AC2.1 Context

33038155

AC2.1 CONTEXT

What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

Gaven Webb

33038155 Gaven Webb What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

When we think about contextual design as architects, it is often the case that we think purely of the physicality of a location, and while this is exceptionally important it is not always the most imposing issue facing a site. The non-tangible aspects such as history, society and culture all have crucial and often dynamic rolls to play in a design process.

This essay proposes to examine in greater detail our varying approaches to the design process by analysing the work of Renzo Piano, who takes a variety of approaches to his design strategies but generally looks at social conditions and cultural contexts to inform his creations. In doing so I will be able to also look back on my own methods of design, and see to what extent I have been designing for the physical environment, and I have taken social constraints in to my designs, and if it is more appropriate to apply these ideas to my current design projects.

While examining Renzo Piano’s work gives an insight in to the less tangible aspects of context, it would be remise to ignore those architects that evolve their designs around with great care and attention to the location of their site. Here we can again look to Renzo Piano for his methods of physical contextual design, even when it comes to his more provocative works there is always a relationship with the existing site. Again, through this exploration of works, I aim re-evaluate my own work and see how I can move forward, and design more holistically, drawing all aspects of context in to a more robust and imaginative design strategy.

One of the most powerful examples of Renzo Piano’s approach to contextual design is the, perhaps controversial, Centre de Pompidou in Paris. The design on the Centre de Pompidou is well known, even amongst the general Parisian tourist; it’s striking exterior a stark contrast to formal and historical beauty of the “traditional” Parisian style. The design was born out of a cultural context that had seen the fall and decline in the use of museums and galleries which had come to be seen by the public as

33038155 Gaven Webb What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

elitist (Piano, 1997); the brief give culture a less traditional and institutional setting.

The Centre de Pompidou is a visual triumph of technology, embracing the change that was evident throughout society at the time. It is often viewed as high tech yet this was not its intention; “the flaunting of brightly coloured metal, and transparent tubing serves an urban, symbolic, and expressive function, not a technical one” (Piano, 1997 p40). More over it was a challenge to the existing academicism, and an attempt to break away from our preconceptions of the idea of “museum” and “gallery”.

What we end up with is a truly unique design that transforms our understanding and appreciation of design. A controversial design too; during the construction process it came under heavy criticism from some elements of the local population who sought to maintain the Parisian style, yet the competition for the new development had “spoken of culture, but also of functional versatility; of art, but also information; of music, but also of industrial design. There was already something unconventional in this approach. All that was needed was to bring this out, push it to the limit, give it an extreme interpretation...” (Piano, 1997 p38).

This social response is an interesting approach to design; one that I have yet to successfully implement. My current design studio is about transitions and community, yet my responses to the site have come from the physical aspects of the site. I have looked at the social situation on site, and have attempted to extract the cultural aspects, but each of my designs have failed to draw out the artistic attitudes and creativity that is so prevalent throughout the area. Going forward with this project, it is clear that in order to best justify my intervention a greater appreciation and understanding of the minds and ideals that are held by the residents.

Of his other works, perhaps one of the most stunning and contextual is the Tjibaou Cultural Centre on the islands of New Caledonia, a project dedicated to the Kanak peoples and culture. It is a magnificent example of reinvention of existing ideas and concepts. The materials used, and the styles

33038155 Gaven Webb What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

that are employed are of direct relation to the culture, and society that exist on the island. In Renzo’s own words “I didn’t bring my own cutlery. All I brought were my skills and those of the Building Workshop.” (Piano, 1997 p174) The initial attitude that was brought along to the project was about the physical setting of the project.

There wasn’t any intent to attempt to create a westernised model of a cultural centre; the ideas stem from the local environment.

This, he admits was a challenge. Having had no knowledge of their culture before beginning the project he was to create a design that would capture their culture, and be the embodiment of their way of life to visitors to their shores. This is by no means an easy thing to do. For myself, I think I would find it hard to create a project that would capture the essence of Western, British culture that could reflect to others those things that make me who I am, and to do this with an alien culture is truly a challenging idea, that would be filled with symbolism and expectation.

Interestingly the dwellings and structures of the Kanak are ephemeral; they are not built as monuments to greatness or designed to last for centuries, they are transient in nature, much like the rest of the Pacific. “We sought a strong link with the territory, which would embed the centre in the geography of the island. From local culture we stole the dynamic elements, the tension that would serve to bind the construction to the life of the inhabitants.” (Piano, 1997, p176). Here we see a clear intent on the part of the Architect to relate the design ideas to the physical environment, and as it is Renzo Piano, there is again a solid link to the cultural and social aspects of the island; which was necessary as it was a cultural centre.

Last year there were two projects in which I focused on the physical aspects of the location, and attempted to create my designs from them. The first was based around Kirkstall Abbey; here we were tasked to design a living pod around a film of our choosing. The site I chose was dark and gloomy as it was in the presbytery, and over shadowed by the tower. I attempted to recreate this in my designs, creating dark interiors, while attempting to maintain the inspiration from my film choice. This wasn’t as successful as I would have hoped, and would change many of the aspects given the opportunity to.

33038155 Gaven Webb What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

The second project was based at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, with the intent of designing a house based on one of the resident artists. For this I chose David Nash, whose sculptural work I found to be of great inspiration. As Nash works with wood, it was only natural to begin my designs in the same fashion, and to site the building in what would be befitting a sculptor. For this I chose an old quarry; the jagged edges reminiscent of sculptural works; the beginning of form. Here my design related well with the site, capturing the views and insinuating itself in to the landscape; the structure contained within the quarry boundary, yet from the approach, the building appeared imposing and sculptural.

Overall, I don’t think that I have been as successful integrating my designs with their context as I would have liked. On occasion I have managed to relate well to one aspect of my understanding of Contextual Design; either the physical environment or the cultural and social. Going forward, it is my sole intent to greater reflect both of these aspects in my designs; not settling for one or the other. I feel that this will be possible with my current design work, and as is always the case with hindsight, this investigation of Contextual Design has highlighted my own interpretation of it, and has allowed me to be more critical of my own work, and to approach this criticism from a different point of view.

33038155 Gaven Webb What is your understanding of Contextual Design, and how have you integrated this in to your own design strategies?

Bibliography: Piano, R. 1997, The Renzo Piano Logbook, Thames & Hudson, London Pizzi, E. 2003, Renzo Piano, Birkhauser, Berlin Blaser, W. 2001, Renzo Piano – Centre Kanak, Cultural Centre of the Kanak People, Birkhauser, Berlin