CHRISTOPHER ANDREWS ARCHITECT & TOWN PLANNER
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AN INTEGRATED SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL DESIGN PROCESS PART I: HOW DO WE CREATE PLACES THAT ARE WHOLE?
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It starts with the attitude towards the natural environment.
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An attitude of preservation, respect and interweaving.
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Whole places meet our real needs, they enfold us. They function as a dynamic stage for human activity and social interaction.
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Buildings are whole when every part of their structure, even the edges, like the wall itself, is occupied and charged with life.
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As architects, designers, and builders, indeed as inhabitants of the earth in this critical juncture, when we are faced by serious challenges to the ecology of our environment, a primary question for us is: How do we create places that are sustainable and whole, that is: durable, useful and beautiful? I'm showing these images, from some travels I took in Bulgaria a few years ago, because there is something about these places, as in many places that were created before the mid 20th century, that evoke powerful positive feelings. These were places where I felt very comfortable, but not in a sleepy way. I felt stimulated and alive, more aware of myself and of my surroundings. These are old places, and in a culture that is not the one in which we live and work. Yet something about these kinds of places, when I look at them…I want to be a part of living in, designing, and constructing places that feel like this-to quote a metaphor a client gave us recently for their project-that fit like a comfortable shoe. Although these places are hundreds of years old, they are still functional, living places. They are healthy, they are sound, vital, whole, substantial, manifesting life. How do we create environments that have this quality of both durability and adaptability, of usefulness and delight, of beauty and inspiration?
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GO TO PART II: UNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE OF THE SITE
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GO BACK TO THE INTRODUCTION/TABLE OF CONTENTS
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