What is the role of honesty and deception in architecture today? Is honesty and deception predominantly about the expression of structure, the relationship between interior and exterior, the expression of goals and challenges of the architect; some combination of these; or something else? in other words, if a fourth text were added to this chapter what would the argument be about today's architecture in relation to honesty & deception?

ARTICLE READING

LECTURE 04

Honesty, for now.

I personally believe that honesty and deception both play a different and yet important role in architecture today. I myself feel that I’m leaning more towards the honesty style of architecture, but I can’t deny the fact that architecture that is eye-opening and brings in new innovations and inspiration are those that are deceptive. Why would I say that? Well before I start please to allow me to explained myself on the role of both honesty and deceptive architecture.

In my personally opinion, which anyone could agree to disagree with, I feel that honesty and deceptive architecture both are a way of expression. The difference is, I feel that honesty architecture is a way of expressing the understanding of materials as a way of appreciating the materials and let material speak itself and do what’s it’s supposed to do. On the other hand, deceptive architecture expresses that there is no limitation of construction, and it also allow the spectator to stop and have a second thought saying, what is that? How they do it?

So, with that being said, what is honesty in architecture? Ruskin himself propose three types of deceits, which brings us to structural honesty, surface honesty, and operative honesty. I do agree with most of the points, but not the last. He promotes the use of handcraft items and believe that only by that, architecture is truly honest, “You use that which pretends to worth it has not; which pretends to have cost and to be, what it did not, and is not …”. I feel that in the fast-growing technological advancement, I do believe that new materials either man-made or machinery, are available for an honesty architecture, only if it is apply only for what it’s for and not implying other purposes. As the construction industries, have become more advanced, I feel that we should as well. Therefore, I do believe that there should be no limitation to the vast variety of materials, only the limitation to its function and purposes.

Honesty architecture shows the understanding of materials and function, it expresses the appreciation of materials and structure and no abusing it. Therefore, honesty architecture is often known as form follows function, which is why I do prefer it, cause I myself do like simple design. But what’s important is that the design serves a purpose to it which I believe is the difficult part. Today, it is so important to connect architecture with human, and to do that I believe that we must not only fully understand human but also architecture itself in details, what are needed what are not.

In contrary, I do feel that today, eye-catching and innovative, and what’s crowned to be a creative and inspiring architecture are those that have the deceptive factor in it, and I believe in the future, it would be as well. As we always see in the movies that sets in the future, architectures are very deceiving and let you wonder what is that?

But as for now I do still prefer honesty architecture, I believe that honesty architecture shows a better use of materials and not only appreciating the materials, but also showing it to others as well. Who knows maybe as time progress the term honesty architecture might as well.

In the two picture, Unite d habitation (left), Oakland Cathedral (right), we can see that honest architecture (left) are more dull and simple, in contrary the deceptive architecture (right) is more eye-catching.

As you can see on the two architecture of Mies Van de Rohe, Crown Hall (left), and Farnsworth House (right), where both promotes honesty in architecture, but with the use of old and new structure.

Another architect, sek san, in his design he left alot of elements as bare as they could, such as wall columns even without finishes, but as a results, the design showcase they brickwork, and appreciation the materials.