it shows the use of materials in raltion to the site, and how Frank Lloyd Wright respect the materials
Context in architecture have been a very important factor and have been consider as inseparable when it comes to architecture design in the second half of the 20th century. However, the ideas behind the concept, have existed long before. There will always be some concerns, existing around the context when it comes to architectural practice and discourse. This is especially so in the modern period where it appears that even a developed experienced contextual thought was not interacted with and from time to time, strong attitudes against it appear to be taken. Even so however, it is clear that context is still inadvertently given attention through the various aims behind the context; and therefore, we can say that it is influential still. I think context have always and will forever be as important as it has been no matter what. Even when times went by, and even if the importance of the context to architecture have changed, it will only differ in the types of context that the architect uses compared to the past, while the value of importance, however, will always be as it is.
Is context today more important, less importance, or of the same importance as it was a century ago? Compare one contemporary case study and one case study from roughly a century ago.
ARTICLE READING
LECTURE 11
Context affects how the building forms are design, and also materials used in the building. It creates a visual link to the surroundings, just as shown in the pictures above
Contextual factors include the nature of the surroundings that is natural and built elements. Basically, the context determines the architectural style, building material selection and site layout, which is very important in creating an effective design. All these promote continuity between the building and local circumstances. Buildings itself do not exist in isolation. They are conceived to house, support, and inspire a range of human activities in response to socio cultural, economic, and political needs, and are erected in natural and built environments that constrain as well as offer opportunities for development. The elements of context are physical and non-physical. Buildings, Roads and land contour are the examples of physical elements while the non-physical elements are local culture, weather condition, as well as political and economical constraints.
FALLINGWATER
A great example of contextual architecture in the past is the well-known Fallingwater by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright. His first intention was to design an extraordinary house that redefined the relationship between man, architecture, and nature. Built in the year of 1939, Wright wanted to create harmony between man and nature, and his integration of the house with the waterfall was successful in doing so. The house was meant to complement its site while still competing with the drama of the falls and their endless sounds of crashing water. As we can see, in the past the context of architecture is an important factor that allows the building to somehow blends in to its surrounding by having similar characteristics that are implemented architecturally into the design of a building.
The ceilings of the rooms are low, reaching only up to 6'4" in some places, in order to direct the eye horizontally to look outside. The beauty of these spaces is found in their extensions towards nature, done with long cantilevered terraces. Shooting out at a series of right angles, the terraces add an element of sculpture to the houses aside from their function. The house took on "a definite masonry form" that related to the site, and for the terraces they decided on a reinforced-concrete structure. It was Wright's first time working with concrete for residences and though at first, he did not have much interest in the material, it had the flexibility to be cast into any shape, and when reinforced with steel it gained an extraordinary tensile strength. Fallingwater is the physical and spiritual occurence of man and architecture in harmony with nature. All you have to do is listen.
From this example by Frank Lloyd Wright we can understand how the in the past that architects utilize the context in his design and trying to complement the surroundings with the building itself and creates architecture as a whole with the environment, also designed with respect to material and patterns. Through these examples, we can clearly see the importance of context to architecture in the past.
VENA CAVA WINERY
However, looking at present, does context plays the same important role as it is in the past? I believe that it does. Vena Cava Winery is a recent project in 2012, by the TAC Taller de Arquitectura Contextual. It is located in a valley perpendicular to the sea, prevailing winds of Marian Humboldt current, surrounded by deserts and rugged mountains. In this valley, the Dominican missionaries settled forming this site a place where the landscape for viticulture is very peculiar.
From the picture above, if shows the reuse of old objects and materials that are found in the surroundings
This project is an exercise in recycling but it's a project that works with the landscape, using waste to mimic the building with the environment, based on these ideas began playing and they took a step even in constant development, viticulture dare of marine debris. This did pose a way to bring the sea to the valley, the culture of the border, "Yonke culture" in which garbage and other wastes are combined with the landscape, to people in the community there is no difference between the Garbage and the natural environment, the two are in the collective memory.
In contrast, we can see the difference of how context affects the design of a building compared to the previous project by Frank Lloyd wright. The world today is definitely different from the world a one century ago, and there are more and more concerns of the environment submerging, as time passes by, less greeneries, lack of open spaces, increase of population, worsen of the pollution. As an architect of the present, these are the type of contexts where the architects’ focus is shifted to. And it is important that architects consider all these concerns of the surrounding in order to create a building that best fits the site, and ensure that the building and its environment complement each other.
However, buildings to day does not necessary decline all previous importance of context used in the past. For example in this project, the choice of the definitive place to locate the plant did the same way as the Zapotec Monte Alban chose Teotihuacan Teotihuacan or reading the landscape with stars, the correspondence of the mountains. The stars are infallible reference elements for the location work with the landscape by what comes of it, each element of the plan referred to an emergency in the landscape, we seek the location but also functionality, access to the site, winds, crops and equipment, dictating that the location was in a small mountain to serve us as a landmark in the landscape. So from this we can learned that, architect until the present moment still practiced contextual principle that is used in the past.
The provision only after the location due to the efficiency of both energy and functions as wine making. Is a radial pattern that is most efficient for industrial production, is the element that contains fewer distances between parts and thus the most efficient for the production of a fluid. Use gravity to give wine processes more efficient control of aeration and care in the manufacturing processes of wine aeration is an important control element and thus eliminate the use of pumps for the processes need be by gravity. To control the temperature, insulate the building with the earth of the place, for which we use the rough cuts, leaving the soil bare and working only the floors and ceilings, which are made with boats discarded by the port to be used Domes as canon, in the style of the ancient builders who built boats like churches.
Therefore, from the comparison, we can see the two-contrary environment of the era from the past and in the present. And that both of these era shows how important contexts are to each of the building. We can also see the different types of contexts that the architects are concern about in two different generations, where there are different concerns of surroundings and universally. However, as a conclusion these different roles of context, I believe, are still as influential as context have always been. That is because context plays an important role that provides an identity to the building, hence providing unity and harmony between the building and its surrounding. And context plays an important role of solving issues that the building may concern and help create solution that made the building and its surrounding better and much considerations of humans behaviors.
THOUGHTS