Urban Quilting

I like to think about historic urban neighborhoods as a vibrant patchwork of different colors, patterns and textures stitched together by a grid of streets. As I’m writing this on a chilly October night I think about what makes those quilts so familiar, warm and cozy. And what makes them smell like home to so many of us.

It’s a variety of different types of fabric interacting together. From very fine florals of single family homes, through larger patches of multifamily pockets, neighborhood commercial centers and green parks, to much more prominent, landmark forms of hospitals, schools and churches.

It’s an organic character of the complex organism that grew over time. The different styles of material used. From Victorian lace, to utilitarian (Denver) squares of denim, to orthogonal grids of modern flannel. Every style has its place in the history of this quilt.

So how do we preserve this piece of fiber art? Not by hanging it in a museum behind a glass. Not by “do not touch” policy. The urban fabric has to be patched and repaired constantly like a tattered baby blanket. The best way to preserve historic neighborhoods is to allow them to continue to change and evolve. Those living, breathing organisms have to be allowed to adapt to current market conditions otherwise they will perish and die. Worn out pieces need to be replaced by new patches of developments that better suite our changing lifestyles. Contemporary forms should be introduced to represent their time. New building technologies will contribute to more sustainable construction. Responsible urban quilting is not achieved by freezing time but by continuous maintenance. Without the maintenance colors will fade and the fabric will deteriorate.

The Art in ARchiTecture and why Style doesn’t matter

In the old days of BC (Before Children) I used to do a lot of oil painting (yes, this one is mine). For several years I took classes from Kevin Weckbach on visual approaches in painting. Kevin is a truly inspirational teacher and a well recognized painter. His works are full of bold expression and spontaneity. But when Kevin teaches it’s all about the structure in painting. The “bones” or the “foundation” behind the artwork.

There are three simple questions that an artist has to answer: WHAT IF - Because the shapes have to be non-generic and unique. WHY- Because the painting has to have a strong and well executed concept (a visual approach). The concept cannot be arbitrary and has to be consequently carried through. And than there is HOW - the technical ability of an artist.

Those questions are the foundation of a good painting. Notice I never mentioned STYLE? Rembrandt and Pollock were both outstanding painters whose work can be described using the above criteria. Their paintings have strong structure and originality. Their skills are superb. Yet their style is completely different.

The same is true with architecture. Whether historical or contemporary, Victorian or modern no style is superior to the other. What defines good architecture is not the style but the solid foundation of well thought out concept and consistent execution. The style is a question of personal preference. Some wear tie-dye tee-shirts other prefer black turtlenecks. There is no right or wrong.

I often struggle when people ask me what kind of architecture I do: Residential or commercial? Traditional or contemporary? We need to categorize things to help us understand the world around us. The question I ask myself is: Buildings or Architecture?

The difference between buildings and architecture

Talk to any business coach and she will tell you to systematize your practice. Develop procedures and checklists for others to follow so you can go on vacation and your business can function without you. But how to you capture creative process? It’s like putting a snow suit on a 12 month old baby. They twist and wiggle and after many tries it is still backwards. Impossible!

Or is it? How about a simple four-step check list that when applied will result in a good design every time. Guaranteed. Let’s try.

WHAT IF is the fundamental question. WHAT IF challenges the obvious and generic.
WHY fights the arbitrary. WHY is responsible for a strong and well executed concept.
HOW MUCH asks “is this the best solution that the budget can buy?”
HOW is about technical expertise. HOW is what makes a building a building.

So how do you measure a difference between architecture and a building? Ignore the first three points of the check list and you will end up with a building. It will stand up and house the functions it was intended for. Depending on level of technical skill of the designer, quality of execution by the contractor and the budget it can be a very successful building. Nothing wrong with that.

But WHAT IF we try just a little bit harder? WHY? – because it’s worth it. HOW MUCH is this going to cost? – No more than a building. HOW? – One project at the time.

It is all because of WHAT IF

It is Saturday morning and it’s snowing. I’m running up and down the 18th Avenue taking pictures of buildings. It’s freezing. I could be sitting at Starbucks sipping hot Earl Gray tea but here I am instead. Why?

It’s all because of WHAT IF.

The design of the new addition was all done. The original option was just fine. It met all the program requirements and it made sense. It was the first and the obvious solution. We thought we were done.

I set at my drafting table on Friday knowing that I will get myself in trouble. My head spinning and full of questions: What if we look at the context? What if we address the street better? What if we hide the parking behind the building? What if we create more exciting building form? The new option emerged in a matter of minutes. The new form addresses the neighborhood context so much better. The circulation on site is very clear. And there is so much more potential in terms of creating an interesting façade.

But now we have to figure it out. Study the adjacent buildings; take pictures of the streetscape, back to sketches and studies. More work for us. Darn it!

So here I am, in the snow. On Saturday morning. Freezing! All giddy with excitement about the better “way to skin the cat”.

City on the Vine (random thoughts on tomatoes and city planning)

“Organically grown” provides the best results not only when it comes to tomatoes. European cities grew organically for thousands of years without control of a zoning code. The only limitation was: stay within the city walls. That regulation ensured density. They did have problems due to the lack of sanitation, but thankfully we have solved those problems now. So why not encourage density and organic growth of our cities?

Well, while at the first glance the idea of a “free range” city seems yummy; on the second thought one may have some reservations. First of all the medieval builders in Europe were faced with limitations. Mainly technical. They had the ability to construct a sky-high cathedral but average town house was limited to three or four stories. They also didn’t have to deal with car traffic and parking issues. When we think about our cities right now, and realize what complex and sophisticated organisms they are, it seems that some planning might be a good idea. But how much planning is too much?

New Denver zoning code is “form based”. What it means is that the planners came up with a set of forms that are appropriate for certain uses and locations. For example, they are saying, if you want to build a house in one of the near-downtown neighborhoods this is what it needs to look like. And here comes a sketch of a house and a list of requirements regarding the floor height above grade, the wall plate height, the length of wall, the jogs in the wall, the porch location and size… Wait a second! It’s a complete design! Have we gone too far? Do we really need the City planners to tell us how many steps we need to climb to get to the front door of our house? (by the way, the ADA accessible, on-grade entry is not allowed under the current draft)

What is this controlled approach going to do to our city? There are covenanted communities in our area to examine. Highlands Ranch comes to mind. Let’s think about it for a minute: Character? Charm? Vibrant mix of forms and uses? Walkable community? Hmmm…Let’s go back to Europe for a second. What is so fascinating about those old towns built without a plan? Character? Charm?.... How did they do it?

Dear City Planners, please focus on transportation, growth and sustainability. Please protect our residential areas from heavy industrial uses. Please keep Wal-Mart away from the downtown. Tell us all about uses, setbacks, allowable floor area ratios and even height of the structures. But please let architects do their job of designing the buildings. We promise we won’t mess up your grand vision.


Sincerely,


Gosia Kung (the architect)

How?

There is a lot that goes into HOW the building is put together. It’s a loaded question. From technical aspect of the design and detailing to careful execution by the contractor.

How is about the Zoning Code and about the Building Code. How does the building fit on site and how do people exit in case of emergency.

How is about the materials and how they fit and work together. How they are supported and how they transition.

How is about engineering. How is the roof supported and where does the water drain. How is the building heated and cooled and where does the power come from. Where is the water heater located and how do we dispose of the sewer.

How is about the construction. Working with a contractor on how our drawings are interpreted and executed.

How is what makes a building a building.