Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

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Name of student: James Barrell

Student number: 14051282

Module number: U30006

Module name: Architecture and Society

Module leader: Ricardo Assis Rosa

Title of work: Manifesto and Journal

Date of submission: 12th December 2014 Time of submission: 10 am

Number of items being submitted: PDF Document 24 Pages including Bibliography

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This is submitted as solely my own work X

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 James Barrell
14051282
U30006 Architecture and Society
2014
 MOVING
PLANET
SURVIVE
DIVERSE
ART

MANIFESTO
SCALES
HISTORY
POLITICAL
FASHIONABLE
FAÇADE
Architecture
should be

Architects must create space which

M allows people to experience powerful

emotions, space with drama or space
that allow people to drift away with
their thoughts.

“He experiences the

O house in its reality and
in its virtuality, by
means of thought and
dreams.”
V (Bachelard 1989 pp 3-20)

Bachelard implies that there is more to

a space than its physical three-

I
dimensionality, almost a fourth
dimension which is only visible in the
mind’s eye. This dimension allows
people to experience space in a
completely different way and permits
them to daydream. Conversely,

N
Bachelard uses the house as his context
and insinuates that there must be a
modest quality to a building to create
these emotions.

Architects must use this modesty in

order to design buildings which can

G ignite these ‘fourth dimension’

experiences.
Architecture
can save the

It is commonly known that the human

P race is destroying earth by exploiting

the world’s natural resources and
making a hole in the ozone layer.
Where do architects fit into this?
50% of ozone depletion is attributed to

L buildings (Wilmott Dixon 2010), which

by and large means that architecture is
making a significant contribution to
climate change. Although not all
existing buildings can be changed to

A reduce this, it is important that

architects consider how their future
buildings will have an impact.
Foster (2003) writes about the
environmental impact of his designs,

N “sustainability is not a matter of fashion,

but of survival.” He notes the
importance of sustainability within
architecture and how not considering
sustainability can be detrimental to

E humanity. Foster’s views like many

architects are often written about but
not always acted upon to a degree of
significance. This is when architects
have to be loud about global issues,

T make it known to their clients so that

we can act before it is too late.
Architects must
collaborate to

S Architects most not only collaborate

with professionals such as engineers
and urban designers but with the
people who they are designing for.

U Jacobs write about how cities have the

ability to perform for all people who
inhabit them “only because, and only
when they are created by
everybody.” (1961). Using American

R cities as precedence for her work she

explains the difference between how
architects perceive how cities work
and how they work in reality. As
journalist she has taken a distanced

V view on the cities examining how there

can often be a fractious relationship
between architects and citizens with
often architects prioritising their own
beliefs over the needs of citizens.

I Architects need to build bridges with

clients and have a greater
understanding of how they use and
experience space. It is also important
that clients have a much greater

V involvement in the design process to

give them greater satisfaction and to
give architects the opportunities to
learn more about their needs.

E
Architects must
be

D
The future of architecture is looking

I bleak. With an increasing consumer

culture and a dying desire for
something truly unique, architect’s
services are becoming redundant. This
leads for the necessity for architects to

V
diversify into other areas of work and
using their problem solving skills.
One example of this is emerging
architect Julia King whose ethos is

“I love designing beautiful

E things but I’m more than
happy in my work to sit
back and offer a very

R practical solution. I see a

lot of beauty in that.” (King
2014)

This approach must be adopted by

S architects as a means to move their

practices forward.

E
Architecture
can be

A A much argued question is whether

architecture should be considered a
form of art?
Hillman (2013) best summarises art and
its role within architecture,

R “Art is a form of self-

expression with
absolutely no

T responsibility to anyone
of anything.
Architecture can be a
piece of art, but it must
be responsible to
people and its
context.”
But doesn’ t It is important for architects to
have to be remember that they first and foremost
have a responsibility to the clients they

A work for. They must see the notion of

people using their spaces as the art
rather than the overall aesthetics of the
space. The art which an architect
creates is their expression of how a
space functions for the people that use

R it. Architects are artists, just a different

kind to the ones who paint paintings;
they work in the medium of space. The
most important praise they can attain is
from the users of the space rather than

T a pleasing journal critique.

Architects must
work on
multiple

Architects must work on multiple scales

S even when designing for an individual.

When designing a dwelling for a family

or individual the architect must
consider more than simply how the
environment s/he creates impacts said

C family, but also must take consideration

to how that dwelling impacts the
neighbourhood, city and the world.

Although it may seem ridiculous to say

that one house has a global impact, in

A a time when natural resources are

scarce and the effects of climate
change are beginning to be observed,
it is important that we consider the
overall sustainability of a property. In
2009 the average UK household emits

L approximately 5.2 tonnes of CO2 each

year (Palmer and Cooper, 2011 p.34)
which is making a significant impact on
climate change.

Architects must consider global issues

E when designing in the 21st century and

battle with clients desire to save money
to design more sustainable buildings.
Most buildings an architect designs will
survive at least 50 years or so and
therefore architects must consider

S where there designs sit within the future

not just the here and now.
History must
stay as

Architects need to focus on the present

H and future rather than imitating or

romanticising the past.

Eisenman (1984) writes in his essay, ‘the

end of the classical’, of modern
architecture and how it was “not a

I rupture with history, but simply a

moment in the same continuum”. He is
referring to how the modern movement
attempted to be different and oppose
the imitation of classical architecture.
However in doing so he feels that

S modern movement still took essence

from history and describes it as “less
“modern” than originally thought.”

However the quote of Eisenman which

resonates the most is…

T “Conservation destroys
the present. If we are
only busy preserving
O the past we are not
living in the present and
unable to look
forward”.
R Eisenman refers to the destructive
nature of conservation and how too
often using the past as a precedence
we neglect what is going on around us

Y now which ultimately prevents us from

design for the future.
Whether we like
it or not,
architecture is P
O Architects must stop trying to remain
pure by disconnecting themselves from
the biggest social issues in society.
Architecture spends too much energy

L focusing on the most insignificant part

of a building, the aesthetics, while
blindly ignoring other major issues.

Ghirado (1984) writes of how style of

the building takes “center stage in

I
order to divert attention from more
important concerns.” And speaks of
how this “avoids a critique of the
existing power structure, of the way
power is used and the identity of those
whose interest the power serves.” She

T
speaks strongly of the naivety of the
architect who focuses on form rather
than taking a responsibility for the other
issues in society.

After a series of migrant deaths in the

construction of a stadium in Qatar,

I Zaha Hadid (2014) responds to her

responsibility as the architect. “I cannot
do anything about it because I have
no power to do anything about it.”.
Hadid’s practice focuses on the style of
buildings and still chooses to work in

C countries with major ethical issues.

However it is the responsibility of the
architect, particularly one with such
power and influence, to tackle these
issues in their designs and work.

A
L
Architecture
should not be F
A
S As the business of architecture has got
tougher with issues such as the global
economic crisis there has been a trend

H in the architecture market to adhere to

the consumer culture of society and
make architecture more fashionable.
This enables the architectural practice
to look more viable to the public
however decreases the integrity and

I progression of design.

Ghirardo (1984) writes of the effect of

this trend, “They reveal architects in full
retreat from any involvement with the

O actual world of buildings.” She implies

that architects who work in such a way
are disconnected from reality.
Furthermore, she questions whether
architecture should be conservative

N even when it is economically reliant on

capital in order to earn trade.

The view that the architect should take

is that they must always question the

A norm. They should never attempt to

create works seen by a layperson as
nice looking simply in order to be more
marketable.

B
L
E
Architecture
should be more
than just a

The perception of a building by a

layperson is its physicality and style. All

F
they see is the buildings façade and
although they may have feelings about
a space, it is often subconscious and
forgotten about in seconds. However
those feelings are much more powerful
than they realise.

A Zumthor (2006) describes this quality as

the atmosphere of a space. He writes

“what else moved me?

Ç
My mood, my feeling,
the sense of
expectation that filled
me…”
The architecture of the space has the

A ability create feelings that are

conscious and subconscious and this
resonates in Zumthor’s writing.
Architecture can be used as a tool to
improve the lives of people and can

D create memories which can last a

lifetime. These feelings and emotions
can have such power over people and
can ultimately affect the way they
behave and how people can interact
with each other. If architecture has the

E ability to perform in such a way then

the architect has the ultimate power as
a member of society.
 ART
SCIENCE
POETIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL
THEORY

JOURNAL
CLIENT
PROFESSION
URBAN REALM
FURNITECTURE
 Architects used form, space and light to create
atmosphere. Peter Zumthor (2006) describes
atmospheres as the most important quality of a
building and its architectural quality.
Atmosphere is also created by bodily
interactions between people and space can
recreate feelings from past experiences.
Studies have shown that space can have
positive and negative effects on people.
Zumthor’s description of atmosphere resonates
me with my own experience of the built
environment. An emotional connection
between people and their environment can
allow them to recall past experiences however
is this art?

A
The experience of visiting a painting in a gallery
is very different to the experience of passing
through a train station every day. The notion of
visiting an art gallery can ignite past
experiences of galleries and the works
themselves can ignite a spectra of emotions
but is it the space around the paintings that

R creates those feelings or is it the paintings

themselves? Visiting a train station can
generate feelings too, St Pancras station in
London is often connected to romantic
departure or a fond farewell.

Image shows one of many of oxfords winding

streets, this one leading to the Radcliffe
Camera, the icon for oxford and a building
which is very prominent in art of the city. It begs
the question, if the building is the subject of art,
does it mean that the architecture is art?
 Buckminster Fuller used architecture as a
science to solve the problem of climate
change (Maclellan Lecture 2014). Ahead of his
time, he proposed a utopian world where life
could be lived without any impact on the
worlds resources. Although this idea never
came to fruition his principles are reflected in

S the work of many modern architects such as

Sunand Prasad. Prasad's designs aim to meet a
happy medium with meeting high
environmental standards while appeasing
clients and their demands for low cost. The idea
of preventing global warming is made physical

C
by these architects/scientists who try to solve a
problem through the design of a solution which
is made real by science and technology.

Another architect who is using architecture as

a science to solve a problem is Magnus
Larsson (2010). Larsson is using the science of

I bacteria to solve the huge problem of

desertification of Savannah in North Africa. He
proposes to use bacteria to solidify sand dunes
to create a wall stretching from East to west of
Africa, this would create habitats for animals
and desperately poor humans in the region

E helping them to develop and live comfortably

while solving a larger problem at the same
time.

N
C
E Oxford University Museum of Natural History: This
image for me epitomised science because the
ornamentation within the building feature
examples of scientific discoveries of the time.
 Many people question what is a better
P experience, theatre or cinema. Theatre is seen
as the best form performance art. The notion of
being able to see the performers in front of you
O performing their craft and the unique nature to
each show is amalgamated to become, the

E theatre experience. Then is there no

experience when going to the cinema? The
human experience of space is ever changing
T even when the space stays the same.

Benjamin (1935) wrote extensively on the

I reproduction of art and said

C “to an ever greater

degree the work of art
+ reproduced becomes the
P work of art designed for
reproducibility.”
H
Benjamin is concerned that it is becoming
I easier for art to be reproduced and that by
reproducing the art there is a certain emotional

L quality to the art which is lost.

There is a subconscious emotion to

experiencing a space and in my opinion there
O is no better experience, cinema or theatre as it
is the notion of going and the specific routine
of going which allows us to ignite emotions but
S are different because our past experiences of
cinema and theatre are different.

O
P
H
I
Picture shows the university church of st Mary,
C going into a church always has an aura, it is
always peaceful and calm.

A
L
 Buildings are not paint on an architect’s
canvas. Leach (1997) reiterates this statement
when he says “Architecture is not the
autonomous art it is held out to be. Buildings
are designed and constructed within a web of
social and political concerns.” He explains that
there is much more to architecture than
aesthetics and feels that there is considerably
more thought when a building is designed to
have a subliminal effect on the people who

T experience the space.

On the other hand, Pevsner (1957) defines

architecture as “buildings designed with a view
to aesthetic appeal.” He sees architecture
simply as an artistic medium, like paint to a
painter or clay to a sculptor.

H Pevsner feels that there are three ways

aesthetics can manifest within a building, the
building’s façade, its interior and the material
volumes. He states that the only thing that
“distinguishes architecture from painting and
sculpture is its spatial quality.” Pevsner says the

E ability to experience architecture spatially gives

it superiority over other art forms. These
viewpoints, although opposing, come to the
ultimate conclusion that space defines
architecture. This can be aesthetic yet have an
effect on the people who experience the

O space socially and politically.

My view reflects Leach’s, I think that

architecture is the creation of a space which
although can be aesthetically pleasing has
been designed to a degree which it aims to
have more profound effect on the people who

R use the space.

Y
Gate to All Souls College Oxford, motifs of
nature adorn the gate demonstrating the
constant use of nature in architecture as it is
seen as the ultimate architecture.
 A high degree of trust between an architect and
his/her client is key to a good working relationship.
To formalise this trust the RIBA introduced a legally
binding contract between architect and client
which sets out parties rights and responsibilities.

This type of agreement proved very important

when Edith Farnsworth commissioned Mies van
der Rohe to design her a weekend retreat. The
client was very active throughout the design

C
process yet when she moved in she attempted to
sue Mies van der Rohe saying that “I wanted to
do something meaningful and all I got was this
glib,…”. The agreement proved key to Mies van
der Rohe winning the trial as he had acted in the
way he should. Many gossips thought that
Farnsworth had fallen in love with her architect

L and when the project was over they no longer

had any contact forcing her outburst of revenge.

Architect Sarah Wigglesworth describes a

completely different relationship between
architect and client, “architecture is increasingly
being used to provide ‘symbolic’ capital for a

I
company”. This I find very interesting, this
relationship is very different to Farnsworth and Van
der Rohe. The architect is being asked simply to
design a trophy, something which will make the
company money. The client is very detached
from the design process which I feel could make
a difficult situation if the design is not a successful

E as hoped.

N
T
This image of a façade in Jericho shows the
relationship between the architect and there
client. The architects desire to create
something new and innovative paired with the
clients desire for history to be maintained.
 Many people are questioning the role of the
architect in society. With technology
developing at such a speed it can be very

P difficult for architects to keep up and with

technology being developed which eradicates
the need for the architect all together this is a
big threat for professionals. An RIBA study
suggests since 2008 the demand for architects

R services has decreased by 40%, although this

may be partly due to the recession it also a
reflection of a longer running trend. But where
does this leave the future of the architect?

In my opinion, in the UK the need for an

O architect will decrease as land and capital for

projects is decreasing. There is a worrying
demand for housing in the UK but the role of
the architect in the design of this housing is very
small as developers often use pattern books

F and previous designs to save money and earn

greater profit. However this often leads to the
design of small, poor quality and ugly housing.
If the architect wants to have any impact on
this then s/he must make themselves heard

E because without this the architect will

disappear and the quality of life of the average
population will vastly decrease.

S
S
I
Image shows a decrease in the necessity of a

O traditional architects service as there is a

greater tendency for designing from a pattern
book as it is more profitable.

N
U Neighbourhoods can change within a blink
of an eyelid or over a number of years. One
example of this is Venice, LA. Dreamed up to
be a utopian community with a waterway
like Venice (Italy) it formed part of a wider

R plan to enable Angelenos to take a holiday

close to home. In 1927 things changed as "oil
was struck and fantasy had to give way to
fact" as put by Reyner Banham. This
completely changed the dynamic of the

B community. It lead to an intrusion of gang

culture and made a once beautiful place a
dangerous place to be

"bridges wrapped in barbed

A wire... ... Among abandoned

oil machinery and nodding
pumps."

N Banham goes on to describe the district as

"something between a ghetto and hippie
haven". Venice demonstrates how the
architecture of an urban realm can be
directly impacted by an economic trigger.

Oxford is another example of how a city can

struggle to adapt change. A city built
centuries ago has struggled to adapt to
population increases and the introduction of

R cars.

E
A
L Image depicts how Oxford has not adapted
well over the years. People sharing a
carriageway with buses and a city that
cannot cope with traffic.

M
F Furniture (Oxford, 2014) by definition is an a
moveable article which can easily perceived
U from all angles. It allows a space to be flexible
and redefined with ease.

R Architecture’s (Oxford, 2014) definition refers to

a building which by nature can only be

I perceived in parts and never as a whole. It is

often much more rigid and difficult to change.

T Furnitecture (Placidi, 2014) is an amalgamation

of the two, it often manifests as a rigid structure
within a space which defines the purpose of
E that space and also unifies that space with
other spaces within a building.

C The John Henry Brookes building features

furnitecture. A corten steel ribbon which runs
T from one end of the building to the other . The
intention of the architects was to unite the
spaces in what once was a disparate campus.
U Although the success of gesture is questioned it
shows that furnitecture is not necessarily
something it is expected to be, not something
R to sit on but something to bring people
together within a space.

Montage showing the steel ribbon through the

JHBB building although on the interior the
material changes which makes the gesture less
obvious.
 Bachelard, G (1969) poetics of space (extract), trans. Maria

B Jolas, Boston: Beacon Press (1989) pp 3-20

Banham, R. (N.d) Los Angeles: the architecture of four

ecologies, University of California press, pp. 119-143
I Benjamin, W. (1935) The work of art in the age of mechanical
reproduction, Penguin (2008)

B Cary, J. (2012) Why ‘the death of architecture’ may not be

such a bad thing Good Magazine [online] available at: http://
magazine.good.is/articles/why-the-death-of-architecture-may
-not-be-such-a-bad-thing

L Craven, J (n.d) Mies Van der Rohe Gets Sued (n.d) About
Home. Available at: http://architecture.about.com/od/

I houses/a/farnsworth.htm (Accessed: 1st November 2014)

Eisenmen, P (1984) The end of the classical, the end of the

beginning, the end of the end, (1984) Perspecta: the Yale

O Architectural Journal, Vol 21 pp 154-172

Foster, N. (2003) Architecture and Sustainabiilty [Online]

G Available at http://www.fosterandpartners.com/
media/546486/essay13.pdf

Ghirado, D. (1984) The architecture of deceit, (1984)

R Perspecta: the Yale Architectural Journal, Vol 21 pp 110-115

Hillman, D. "How To Make Architecture, Not Art" 01 Mar

A 2013. ArchDaily. Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/?

p=337603 (Accessed 10 Dec 2014).

Jacobs, Jane. (1961) The Death and Life of Great American

Cities, (13th May 1993) Vintage Books
P King, J. interview by Mark, L. (11th February 2014) Interview with
Emerging Woman Architect of the Year Julia King Architects

H Journal [Online] Available at: http://

www.architectsjournal.co.uk/events/wia/interview-with-
emerging-woman-architect-of-the-year-julia-
king/8658709.article (Date Accessed: 10/12/2014)

Y
B Larsson M. (2009) Dunes into architecture, TED Talk (july 2009)
[online] available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/
magnus_larsson_turning_dunes_into_architecture?
language=en

I Leach, N. (1997) Rethinking Architecture, Routledge

B Maclellan R. (2014) Lecture 2: Architecture and society (29th

September 2014) Oxford Brookes University

Nesbitt, K. (1996) Theorizing a agenda for Architecture,

L Anthology of architectural theory 1965-1995, (1996) Princeton

Architectural Press

I Neuman, E in conversation with Eisenman, P (2010) Longing for

the impossible, Haaretz [online] available at: http://
www.haaretz.com/life/arts-leisure/longing-for-the-impossible-
1.289816 (Accessed 16th November 2014)

O Oxford Dictionary (2014) Oxford: Oxford University Press,

[online] Available at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/
definition/english/furniture (accessed: 10th December 2014)

G Oxford Dictionary (2014) Oxford: Oxford University Press,

[online] Available at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/
definition/english/architecture (accessed: 10th December
R 2014)

Palmer, J. and Cooper, I. (2011) Great Britain’s housing energy

A factfile, pp 33-34 [online] available at https://www.gov.uk/

government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
file/48195/3224-great-britains-housing-energy-fact-file-2011.pdf
(accessed 9th December 2014)

P Parvin, A. (February 2013) Architecture for the people by the

people, online video, viewed 7th November 2014,
www.ted.com/talks/
H alastair_parvin_architecture_for_the_people_by_the_people

Pevsner, N. An Outline of European

Y Architecture (Harmondsworth: Penguin, [1942] 1957), p. 23.

 Placidi, A. (2014) Lecture 8: Architecture and Society, (10th

B November 2014) Oxford Brookes University

Prasad S. (2014) Oxarch Lecture 1 (Tuesday 23rd September

2014) Oxford Brookes University, Oxford Architecture Society
I Riach, J interviewing Hadid, Z (25th February 2014) Zaha Hadid
defends Qatar role following migrant workers deaths, The

B Guardian [online] available at: http://www.theguardian.com/

world/2014/feb/25/zaha-hadid-qatar-world-cup-migrant-
worker-deaths (accessed 16th November 2014)

L Robinson, D, Jaimeson, C, Worthington, J, Cole, C. (2010) RIBA

Building Futures: The Future for architects Report Summary
(n.d) Royal institute of British Architects Available at: http://
www.buildingfutures.org.uk/assets/downloads/

I The_Future_for_Architects_Summary.pdf accessed (1st

November)

O Wilmott Dixon, (2010) the impacts of construction and the built

environment (December 2010)

Zumthor, P. (2006) Atmospheres, (17th March 2006) Birkhauser

G GmbH

All Photographs taken by James Barrell

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