"Fitting In" - a Sasaki discussion on contextualism

By Steven Wilson posted on Fri, 2009-10-09 17:43 , 3774 reads, 0 comments

This in-house Sasaki discussion/debate looked at contextualism from perspective of the individual architectural intervention (the tree), and the perspective of the district and the city (the forest).   Brie Hensold and Caitlyn Clauson led the first discussion on the forces shaping form and context including program, economics, taste and memory.  Adalie Pierce-McManamon and Leslie Lee led the second session on parallel themes from the city perspective, along with examples such as the Katrina cottage and the Renaissances in Dubai.

 

 

Below are some excerpts of the conversation. Please feel free to add to the discussion in the comment section.

 

 

 

 

 

"This house is more a response to the published context than the actual physical context."

 

 

  

 

Regarding House N -

 

"Imagine if the whole fabric looked like that..."

 

"You really need to think about the guy next to you- whether you are imposing on your neighbor."

 

"On the other end, a building like this makes the context visible and relevant."

 

"There is a lot lost when you imitate."

 

"The building offers relief and release for the surrounding context. Historic preservation is a form of fossilization."

 

"You can tell it’s a selfish house. They just make whatever they want."