cosmos to open up a diagonal space which links
the
to
man
primitive
'all-knowing
eye'
Human
wisdom is
cosmos,
with
which
represent
geometry
between
its
man
explicitly
the
of
presents
on
wisdom.
the
'tools',
rational
the
the horizon,
circle
of man.
beneath the
and
or
technology
of the
outside
wisdom
directly
central,
located below
mind,
and
of the
primitive
through
manifestation
cosmic
earth
The
relations
the elements and gives the composition
meaning.
Landscapely.
1923.
Physiognomic.
Paul Klee,
The combination of the bodily, spatial and
inward factors of the basic forms leads tosynthesis, that is, an interpenetration of
space, body, and thing. The influence of the
lines and planer forms suggests productive
increase and decrease, outer and inner
energies,
growth
and
change.
Interpenetration of endotopic (internal) and
- Paul Klee
exotopic, factors. (exterior)
I0/1
25
GEOMETRY
Dimension
things
tells
in
us
the magnitude,
to
relation
Geometry
organizes
of
It
things.
Geometry
and
the
makes
element
of
form.
placement,
magnitude
meaning.
of things ordered
the position
while
is the
or
relation,
gives
unambiguous,
magnitude
the
of
On the other hand,
qualifying
is
size,
It
things.
other
quantifying element of form.
geometry
or
making
also
of each part clearly
the
relative to the
other parts and in turn to the whole.
26
The Spiral, Tokyo.
By Fumihiko Maki.
"Architecture is abstract. Abstract form is
the pattern of the essential. It is, we may
Strictly
see, spirit in objectified forms.
except
reality
no
has
abstraction
speaking,
as it is embodied in materials. Realization of
form is always geometrical. That is to say, it
is mathematic. We call it pattern. Geometry
is the obvious framework upon which nature
works to keep her scale in "designing." She
relates things to each other and to the whole,
while meantime she gives to your eye most
apparently
and
mysterious
subtle,
spontaneous irregularity in effects. So, it is
through the embodied abstract that any true
architect, or any true artist, must work to
put his inspiration into ideas of form in the
To arrive at
realm of created things.
expressive "form he, too, must work from
within, with the geometry of mathematic
-F. LL. Wright
pattern.."
I
'
27
MAGNITUDE AND RELATION
Some relations between dimensions in the built
world:
-some dimensions are related to cultural
experience.
(the relation between the public
and private realm).
-Some dimensions are
(material
techniques
assembly).
related
size,
to construction
and
strength
and
dimensions
relation
between
-The
dimensional patterns indicate and create the
Size
possibility of making meaningful places.
and relative size establish and clarify the value
It indicates the
of space in relation to man.
It can be charged
relationship between things.
with the power of attraction (gravity) between
two bodies, or it can deny association between
them by increase in their distance from one
In this sense magnitude and relation
another.
reveals spatial continuity and order as well as
position - the hierarchy of the relation between
things.
28
-Through light and shadow
dimension and relation indicate
and space in a given place. It
distance, and movement, public
(solid and void)
the order of time
is the measure of
and private.
-Magnitude and relation also indicate the form
A small door is understood
and amount of access.
to be private and of limited access - a large glazed
One
surface generally indicates public access.
can not confuse the other.
-There are no absolute universal dimensions
every place has its own inherent dimensions
each culture recognizes it's own sizes and
This is what gives them
relations of things.
meaning.
The
-Consistent dimensions promote continuity.
association between size and movement in the
public realm determines the organization of
place.
This
today.
SIZE
What is the right (most appropriate) size?
dimensions
within
from
the
the
fabric
(context) then make what is new
Size
new.
the
texture
and surface
relative
scale
are
for
all
convenience
and
interaction by
engaging
represent
the
they
the
They are not spacious, they are just
People relate to most cities better
different
meaning
with the man inside.
speed
reduces
smaller by
Size
speed.
by
relative
Distance is
on
takes
to
the
entirely
automobile
Human scale is maintained,
distance,
and
the
city
becomes
comparison.
dimensions,
win.
use
and
to
human body.
reduced
yet
must be considered,
should ultimately
communicate,
that
material
spans,
Larger
buildings.
scaled
are
slightly
difference
main
the
they
their
love
because
in automobiles than they do on foot.
buildings and 'modern'
19th century
the
between
is
Americans
existing
smaller by comparison , so as not to dominate or
Build the existing dimensions
overwhelm.
into
why
automobiles,
the right size.
-Find
is
but
should
Buildings
they
also
inspire
it's users with elements
range
of
human
aspiration.
The lack of human size elements (or elements for
human use that are the wrong size) is the curse
of much of what we experience in our cities
"Differentiation and unity through rhythm
and sub-rhythm can overcome the menace of
We must uncover the aesthetics of
size.
number - the hidden laws of harmony in
motion - the capacity to impart order to a
multiplicity of things. Quantity can not be
humanized without sensitive articulation of
number..."
-Aldo Van Eyck
29
TONE
St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague.
Tone is evidence of the fundamental order of our
natural world - the concept of illumination in
in
nature,
words
other
Form
in light.
form
cannot be seen without light and dark and all the
In the daytime we see
tonalities in between.
at night we see
tones of darkness against light;
light in the
dark.
Light
negative
- white and black.
without
the existence
is
White is formless
of black,
equal yet complimentary
dark
is positive,
energies.
thus
they
Variations
are
in
light or tone are the means by which we visually
and fragmented
distinguish the complicated
information in the environment.
spirit of form,
then shade
'If light is the
and shadow are
it's
soul.'
Tone
also makes visible the dimensional
world.
Alternation of light and dark is the basis for our
understanding of the size, distance, and relation
between
Since
things.
tone
is
constantly
changing with time it is evidence of movement
It is also evidence of the elemental
and life.
world as it makes form visible between earth and
sky
in
relation
to
changes
weather and to day and night.
30
in
light
due
to
COLOR
Color is the existence
absolutely
light,
necessary
however,
information
it
about
of emotion.
for
is
It
understanding
loaded
with
color
our environment.
has
many
other.
meanings,
and
symbolic.
It's
value
absolute,
but
constantly
in
flux.
social values
values in nature.
in
Color and
associative
communicates
form
qualitative
tone coexist without modifying each
emotion,
is not
as well
As
both
is
never
Color
as
absolute
However absolute, all color has
the capacity to be modified in the presence of
opposite
or contrasting color, and in relation to
variations
remains
in
tone.
absolute
In
but
this
our
case,
the
perception
of it
altered relative to the visual context.
synthesizes
visual
otherwise
the
overwhelming.
information
in
stimulation
color
is
Our mind
it's
entirety
would
be
It is for this reason that nature
is so subtle in it's coloration,
saving bright and
pure
color
such
The
built environment
for
special
events
as
is no different
flowers.
as
it is
made with elements drawn from nature.
Color in
these
interest,
environments
emotion,
curiosity,
will
always
and activity.
arouse
Dominant Curve. V. Kandinsky, 1939. Color
can be associated with form and movement.
TEXTURE
also what
Texture is the quality of touching.
Texture in the
visual sense is associated with how things
actually feel to the touch.
However,
may
we don't
have to touch things in order to experience their
textural quality.
Texture is made visible by light
and shadow.
It is quality made manifest at both
the
scale
material
architecture
the
inseparable
since
material
sense
coming
and
the
material
to make
it
is
human
and
the
man
who
architecture.
scale.
In
human
are
assembles
Texture
in this
tells us the history of it's genesis
into being.
intimately
because
We associate
it
is
a
quality
- it's
with texture
-
a value.
Texture tells us not only how a thing is made, but
it is made
of.
All
materials
have
textures
which
we
associate
with
recognizable
sensual involvement.
If materials look delicious
and
are
willing to become more involved with them.
If
and
inviting
we
are
drawn
to
they look cold and impenetrable,
them
we stay away.
At any rate, most of our textural experience
optical,
not tactile.
become
impoverished
material
diabolical
is
not
what
simulation.
Our
in
sense
a plastic
it
seems,
of touch
world
but
is
is
has
where
some
DIRECTION
Direction
man
his
and
horizontal plane,
relation
movement
to
reference
the fundamental
is
the
environment
yet determines
vertical
- the natural
lives
man
between
on
the
where he is in
plane.
state of
Direction
is
living things.
Direction orients us in space and time.
It defines
motion.
Mural from the Temple of Yearning t\ Thither
Paul Klee, 1922.
2.
Palais Stocklet, Brussels.
Josef Hoffman, 1905.
33
- -
HORIZON
It
perspective.
depends
the
on
seen
as
horizon
for
is
dimension
third
the
in
Form
The horizon puts man in relation to
orientation.
form, without it the relative size and relation of
Through
things becomes distorted or irrelevant.
when it is
memory man establishes the 'horizon'
not actually present.
is
This
perceived.
establishes
own
form.
horizon
is
defined
is
lives
of
the
human (temporal)
understand
the
by the
horizon
is
at
his
because
the
all
times
horizontal
vertical,
the
life on earth.
the horizon
to
in relation
expansive
on
and measured
existence
is intimate because
present
potentially
between
difference
the
the horizon
Outside
Man
nature.
is
Inside
inside and outside.
man
In this sense, the horizon
intimately
in
plane,
thus the
assertion
of
We know and
-
without
it
we would fall down or move in a different mode
entirely.
The horizon gives us stability, it gives
us confidence in space and in time.
Talieson West, near Pheonix, Ariz.
Frank Ll. Wright, 1938. In the desert the
building and the horizon work together in
unison.
34
The Brion Cemetary; Carlo Scarpa, The
horizontal band of gold tile recreates the
horizon within the mystical world, enclosed
by walls.
-
---------
-
-
GRAVITY
as the sensation of weight
It is the result of continual
in balance.
It is the
movement and counter-movement.
and
dynamic held in simultaneous tension
Gravity is recognized
compression,
Gravity
order.
it
keeps
everything
in
it's
place.
the natural tendency for
Everything on earth must deal with it.
is equilibrium,
Johnson Wlax Building, Racine, WI
Frank Ll. Wright, 1939.
Hard in Slack. V. Kandinsky, 1927.
"There are ways of looking at architecture
which can lead to the humanization of it, and
create between us and form a resonance or
intimate association - A synthesis of the
The physical
physical and the spiritual.
(architecture ) is controlled by gravity and
produces equilibrium. The spiritual leads to
the dynamic - freedom from earthly bonds
(freedom from constraints)."
-Paul Klee
35
All visual elements have the capacity to modify
Scale is a matter of
and define each other.
juxtaposition,
things,
between compliments.
Scale is the balance
SCALE
and
inter-relationship
the
between
Scale
is
established
size
of
visual
relationships
environment.
dimensions,
to
the
place
through
relative
addition
ongoing
field
has
absolute
its
own
through
of
the
universal
relationship
or subtraction
visual elements.
be
can
changed
of even
the
1~
of any
with
the
smallest of
All form in context is there for
us to use and interact with.
we establish
scale
a relationship
As we encounter it
with it in terms of
inherent
Scale is fluid and varies constantly
from place to place and from moment to moment.
Each culture recognized it's own sizes and
relations of things depending on the cultural
dimensions.
as near is established
small,
However, the entire
through far.
visual
also
no
established through
context.
but
are
other words, there can be no large without small
In this sense, large is
or near without far.
their
and
only
not
elements
There
every
things
between
In
''-2
value associated with them.
~~Iu
Man is the measure
our own human proportion.
We relate size to purpose and meaning
in a relative sense. Generally, things that seem
large in relative scale, control us, and things
of scale.
that
seem
dictate
small,
how
accommodates
control
we
are
controlled
move,
while
our movement.
of scale can
make
by
us.
a
small
Walls
chair
In addition
a large
the
room seem
intimate and a small room seem open and airy.
In both cases smallness accommodates our
emotional needs - it gives us control.
;
ACO!t'
*
6,
~\
S
.030
The Acropolis, Athens.
The scale, magnitude and
relation of buildings and space
is controled by the lines of
perspective upon entering the
site through the Propylaea.
37
MOVEMENT
in
Life
could
movement
not
could
exist
not exist
without
movement
without
life.
implicit in everything we do and see.
is
energy
-
the
prerequisite
for
It
pure and
simple.
Pisticci, Italy. Progressive change of position
gives form lively movement.
38
is
Movement
change.
Movement is the evidence of space and time.
function,
is constantly
The eye
It is
a
and
to
define
changing place in the world.
in the
process
of seeing.
unconscious vision
could
not
stimulated
eye
scans
visual
constantly
There is little rest
Even
without
the
absorb
our
is producing
perceive
the environment
to
attempt
continuous
information
scanning
at night our
dreams that
movement.
environment
in
we
The
many
The Spanish Steps, Rome.
ways.
The scanning patterns are as individual as
fingerprints.
Generally
the
measurement
right
eye
eye
and
balance
first
to
by
However
and top-bottom.
leads
in
moves
the
strongest
response
scanning
to
left-
the stimulated
energy,
with
which it compares the second, and with in turn,
the third.
This is visualization by succession
movement in time.
-
The eye is dynamic, it keeps
everything in motion and in time.
Fuge in Red.
Paul Klee, 1921.
39
RHYTHM
is based on the rhythmic
Dimensional continuity
elements.
We
with three senses at once.
We
of clear and complete
ordering
perceive rhythm
hear it, we see it, and we feel it in our muscles.
Rhythm gives us control
main
characteristic
Every
accentuation
regularity
it's
negative
of
of rhythm
frequency
-
emphasis.
of
by
The
over our bodies.
rhythm
is
repetition.
modifies
movement
by tightening
the
or releasing
producing
a
positive
Structural
rhythm
is
or
the
Snake Paths.
40
Paul Klee, 1934. Rhythmical movement
in nature.
basis
for
complexity
of
and
the
and the organization
architecture,
which
is
gives
static,
the
possibility
of movement
Through
successive
increase
rhythm
indicate
can
simultaneously
rhythmic
controls
It
life.
decrease
or
of construction
parts.
essentially
It
architecture.
all
movement
both.
movement is symphony
The
concert
in
-
quantity,
quality
character
with
and
of
rhythmic
the multi-dimensional.
Crystal Gradation.
Paul Klee, 1921.
Detail of Chapel,
Brion Cemetary.
Carlo Scarpa.
Progressive
movement through
change of position.
41
HUMAN RHYTHMS (TEMPORAL)
NATURAL RHYTHMS (Temporal)
-Man breaths both in and out
-Day and Night (light / dark alternations)
Zzl m
-Man
AAAA-Wave movement
walking
as 2-part
r\r\
time (mirroring)
/~
/~%\
-The advance of time (existence)
-Wave movement as 1 - part time
-Liquid
-Earth - Water - Fire - Air
/N
MOUNTA IN -
§w
4 _P
"r
-Blood
circulation
VARTH-
r-m L16 1
-1T
FLOATIr
42
* NVarsSG
oGAViTY
CONTINUITY
Life in essence is fluid.
continuous
yet
It is in constant motion,
continuously
changing.
Architecture, on the other hand, is static.
As it
inevitably
form
succumbs
to
gravity,
remains rooted to the earth.
built
In it's stability, it
reveals constant movement in and around it.
becomes
a continuous
background
life can be played out.
then
support
continuous
form
promote
background
an
relationship
our
of
change
against
stability.
As
environment,
open-ended,
between
which
Ideally, built form should
on-going
organizes
against
It
it
constantly
itself and
it's
a
built
should
changing
inhabitants.
It should expand it's capacity to involve people in
a
full
range
of
perceptual,
emotional experiences.
progression
Jerry Uelsmann, 1985.
remains.
option
against
By
Built form
a
the
built
where life may take place.
is
continuous
incorporating
environments
within
it's
valued
or
makes
the
space
By recognizing what
a
community
structure
the designer
of
possibility
continuity
and
should allow
background
allowing
of change
functional,
into
and
future
can contribute
by
built
to the
ongoing life of the community.
43
LITERAL CONTINUITY:
-Continuing
exactly what
is there with as
non-temporal,
-Is the denial of history because it freezes life
and form in a certain time and place instead of
History is ongoing, it is the
allowing growth.
change as possible.
-Is
little
museum-like
approach
past,
meaningfully
-Generates
potential
uniformity
and
present
or
It
future.
appropriately
can
never
removed
be
from
the place in which it is happening.
-Is valuable as a defense mechanism.
camouflage
to
aggressor.
The
obscure
idea
is
It acts as
recognition
by
the
neither
run
nor
to
engage, but to merely hide until the uncertainty
of danger passes.
44
DIRECTIONAL CONTINUITY:
-Promotes
orientation
and movement.
of
understanding
-Reinforces
relationship
between public
and private realm.
recognized
by the persistence
or directional
reinforcement
of directional
-Is
edges
- continuous
edges within a range of +L 20 degree angle each
way produces understandable or associative
access to space.
edges
-Continuous
access
promotes
while
laterally displaced edges create the possibility of
In an ongoing directional field any
place.
Sperlonga, Italy.
Directional access.
the
extension
of
approaches
a width
horizontal
equal
to
it's
realm
length
which
is
an
The
invitation to stop and pause for place.
'square' is understood by it's diagonals so space
opens
three-dimensionally.
45
This is the result of both
the public is invited in.
gravity
and
Both
visibility.
relationship with accessibility.
have
The public realm
it takes
moves like water in a mountain stream,
the path of least resistance,
moving
and gravity keeps it
visibility
directionally,
works
you
cannot
there.
Martina Franca, Italy
Il Duomo, Florence. Light-Dark Continuity
combining the horizontal (human) direction
with the vertical (spiritual) direction.
-Directional
intensifies
raise
in
displacement
the
public
the
privacy.Whenever
46
in
or private
ground
the
the
ground
vertical
domain.
plane
plane
field
Any
reinforces
goes
down
see where
you
might possibly
meaningfully
visualize
as
If you
anticipation, or the possibility of arrival.
cannot
direct
a
go,
your
then
arrival
-
-
,.~IhIEhI~~.IIIIIE.IIhII
T
The stairs in Carlo Scarpa's Olivetti
the
display
Venice,
in
Showroom,
between
relationship
complimentary
The steps are
continuity and change.
continuous in the vertical dimension yet
variable in the horizontal, registered from
alternating edges.
47
ASSOCIATIVE CONTINUITY:
-Can be established by the inclusion of a range
-Can be established
including
a recognizable
of
family of form in an additive way.
Not imitation,
meaningful
similarities
of
size,
placement,
form and texture from the existing context.
but the inclusion of related forms, directions and
dimensions
fragmentary,
-Is
incomplete,
by
generated from
within the work.
open-ended,
optional.
-Can
be
induced
distribution
of
similar continuous
scale
by
the
incorporation
and
definitions
into
person-size
settings.
definitions
that
It
are
is these smallrecognizable
to
everyone and can promote them to participate in
the
built
-Through
environment.
repetition
of
constants
recognizable
I
we come to understand our place and our relation
to the world both personally and collectively.
-Is
ongoing
zones
of
and
is
exchange.
but
continually
interacting
future.
The
reciprocal
sequential
and
built
with
up
with
overlapping
experience
where
space
is
space
past,
not
is
present
The Brion Cemetary displays a family of
circular and rectilinear forms used in an
additive way.
The interlocking circles
represent marriage - the duality of unity -
or the duality of life and death.
48
-Is
understood
void-built
as
the
alternation
and unbuilt, light
continuity
generates
simultaneously.
of mass
and dark
and
and
-Can
be
established
by
the
- which
consistent
change
continuity in the public realm.
range
recognition
of dimensions
of elements
in
accessibility
within
which
a
promote
The relative size
the built environment
each
of
determine
context.
-Is contextural, so what is already there sets the
stage for the next event.
appropriate
range
of
If we work with an
form
from
within
the
context, then we can generate places.
Carlo
Querini-Stampalia Foundation, Venice.
Dimensional continuity is
Scarpa, 1961-63.
created by repeating the dimensions of the
bricks in the bronze gates.
The chapel of the Brion Cemetary by Carlo
Scarpa
displays
continuity
through
alternation of mass and void.
The
shimmering light concrete walls alternate
with
dark openings between them in a
complimentary
relationship
with
the
surrounding trees. In this way the building
becomes continuous in the landscape as the
trees are continuous with the built world.
49
"We assemble objects in space, but the
relationship created between them can be
plausibly experienced only in fragments.
Often the relationships are suddenly
interrupted: then we can no longer follow
our idea of the object. Memory - digested
experience - yields pictorial associations...
An association is an awakening which enters
into the realm of life. It is alright for the
fragmentary to appear bu: it should not be
-Paul Klee
inserted into another fragment."
Castello Gardens, Venice carlo Scarpa, 1952.
Curving roof forms create continuous flowing
space by association of shape, size, and direction.
Jerry Uelsmann, 1925. Light-Dark Reciprocity.
50
CHANGE
Without growth
Growth is the essence of all life.
All things living or non-
we would cease to exist.
living materialize from
and grow in
thereby
maturities
fullest
their
toward
time
nothingness
If growth is the
becoming static and complete.
force of life then anything which becomes
complete, perfect and cannot grow and change is
dead.
process
The
complimentary
change
of
states
of
concerns
the
and
non-
existence
existence, therefore, death is the absence of life
as life is the absence of death; just as darkness is
the absence
of light and light the
Neither
darkness.
one
can
Aldo Van Eyck calls the
without
exist
other - a complimentary oneness.
absence
of
the
This is what
'twin phenomenon'
or
reciprocity:
In architecture
it is mass
part
diversity
-
whole
-
individual
- collective
space and mass to become
form there must be the dimension of time, thus
mass - void
light.
Time allows the continuity of life.
In
motion - rest
architecture time is the potential of function
and
experience.
Therefore,
architecture,
and
-
small
night - day
many
-
few
continuity
outside
thesis - antithesis ?
-
void.
open - closed
large
inside
defines
Void is the potential of space created by mass.
In order
Mass in space and light becomes form.
for void to become
unity
which
-
change
form,
its
light
manifestation.
time
in
is the
space,
essence of
illuminating
while solid as form
Void as space is continuous
life
comes to
tangible
'The
change.
manifests
due to the existence of the intangible - light. '
The possibility of change is essentially unlimited
within
the
visable
through light.
of
continuity
which
life,
Man
space
in
movements
made
life
continuous
as
In order to
lives along the dimension of time.
perceive
is
man
his
uses
senses of hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch This tells him how and
all perceptions of time.
is.
he
where
Man
potential.
forward.
It
gives
his
is a living being.
He
looks
Change is his life force -
He has hope.
his state of incompletion - his continuity.
the
and
meaning
life
basis for all existence.
The
It is
planets never
cease to move, the winds inevitably change and
flowers grow - all in time. Remove time and all
life
would
nature.
pure
stop
- resist change
and you
defy
If time were to cease the result would be
consciousness
-
absolute
completion
Wisdom - God - the ultimate potential for life.
-
"Louis Kahn saw human being as a unique
meeting of the measurable and the
unmeasurable. This meeting can be seen in
the play between knowledge, which is
is
measurable and intuition, which
unmeasurable; between the brain, which we
get
potluck
from
nature
and
is
circumstantial, and the spirit, which is
eternal. Because of this meeting in us of the
measurable and unmeasurable, we have a
special role to play bringing things from
silence into light, with art as the language of
that role and therefore the true human
language... Louis Kahn taught us to
understand the order of the shadow - what
lies between idea and reality, between
silence and light."
John Lubell on Louis Kahn.
SITE
The context that I will work in is the Back Bay in
Boston.
Avenue
The site is at the corner of Massachusetts
Boylston
and
north-south
running
Street linking the Fenway area to the west with
Mass. Ave. is the
the Public Garden to the east.
link
major
to
Cambridge
to
the
Dorchester/South End to the south.
area
is
home
to
many
cultural
north
and
The Fenway
and
medical
the Mass college of Art,
Museum of Fine Arts, and Museum School of Art
as well as the Gardner Museum. Just south of the
site on Mass. Ave. is the Berklee Music Center,
institutions,
the
including
Symphony,
Boston
Conservatory
and,
most
the
England
New
importantly,
the
South
In recent
End - home to many working artists.
years property values in much of the South End
have
increased,
many
artists
thus
to
raising
look
rents
elsewhere
and
for
forcing
more
apartments/studios.
affordable
Running
one
street
to
the
north
of Boylston
Street, is Newbury Street, the ritzy shopping area
of
with
Boston,
shops.
Directly
currently
west
Center,
Convention
original
many
art
galleries
is the I.C.A.,
and
Copley
cultural center of Boston.
a
large
open
hole
and
crafts
the Hines
Place,
the
The site is
above
Massachusetts Turnpike with a view but no
the
access to the back alley to the buildings facing
Newbury Street.
The subway runs partly above
ground through the center of the site beside the
turnpike,
building
with
above
an
it.
electrical
With
all
transformer
these
diverse
elements, the site is very dynamic and complex.
It is a left-over space within the city and thus
loaded with energy and potential.
The Site:
-is about movement and time.
the
turnpike,
the
subway,
It is dominated by
the
commuter
rail,
-is
a gateway
- an assertive formal
element in
the city.
Boylston Street.
-is about the magnitude
of
a
community/neighborhood
of
form
the
about
defined
clearly
fabric
-is
-
the
of space in relation to
form.
built
-is
form of the Back Bay.
about
"designing"
or
interpreting
a context
where one did not exist - it is a space in-between
-is
about
connections
- spatial, physical,
visual,
with immense potential to become place.
psychological.
-between neighborhoods
-is
-between discontinuous form
and water
-between
clearly defined
space
about earth (or lack of it),
sky, fire (light)
(gravity).
and undefined
space
OARK
ur,
The Back Bay is made up of rowhouses
together
which
create the wall of the city and define
The whole is laid
the street as the public realm.
out along an axial grid that extends long skinny
clocks west from the Public Garden to the Back
Bay
Commonwealth
running
down
activity
is
Street.
Avenue
along
Newbury
Newbury
shopping area
with
center.
its
focus
spatial
Its
Fens.
street
it's linear
However,
Street
is
the
along
is
parkway
its
main
and Boylston
fashionable
of the city with many boutiques,
cafes and art galleries.
However, it is Boylston
Street which links the Back Bay with other parts
of the city, as it extends past the Public Garden to
the central business district, to the east, and into
the Fenway area, to the west.
made
of
neighborhoods
diverse
with
and
Boston is a city
clearly
definable
often tenuous links.
-~
NEWBURY STREET
LIr
BOYLSTON STREET
59
60
DESIGN
Throughout
the history
urban environments
elaboration
theme
infinite
and
- The
fabric
of
has evolved as a continuous
variation
Dwelling.
on
there
are
a
Though
number of variations in
construction,
do
of cities the
certain
single
there
size,
are
which
While this knowledge
and understandable.
The
form
culturally
and arises when
basis
must
framework
be
express
a
our
individuality
of shared values.
communication
-
within
we
which
against
there
can
a background
The dwelling is a collective
image - it has meaning not just to its inhabitants
but to society as a whole.
clear
of dwelling
there
is
are
We should view the dwellings and the street as a
unified
body
contrast
- a
public
of
and private
the continuity
their relations.
should be unclear.
In order for any system to have
for those involved there must be some
places
thoroughly
shared values within the system of elements and
meaning
for
structure
is confirmed, it also makes any differences
determined
an
form and
relations
not vary - the continuous unifying
and organization of rooms.
basic
fundamental
are
of space.
formed
habitable
merely
in
balanced
world
where
extremes
within
Boundaries
Space is fluid.
(barriers)
The public
flows into this private as the private flows into
the
public
with
elements.
many
Stairs,
windows,
columns
various
entries,
and walls
overlapping
balconies,
are
all
both
public
help
to establish our identity within
connect
us.
Creating the public realm is more complex than
elements
our world,
They do not separate us - they
The
transitional
form of community.
shared by
and private realms. These
without isolation.
bay
Social connections can build and grow into some
zones
that
are
simply giving
language
realm
place
in
development
They
also
serve
to
retaining
define
an
some
area
privacy.
where
the
that
not only
public
between
induces
while
definition.
of form
created allow some aspects of private life to take
public
it formal
It needs
public
of meaningful
also
but
actual
the
accommodates
and
the
mediates
private
and
a
With
space.
the withdrawal from life in the public realm
in
public is not shut out all together, but does not
this century,
intrude upon the private
it seems that the role of the Architect should be
realm.
to
A
neighborhood
needs
coherent
and
cohesive
form and some sort of public realm to which all
Neighborhoods need not
its inhabitants relate.
only
some sense of legibility.
to the public
induce
various
should
be
62
be
In
organized
this
to
wholeness
way
of creating meaningful
some
to
and these streets
hierarchically
integrated
neighborhood.
establishing
of identity can be
social contacts,
organized
of
possibility
should
also
By giving legible form
realm, a sense
Streets
created.
sense
focus. but
clear boundaries and some
there
space
create
to
is
a
the
the
and of
sense of place and belonging.
and the alienation it has produced,
to
communicate,
receptive
opportunity
the
provoke
environment.
mundane
everything
doomed to
despair.
possibility
-
one
interactions between
create.
and
question
If
for
people
grow
to
the
persists
urge
to
then
we
However, there
of
imaginative
in
to
a
make
are
is another
and
intuitive
people and the spaces they
PATTERNS
How
the form of most existing communities together,
Essential to the
of social changes.
regardless
we
do
identifying
a
inter-relationships
Social
patterns
of both
system
coherent
and
their
change
patterns
over
By
(places)?
communities
define
of
time.
is
place
a
of
quality
enduring
and change.
continuity
relationship between
form.
a certain place resists the forces of change over
However, change
time it most likely will decline.
However,
help
could
setting
continuous
a
within
time.
reinforce
as well
the site.
Each new built artifact should
form,
of
characteristics
essentially
unspoken
which
can
be
These
patterns
scale,
and
discernable
are
generally
developed
with
over
time,
agreements
within
recognized
overall
the
define
a
community.
use
, form,
individual
buildings
which together make up a community.
In this
patterns
sense,
location
the
distance
the
projections,
cornice
and
size
and
height
from
of
the form
define
of entry,
windows,
their
of the
texture
one
width
another,
lines, roof
access,
placement
of
the
shapes,
they
have always
have
over time,
time
built on pre-existing
define
to
serve
of
patterns
build
to create
yet
patterns.
of the
pre-
Similar patterns of form developed over
adapted.
define
materials
enhance
with new changes in social conditions - they are
patterns
of
conditions of
are not changed
The forms within a community
scale
of
individual
communities
patterns
serve
Individual
patterns
at the
Variations
within
and
qualify
larger
to
dis-
while
boundaries.
community.
the
each pattern.
define
changed
the conditions
to
place.
existing
patterns
generally
as redefine
well
similar
buildings,
form
as
the
redefine
as
the
and ornament, and so on.
Patterns
If
social
pattern of form seem less likely to change with
"Patterns"
complex
the
define
Also, each pattern serves to help
each other pattern.
need not be present
to be recognized
However, all
in every
local
situation
as a pattern, in fact, variations
of patterns reinforce and enrich the whole.
It is this process of transformation that has held
63
FACTORS
PERSONALIZATION
THAT
DESIGNING
is creating identity at a personal
Personalization
an
spontaneous
usage
environment.
This form
important
establishing
thus
areas,
identifiable
complexity
environment.
and
and
is an
community of the city.
possible
orientation.
should
invite
produces
richness
that
larger
the
appropriate
and
in
involve
and
the
building
the
local
community.
desirable
the
our
humanizes
influence
The more
places
and
SUPPORT
It
-where
things
makes
Personalization
within
role
building's
different
for
character
different
THAT
IN
COMMUNITY:
-The
domain.
a
BUILDINGS
ended
of territoriality
of establishing
way
encourages
open
IMPORTANT
own
inhabitant's
the
accommodating
level,
ARE
a
able to exert on his environment
committed he will become to it.
is
person
the
-The building should induce
a community of its
own from its inhabitants.
more
-The
building
should
by
design
invite
the
inhabitants to interact with it - to commune with
The
ones
identification
environment
and
with
is
a
key
communion
dimension
with
to
community.
171 -
64
r"I'
I7
rrt17
Af7I7
___
.
-
iMM
.__
-10-
THE ARTISTS
THE ARTISTS' DWELLING
It seems to me that artists and the arts in Boston
The artist dwellings are set to the rear limits of
are vital to the life of the city.
the site in order to open up the work areas in
recent
trend
previously
of
However, with the
gentrification
undesirable
spreading
areas where
low and space available,
rents
into
where
many artists are being
forced to move to areas outside of Boston for more
affordable
living
an estimated
conditions.
Currently
there are
1,500 artists in the South End who
front to the southern exposure to sunlight.
Once
this long skinny building is moved back, it sets
the backdrop for the possibility of various forms
of public activity in the expanded public domain
along the edge of Boylston Street.
The building
also
emphasized
the
direction
are feeling the pressure of possible displacement
movement
from their homes and studios.
portions of the buildings on the site.
into
the
site
and
into
of
public
the
public
The long,
continuous facade acts as a city wall marking the
Artists tend to inhabit areas of emerging vitality.
limits of the public domain.
They, generally, are not isolated or alone.
short
are
and
observing
around
to
design
"community"
the
active
world
They may work in solitude, but
them.
they are not alone.
is
interpreting
They
of
a
Thus, the challenge, for me,
multi-use
artists
which
building
can
metaphor of community or of a city.
serve
as
as
a
of
the
other
As the building stops
buildings
it
pathway of shops through the block.
opens
up
a
In this way
the 'end' of the block is optional - people move
through space not around it.
The end buildings
become a 'period' at the end of along sentence.
a
As visitors move through the central entrance to
the
back
of
the
building
they
enter
the
communal staircase - a giant glass enclosed steel
'fire
escape'
on
the
north
side, which
steps
forward, away from the rear alley as it ascends in
order to let light into the adjacent buildings.
The
65
stairs
from
cascade
the
upper
of
ends
the
building towards it's center in order to promote
between
communication
diagonal
floor.
each
This vertical informal access space is intended to
be
large
enough
but also to
large works of art
promote casual interaction
among the neighbors.
It is also a place where
through,
have
stairs
play
can
children
been
light and openness
The
are
floors
to
move
designed
The
the
building.
with
a maximum
within
- like a glass-roofed
glass
block
and
IT-1
of
street.
whole
the
T
structure is made of delicate steel much like the
open 'fire
local
escapes'
The
buildings.
access
escape'
seen in the alleys on many
corridor
informality
will,
of the
hopefully,
'fire
promote
neighbors to meet and chat and to take an active
interest in one another's
The heart
and primary
lives.
focus
of the
residential
building is a vertical atrium at its center.
core is the tallest part of the complex.
This
Here at a
to a work yard off to the side of the fore-court for
bright
sunny
communication
with
the
part of the mix within the community.
communal
below.
levels
which
and
dining
room, opening
lounge
can
the
become
as
to
At entry level are three large communal
studios with various support spaces,
66
serve
several
artists
and
Here
from
are
and
street.
workplace
entrance
artisans
exposure
half-level
above the street is the main entrance
Above this central
the entry forecourt.
of
southern
which open
The
central
hall
is
a place where meals
could be shared and ideas exchanged.
It connects
the
with
ground
level
entry
and
studios
open
Attention has been paid to those elements of the
project
such
which
as
promote
exterior
accessibility.
contact
space
with
the
and especially
street,
with
its
There was also a concern with how
spaces open up to one another and how interior
and exterior space is related.
form
is
attempting
arrangement
that
to
may
A variety of related
promote
serve
to
a
spatial
bring
people
closer together in their day-to-day interaction.
There is also an attempt to promote a dialogue
between
the
surrounding
community
of
neighborhood,
artists
as
and
many
the
activities
bring many people together for various reasons.
The
public
reciprocal
nature
of the
exterior
with the surrounding
spaces
is
buildings.
The
inner "streets" are the space that give quality to
the project as a whole.
outdoor space on the roof tegrace.
at various
levels can
goings
in the building
bright
sun
overlooking
watch the
while
the
studio units have no living
they
street
Those sitting
and
public
rest in
the
relationship.
The
area other than the
studio space itself, so the artists should be pleased
at times to take
a break
are the private domain, then the streets
comings
below.
with the company of
If the studio/apartments
possibility
take
-
domain
they
The
have
streets
of 'community'
place.
has
a
are
are the
complimentary
where
an opportunity
to
The enhancement of public domain
can serve to nurture life in the community
improve
the
relations
between
- to
people.
others.
67
THE THEATER BUILDING
The
commercial/Theater
reflect
the
19th
Century
opaque
It's
of the
neighborhood;
openness reflects
inside.
nature
building
does
not
predominantly
it's
however,
the public nature of the space
transparency
makes
it
accessible
from all sides to the surrounding neighborhoods.
The upper stories of this building do somewhat
return
to
a
recognizable
commercial
form
but
this serves to emphasize the openness of the first
and
second
floor.
The
transparency
offers
stimulus to the outside world as well as inviting it
in.
The building 'breathes in and out'.
1~~'~
68
PUBLIC SPACE ('PLACE')
by
created
is
tension
A dynamic
the diagonal
force of the turnpike as it lays the foundation for
The
the overlapping fabric of the Back Bay.
Turn of the Century Shopping Arcade.
and
movement,
access,
allow
central
the
up
opens
force
diagonal
choice
space
to
to
the
Central to the open space is an
various activities.
Here
open-air market covered by a glass canopy.
artist's can sell their work on a sunny day,
pushcart
vendors
impromptu performances
throughout
activity
public
changing
with
sort of
and through
the day
Along
seasons.
rain,
and so on.
occur,
induce some
should
space
This market
can
and
snow
avoid
can
the
open-air
market is a large space under the artist's studios
that can reinforce public activity and that opens
up
the street
space
to
the
that passes
arcade
through the block to Newbury Street.
Virtually
down
of the
public
space
Boylston
Street
to
all
from
flows gently
'basement'
level
shops and through the arcade to Newbury Street
which is a few feet lower in elevation than
p~7
Boylston
through
Street.
small
Here people
scale
streets
flow like
water
spaces.
As
and
visitors slide off of Boylston Street, they become
69
part of a special place with special
but familiar
on
the
site
respect
the
organization
of
the
activities.
The angled movement reminds them
of the presence of the Turnpike below and also of
neighborhood, yet still be able to tell the story of
the history
disregarded
then
history
built in what
destroyed.
The
Prudential
once was train tracks coming from the west and
annihilated
terminating
there, and it would be sad to follow this example
turns
and
archaeology
of the place.
out that the Turnpike was
where
the Prudential
Center
It
sits.
the unique history of the site.
If the angle was
would
Center
have
been
completely
any and all trace of what once was
public
movement
works
in
blindly.
filled.
relation to the angle - the same direction as the
In fact, the land fill was brought in by
trains along
cars on
their route.
So,
the
The tracks existed before the Back Bay was land
the turnpike,
the subway below.
In this
clear
light the question
fabric
of
the
was
city
how
layer
--din
70
place,
yet
trains,
and
Movement becomes the magic
could
the
of
over
the
orthogonal form of the buildings above.
archaeology of the site - how could the buildings
the
the commuter
it
doesn't
overpower
the
PUBLIC
DIMENSIONS:
Are based on the size of
DIRECTION:
continuous
the sidewalk and of the street.
however,
STRUCTURAL
DIMENSIONS:
are derived from
existing buildings in the area - local buildings
are 25 to 30 ft. wide on the average, with an
wall
interior
bearing
width.
Structural
about
bays
one
throughout
third
the
are 16 -20 ft. with 24 foot maximum width.
of
its
project
Buildings in the Back Bay are a
aggregate
of
the prevailing
vertical
direction
rowhouses;
is
horizontal.
Each building has a direct relation to the street, a
horizontal organization
of windows, a continuous
system of horizontal banding,
generally in stone,
which unifies the lintels and sills of the windows
as
well
as the
continuous
floor levels.
cornice
line
which
There is
dances
also a
up
down slightly yet continues on consistently.
and
MORE SOURCES
Porte Molitor Apartments, Paris.
Le Corbusier, 1933.
own=--w-ow,
IMi
nvio,
Atelier de Ozenfant, Paris.
Le Corbusier, 1922.
TH
GLASGOW
SC190L or= ART
Elderly People's Home, Almere, Netherlands.
Herman Hertzberger, 1980-84.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1910.
PROGRAM OUTLINE
ARTISTS' COMMUNITY IN THE BACK BAY
Studio/Apartments:
-open two story space
-controlled natural light or north light
-large wall surface
-balcony space overlooking studio
-kitchenleating
-storage
-sleeping
-bathroom
-large doors to move large works out of
space
-connections to other studios
Standard Apartments for Artists:
-various size units (studio, one and two
bedroom)
Communal Area:
-communal kitchen
-rest area
-open roof deck
Exhibition/Gallery
-variously
Space:
throughout
Extension of Institute of Contemporary
-movie theatre
-gallery space
-independent supports
Art:
Theatre (multi-purpose space)
Seating for =/- 300 people
-for concerts, performances, lectures,
events, film
-storage
73
-dressing rooms
Shops
-offices
-meeting rooms
-foyer, coats, bar
Shared Studio Space at 'Ground'
Level (resident and public use)
-ceramics, studio (and glass)
-outdoor workyard
-kilns
-clay mixing
-storage, offices
-sculpture studio
-outdoor workyard
-even lighting
-lift equipment/service access
-storage, offices
-multipurpose studio
-painting, drawing, printmaking,
crafts, etc.
-various workspace
-storage, offices
-photography
-darkrooms
-work areas
-sound/video/film studio
-acoustically clear
74
Cafes,
Restaurants
Private Art Galleries
Bookstores
Art Supplies
Public Space
-informal sitting
-multiple access
-multi- level/scale
-sunlight/shade (trees)
-informal open air market area for
pushcarts, artist, street vendors, etc.
-inpromtu stage
DIMENSIONS OF THE SITE
75
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DIMENSIONS OF PLACE
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ACCESS AND PLACE
77
PASIVITY - Receptive:
(place)
question where from?
POSITIVE - NEGATIVE
-Balance between active and passive
-Three-dimensional interlocking
.' /
:
ACTIVITY - Productive: question where to?
(access)
.
78
-Transparency
i
i
1. Entrance Hall Below
2.
Theater
3.
Theater Foyer
4.
Public Arcade
1-i
i
F-g
5. Shops
6.
Institute of Contemporary Art
7.
Open Air Market
8.
Sitting
9.
Forecourt
10. Workyard
11. Lobby for Artists' Studios
12. Artists' Studio
3
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN
79
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2. Cafe
3.
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4.
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5.
Shops
6.
Institute of Contemporary Art
7.
Open Air Market
8.
Entrance to Subway
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ARTISTS' APARTMENTS - SEVENTH FLOOR
83
PLAN OF ARTISTS' STUDIO
MEZZININE OF ARTISTS' STUDIO
85
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93
PLACE
I
'Place' is defined as the collective expression of
economic,
historical,
cultural,
those
values
social
and
geographical
that
made
are
manifest in the physical form of any given site.
The connection between form and space works to
a
define
variables
numerous
sense of place
within
transformation
of
together
a given
is
the
express
the
result
the
culture
decisions are laden with value.
This
context.
the
of
the
within
things
to
attached
value
that
understanding
synthetic
of
understanding
synthetic
All
(history).
We observe and
participate in this world by the identification
personal
and
images
references,
which
of
have
some meaning or value for each of us within a
given
setting.
Each space has its own distinct character defined
definitions,
by its dimensions, proportions,
boundaries,
by
its
geographic
orientation
- its
relation to the whole, by its mix of use and by the
quality that is attached to its form, relation, and
function in a given time.
95
--------
MON&AAMM AMFAMW
"Architecture is the manifestation in form
on the order of our experience. It is a model
of our consciousness, the fitting of ourselves
between the earth and the sky, the patterns
in which we relate one to another, and the
The
physical presence of our society.
architecture of each culture is a model of
that culture's world, not of the world's
shape, but of its underlying form. We find
in architecture a model of the underlying
principles that govern the world, the forces
that give it shape and the space and time for
its action."
-Louis I. Kahn
96
CONCLUSION
The
begin
but to
problem,
to
working
a
establish
a
design
specific
a
to
solution
comprehensive
produce
to
not
was
here
intent
dialogue with the world and my own experiences
For me, it was a matter of getting back
within it.
Much of what is found here could (and should)
advance,
test, and confront
returning to simple recognition, I may be able to
interpretive.
continue to begin each design exploration
In this way each new
without preconception.
design should have the capacity to be a fresh
the
for
possibility
a
between
relationship
understanding
clearer
It
beginnings.
is
not
necessarily methodical in its approach, it is more
seeds
personal
Somewhere
and
the
between
fulfillment
understanding
of
the lines
of
this
a
are
deeper
world.
Beginning is my strong point, but resolution
of
something else.
the
a
is
This document can attest to that.
intuition,
and
knowledge
many
or
but
is the
also,
Here,
beginning.
issues of observation
This thesis is not an end,
and design.
beginning,
- a new
I hope it is taken
more as an outline or framework from which to
to basics, to begin with the simplest recognizable
Hopefully, by
elements and their attributes.
start
Nevertheless,
be contested.
or the objective and subjective aspects of design.
The
inspiration
between
line
very thin,
me
prompted
I feel
indeed.
to
become
and
imitation
that this thesis has
more
structured
hope
toward
it
indicates
improving
an
the
increasing
and
In addition,
objective in my approach to design.
I
is
commitment
conditions
environment and our relationship to it.
of
our
'Through experience gained and translated
into work, the student demonstrates the
progress of his dialogue with the object. His
growth in the vision and contemplation of
nature enables him to rise towards the
metaphysical view of the world and to form
free abstract structures which surpass
schematic intention and achieve a new
naturalness then he creates a work or
participates in the creation of works that are
the image of Nature and
Wisdom.
-Paul Klee
97
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alexander, Christopher, The Timeless Way of Building, 1979.
A Pattern Language. 1967.
Brolin, Brent, Architecture in Context: Fitting New Buildigs With Old. 1981.
Chang, Amos In Tiao, The Tao of Architecture. 1956.
Habraken, N. John, Transformations of the Site. 1983.
The Appearance of the Form, 1985.
Supponts. 1961.
Hertzberger, Herman, et.all, Aldo Van Eyck. 1982.
Kandinsky, Wassily, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, 1914.
Point and Line to Plane. 1947.
Klee, Paul, Paul Klee Notebooks. Volume 1:
Paul Klee Notebooks, Volume 2:
The Thinking Eye. 1961.
The Nature of Nature, 1973.
Lobell, John, Between Silence and Light - Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I.
Kahn. 1979.
Luchinger, Arnulf, Herman Hertzberger 1959-1986:
Buildings and Projects. 1987.
Mikelides, Byron (ed.), Architecture
Norberg-Schulz,
for People., 1980.
Christian, The Concept of Dwelling, 1985.
Genius Loci. 1980.
Smithson, Alison (ed.), Team Ten Primer. 1962.
98
Wing, R.L, The Illustrated I Ching. 1982.
Wright, Frank Li, Assorted Writings.
Van Eyck, Aldo, Assorted Writings.
M.I.T. THESIS:
Cope, Michael.
Crosley, Mark L.
A Thematic Projection for a New Neighborhood in
Philadelphia:
Continuity and Change.
Recreating the Context:
The Design of a Community
Theater.
PERIODICALS:
Places Volume 4. Number 2. 1987.
Space and Society. No. 18. 1982.
Space and Society. No. 24. 1983.
The Architecture
Review. April 1985.
99
(o (c9 7)
100