Tao of Architecture

Ramol aHel enaL ewi s Augus t2017

S paces t hat ex i s t ar ound us ar e f ur t her enhancedbyf r ami ngt hem t hr oughwal l sand r oof s by ar chi t ect s , gener at i ng qual i t at i ve ex per i enceswhi l e meet i ng phys i calr equi r ement s .Humansar enotbehel dcapt i ver at her al l owed t o be f r ee,hel pi ng t o be ani nt egr al par tofor gani c ex i s t ence aswhol e.F or t e of ar chi t ect ur eneedst obeex pl or edasapot ent i al cr af tt obl end,compl i ment i ngphys i cal and s pi r i t ualas pect sofman t o meetout erand i nnerwor l dss i mul t aneous l y.T hi sdr awsa r eal i z at i ont owar dst hebal anceofyi nandyangi n bot h wor l ds ,whi ch i s‘ T ao ofAr chi t ect ur e’ .I t es s ent i al l yi sapat h… away… t os t r i ket hatbal anceofcoex i s t enceofnegat i veandpos i t i ve t hr oughs pacesandf or msi nar chi t ect ur e.

T ao i sa s pi r i t ualj our ney t hat j us t i f i es t he es s ence ofman,nat ur e and bui l tf or m t o engendert he s pi r i tofa s pace i nt angi bl e f or ms .T he t i mel es s nes s of ar chi t ect ur e i s encaps ul at edbyT ao.I ti nt endst odi s cer pt he bar r i erbet weeni ns i deandout s i det huscr eat i ng f r ees pi r i t ed and compl i ment ar y envi r onment s .

T hewor l ds houl dbeex per i encedasapl aceof i ns pi r i t edmat t ergr oundedi npr es entpr act i cal r eal i t y,l i nkedwi t ht hepas tandenvi s agi ngt he f ut ur et huscr eat i ngas oci al l yi ncl us i ve,nat ur e r es pect f ul ,andheal i nghomef ort hes oul .T he s pacesand openi ngsi n bui l tf or msi n and ar ound,al l pos s es sl i f ewher ei t sdet ai l shel pt o f or m apoet r yofone' swor l d.

S oulofones el fi scons i der ed t he cent erof one' swor l dt hatal l owsf r eedom and des i gn notonl yt o phys i calf unct i onbutmor epr omi nent l yt oemot i on.Oncet het heor y,phenomenol ogyand memor yi st r ans cended,whati s l ef tbehi ndi st het r uees s enceofas pacet obe i n.

Ramol aHel enaL ewi s Augus t2017

Ar chi t ect ur ei sgener al l yper cei vedbyt angi bl ef or ms ,wher east hei nt angi bi l i t yofs pacei s over l ooked,t hough i ti st he cor ef ocalpoi nti n ar chi t ect ur e.Even t hough i ti sdi f f i cul tt o ex pr es si ti n pr i nt ed mat t erand cannotbe f r amed t hr ough wor dsand phot ogr aphs ,an at t empti sai medt opor t r ayi ti nt hi smont age.I tcover sacons ci ousands ubcons ci ousappr oachbydes i gner si ndevel opi ng qual i t at i ve s pacesar ound var i ouscont ex t s ,be i tt he l ocat i ons ,cul t ur e,cl i mat e,mat er i al s ,t echnol ogyorus er s .

T heut opi ast hatar eappl i eddur i ngt hedes i gn,cons t r uct i on,andus ageofs pacesex empl i f y di f f er entcul t ur al andhi s t or i cunder s t andi ngsandhaveabi gi mpact .I t sembodi mentoft he concept sofs us t ai nabi l i t yandhar monywi t hnat ur easwel lasbal ance,r hyt hm,uni t y,and f unct i onal i t y,ai dt oevol vef or m ands pacear oundt hehumancondi t i on.I tpr ompt sacons ci ousappr oacht ounder s t andi ngandex per i enci ngqual i t at i ves pace,however ,s pacei s uni ver s al ,butt heper cept i onvar i esi nt i mei ncompar i s ont ot het ypol ogyoft hebui l tf or m.

Ramol aHel enaL ewi s Augus t2017

T he mai ni nt ent i on i st o moul dt he des i gn i nt o a cl i mat es ens i t i ve and cr eat i ve bl end r ef l ect i ng f or m and s pacewher ei neachpl anhasas t r ong l anguage devel oped t o over come t he pr obl emscar ef ul l y.T he s pace i s des i gned s eaml es s l yf r om i ns i de t o out s i de cover i ng ever y det ai lwhi l e hous i ngt heus er si nbet weenasas ubj ectoff ocus .Par amet er sofapr oj ect var i es ,butt hecr eat i ves pi r i ti sr ef l ect ed i nt he ar chi t ect ur e,i nt er i or sand l ands cape.Es s ent i al l y,ever ypr oj ecti s f r eef r om anyf i x eds t yl e,i tal wayshas af r es h appr oach whi l s tcat er i ng t o t her equi r edneeds .

Asquot edbyRober tS chul z ,“T heconnect i on bet ween T ao and Ar chi t ect ur ei sr educt i vi s m.Doi ng away wi t h t he ex ces ss o t he es s ence s t ands f r ee. �Asdes i gner s ,ourat t empti st o cr eat et angi bl ef or msofar chi t ect ur e ass t eppi ng s t onest o cat ert ot he emot i onaland s pi r i t ualneedsoft he us er s .T hi sal l owst hem t of i ndacoex i s t ent i albondi ng wi t h nat ur e asan or gani c ent i t y t hr ough i nt angi bl e s pacesasanex per i ent i alel ementof ar chi t ect ur e.

Ramol aHel enaL ewi s Augus t2017