We have been talking about concepts and designing ever since school started and I can say I have improved atleast quite a bit. All the things I’ve have been continually and gradually applied in my designs and that is a vital part of this profession. We learn gradually and apply what we’ve learned in any way we can whether in concept or the structure itself.
Last meeting we discussed about some Architect and their Design processes, Philosophies and how they are able to manifest their ideas into a structure. Thom Mayne was aone of those Architects that we have tackled. Personally, I haven’t heard of him or any of the Structures he has built, but I really find his Philosophies and concepts interesting and unique than others. It is a typical notion of an Architect to be unique in Many ways, but I think Thom Mayne’s ability to input his knowledge and philosophies are a lot more complex and has an underlying concept that he shows with control over his forms. Thom Mayne’s firm “ Morphosis” explains his way of thinking and his view of Architecture. He is adventurous and continues to explore may forms and possible ways to improve Architecture. He focuses on concepts and ways that he could enhance life by means of his Architecture. He is constantly evolving and is open to new concepts that may come in his way and one can see that in his buildings. He is dynamic in terms of concept and has the power to apply it flawlessly unlike other Architects. As an Architecture student, I already know that Architecture is a very demanding field. We have to know what’s beyond a structure and take into consideration a lot of things. As an Architect, we are creators, we design to create a beginning of something. I have learned through my Freshmen years that we should not look forward on to the end product when designing. It is important to go through a process and that process gives you a chance to produce Architecture that has Identity, Functionality, Sustainability, and Purpose. Like Mayne, I’d like to keep in mind that we should not think of Architecture Physically, but more of a way to respond to human needs, activities and problems. Architecture touches everything. Economical, social, space, geometry, Indeed it is the Queen of the Arts. Mayne doesn’t think of it as simple decoration or Designing for your preference but considers more than the clients but the environment, the city, the world.
I saw a video of Thom Mayne giving a Lecture in TED. He was stressing the relationship of a building and ground. For him, it should not be separate entities, it should be connected in a way and communicates with one another. Everything is made up of an Element and he uses that to connect the Landscape into his concepts and the building itself, like a Connective tissue he says. All this is explained in his firm’s name ‘Morphosis”. He is all about connection, relationship, environment and development. Though at first look his structures wouldn’t look that much grand and exuberant unlike other architects but it’s the concept and the thought process that goes into his design that is Flamboyant.
He thinks like a philosopher does. He is practical and uses his knowledge to cater to people. It is very hard for me to conceptualize and develop ideas though he makes it look easy. I look up to his works for that.
I think he’s a great Architect. Not for his style or how his buildings look but for the process it undergoes and the ideas, concepts and philosophies that goes into it.
An office is a workspace that all humans encounter daily. In an office, we are expected to work productively, efficiently and produce a working environment to fulfill a purpose or demand. Mayne designed the San Francisco Federal Building in San Francisco California. I t is meant to be a Office building situated in one of the most busiest streets of California. It stands 18 storeys and has a Pavilion/cafeteria for both the Public and the workers. Unlike conventional Commercial office spaces, this building is what Mayne calls a “Hybrid”. It uses natural ventilation and is meant to utilize natural daylight as well as free flowing air produced by the environment. The first floors where there are more people situated and equipment are the ones air-conditioned. The skin of the building acts as sort of a “lung” which ventilates the air regulating in the building. This is what I love about Mayne. He addresses problems that in a complex yet straightforward way. He thinks about what the building needs, what the environment doesn’t need and he solves that by building an eco-friendly structure. He also manages to relate his concepts to the clients themselves. He wanted to create an environment which promotes Creativity and Productivity among the workers and that in return their work performance increases.
I think one of the most important thing in designing is to keep in mind your clients. What they want, what they need, they’re strengths and weaknesses, their preferences and that in turn dictates how you make a structure work. That is what I love about this profession, it touches everything and anything. It influences people in every possible way. Following Mayne’s point of view, I did not look at it as if it was just a building. Analyze, Criticize and Conceptualize what makes it a building and what is a building for Mayne.
There is a common Language that Thom Mayne produces In his buildings. He uses the Concepts as design processes that would lead to a solution to the problem. I had never known that he did such environmentally conscious buildings. Again, addressing a problem and finding a solution.
Thom Mayne captures the essence of the land being an empty canvass and shaping it into a usable form. You can notice that his structures have this kind of mobility that you see when walking over land. Like sand dunes or a system of roads, his structures stress the relationship between the land and the structure. He never neglects an element that would make his structures more efficient. He considers everything when designing, and that is how we should design. Early on, I’ve been trying to design buildings with soul or meaning not just for display, just like Mayne. I try applying concepts on both how it looks and the experience when going inside. Gradually I can see my designs evolving from a simple concept into a form that can actually be done in real life. It’s been really hard for me, ever since this school year started. The design subjects are really hard and spot on, but I know years of practice will teach me how to Conceptualize and Design properly, and Mayne has been known to be a master in that field. It’s not about how many buildings you have built, but how many have affected people, have been a monument or has enhanced life. Thom Mayne is also a master of that matter. People hire him not because of his beautiful buildings but for its purpose.
Thom Mayne is really a master of Architecture for many things. I think I have emphasized it enough and I personally have learned many things from him. I think his buildings speak for itself and are an example of what true architecture is. I have encountered many famous Architects who are just flamboyant in form. They say it’s modern and beautiful. You would look at a structure and say “Nice building” and then what? Nothing follows. I cannot judge these Architects because I don’t know their story and their design processes but for me, Architecture is so powerful, it is a tool and it should be used and utilized to its maximum potential. Whether its social, economical or human factors and needs that inhibit us to build a structure, we must all address these problems for Architecture does not only serve as a sculpture but as a system, shelter, refuge, and other functions. This is the beauty of our Field. We can change lives, and improve people’s lifestyles. We can solve problems. We can be an instrument to inspire people and motivate them. We are so powerful that all these factors even our own lives could be affected. Like our professor said, We are the only ones that know how to tell the sun where to go or to shed light. I laughed, but I realized it’s true in a way.
Thom Mayne is brilliant in his own way. W e as Architects have our own ways of influencing people whether on how we design, how we conceptualize or how we derive forms. But we should always keep in mind the essence of the structure and what makes it a structure. Thom Mayne may not be as famous as other Architects but his works have been remembered and have created a legacy early on, and that’s where an Architect’s performance should be based on.
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