Robert A Cresswell - AC3 - Dissertation by Robert A Cresswell

AC3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DISSERTATION - 14/04/2014

Is The Role of Context Within Architectural Design Outdated? Architecture

Robert Antony Cresswell 33325711

Word Count: 5848

Tutor: Juha Kaapa

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

2.1

What is Context?

2.2

Background of Contextual Design

2.3

Contemporary Design

CONTEXT IN ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

3.1

The Value of Context

3.1.1

Everything Has a Relationship

3.1.2

Richness of the Past

3.1.3

Architecture, Art in Context?

3.1.4

Contextual Metaphor

3.2

3.3

The Limitations of Context

3.2.1

Realisations of Limitations

3.2.2

Current Need of Architecture

3.2.3

Connotations of Context

What Should Be Done

3.3.1

Implications of Aesthetic Laws

CASE STUDY

4.1 Renzo Piano â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre

CONCLUSION

ENDNOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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Is The Role of Context Within Architectural Design Outdated?

1. Abstract Contemporary Architecture can be seen to have diverged from its roots of contextual design. The disregard for context within the realm of architecture today can be said to be building an artificial personality in which contributes to the false characteristics of an area. This can be seen not only on smaller scales i.e. streets/villages/towns but all of the regions stated previously add up to create a personality of a city. With this in mind, this investigation aims to provide an assessment of how contextual design is currently being neglected in the current practise of architecture. It aims to discuss the extent of the ethical responsibility of the designer and how this has then led to the challenge of the role of context within contemporary design. It is supported with the history of the attitudes towards context within design (the field of architecture). It also analyses the role of context through Vernacular architecture to the start of Modernism and how it then was reacted to by Postmodernism. To do this attitudes of the leading figures within these movements of architecture have been analysed and critiqued in order to gain a full insight as to how context has been utilised at specific points in history. The aforementioned then allows a framework of strategies to be considered within the field, thus allowing the careful consideration of context to be debated during the design of a building.

2. Introduction 2.1 What is Context? Context can be seen as the amalgamation or accumulation of situations stemming from various factors from predetermined facts, events and sensations. Context within Architecture is the notion in th which modern buildings, not to be confused with the modernism movement from the turn of the 20 century, are reconciled within the urban fabric of the local vicinity. The urban fabric usually predates the current style or trend of architecture. The opportunity to accept or reject this fragile relationship between architecture and its context then allows numerous design approaches to be utilised in the current practice and forecasted practice of architectural design.

2.2 Background of Contextual Design Within the conscious consideration of context the traditional and vernacular styles of architecture ensure local context is taken into consideration. As was defined, context spans many fields of knowledge. This can be portrayed as anything from topography, geology to climate, human history, local culture and locally sourced materials. Upon these considerations the architecture of the vernacular and traditional periods obtain a sense of place which can then start to build a local characteristic or persona. Vernacular architecture has been defined as „the architecture of the people, [1] by the people, but not for the people‟, (Paul Oliver - Dwellings). This accompanied by another definition „Folk building growing in response to actual needs, fitted into environment by people who [2] knew no better than to fit them with native feeling‟, (Frank Lloyd Wright – Interview). This portrays Vernacular architecture as a primitive form of design in which little if not any consideration has been given to aesthetics (Fig 1). It allows the build to incorporate all the needs of its occupant, including cultural, social and in some cases religious requirements i.e. within most forms of Islam the Mosque has to contain a wall that faces Mecca, this is referred to as Mihrab which indicates Kiblah. This is important as it is the direction that Muslims face when praying during Salaat (Fig 2). Vernacular architecture is able to retain its contextual outlook on its surroundings because of the needs of the people. Over time the shift from necessity of the local community to the desire of individuals to

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enhance the lifestyles of the population allowed the advancement of architecture. The indicated then complied with the initial concepts of other forms of architecture and allowed them be taken from an infinite idea to a finite object in the form of architectural design. The shift from necessity to desire enabled a reconfiguration of the principles underlying architectural th design, coupled with advancements within the field at the beginning of the 20 century led to the creation of what is known as the Modernist movement. The movement directed itself away from contextual design as a desire for pure architecture was lust after, this then became a base for what modernism stood for and the teachings/necessities of the past were lost. Characteristics of modernism show how the move from need to desire has been established, for example: the idea that [3] „Form follows function‟, (Louis Sullivan), simplicity of forms coupled with the notion of unnecessary detail being eliminated from aesthetics to cleanse a design, emphasis of vertical and horizontal lines and the expression of structure through visual elements and the integration of mass produced materials such as concrete, steel and glass. „A modern, harmonic and lively architecture is the visible sign of an authentic democracy.’ (Walter Gropius) This quote plays on the ending of both World Wars and international peace within a society that was ripped apart during the wars. The ending of these wars allowed the modernist movement to start to exploit the rebuilding of society, as thousands of people were left homeless and destroyed towns/villages/cities which were in need of redevelopment. Due to the necessity of living during the times of war many people‟s privacy, personal space and living conditions were at an all-time low. It gave the modernist movement incentive to build spacious comfortable designs that allowed the dingy, cramped and depressing housing/public spaces of the past to undergo a new revitalised optimistic look for the future. The lightweight elegant designs of the modernist movement could be described as a political stance on the current way of living at the time. One of the first built examples of modern architecture was Le Corbusier‟s Villa La Roche which served as a clean, uncluttered and geometrically brilliant use of space. Within this design the use of steel window frames and large sections of glazing allowed natural light to inhabit the space allowing an aspect of a lighter open and free home opposed to the conventional feel as stated above. Although the design portrayed the main characteristics of modernism, due to the time of the build the design fell short of perfection due to the difficulties in technology at the time (Fig 3). For instance the cantilevered balcony had to go through vigorous testing and the design had to be altered in order for this to work within the building, thus altering the design and bringing the space ever closer to the normality of the time. This pioneer within modernism then went on to urban planning which allowed the political notions that modernism undertook to be rolled out on a larger scale. The use of vertical housing opposed to lateral housing allowed the residence of tower blocks to inhabit large areas of green space which would serve as a way to knit the local community together. The mass housing portrayed the mass production industry of the era and was used as a service for „the machine‟; the machine refers to a city. This again fell short of expectations as the flawed execution of the project left the residents having to deal with the ignominious anti-social community in which inhabited these spaces. It inevitably tarnished the name of modernism during the late 60‟s and 70‟s (Fig 4). Due to the nature of modernism and the pursuit of perfection that many of the architects at the time strived for, this allowed a reaction within the realm of architecture. The indicated was in the form of Postmodernism, which criticised Modernism and the value in which it stood for as subjective and revealed how anachronisms plagued modern thought and questioned the beliefs of these architects [4] through philosophy. „Blatant simplification means bland architecture. Less is bore.‟, (Robert Venturi – Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture). In relation to the cleansing nature of modernism, postmodernism allowed the architect to play with decoration in interesting and different ways e.g. the AT&T Building in New York retains the simplistic style of modern architecture while also ornamenting it with a Chippendale Highboy inspired design (Fig 5). Postmodernism deals with its context and allows the architecture to once again be tuned into its surroundings; this is done by the decoration from a building where local style and traditions are adjusted to sit within the urban fabric of today. Even these ornamentations may not be a necessity of the modern world but they are derived from the local urban grain and precedents of the architecture that stood before it and/or still stand beside it.

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2.3 Contemporary Design In current practice similar arguments towards the relationship between the building and its context are ever present. The diverse field of architecture of the present allows full creative control to reconcile with the architect, with only the needs of his clients to cater for; this may prove to become experimental if the client is looking for a form of „spaceship‟ architecture, in which little or no regard for the surrounding context has been given, whereas on the other hand a client‟s demand may be to retain the personality or tradition of what stood before them whether this be cultural, social or establishment traditions. The change of the architectural field from the vernacular being adapted by modernism and reacted to by postmodernism has inevitably changed the way in which the notion of design is undertaken by the practices of today. As previously stated, this has broadened the scope of design and allowed many architects to develop their own style. Upon the creation of singular styles it is important to note whether the nature of today‟s designs are influenced at all by the context (Context within Architecture is the notion in which modern buildings, not to be confused with the modernism movement from the th turn of the 20 century, are reconciled within the urban fabric of the local vicinity) and local cultural traditions that predate modernism within the era of the vernacular. It is then important to assess whether the context of a building should be retained through its design and ultimately preserve the persona of the urban fabric in which it sits. Upon sitting within this fabric the architecture will then be able to create dialogue between the surrounding forms and strive to create unity and consistency. This therefore enables me to pose the question that reads, „Is the Role of Context within Architectural Design Outdated?‟.

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3 Context in Architecture & Design 3.1 Value of Context 3.1.1 - Everything has a relationship The value of context within design stems from the argument that everything has a relationship, this relationship should be enhanced and celebrated whether it is conscious or unconscious. “The unique ability of the genius can be approximated by everyone if only its essential feature be apprehended: the flash like act of connecting elements not obviously belonging together… If the same methodology were used generally in all fields we would have the key to our age – seeing everything in relationship” (Laszlo Moholy-Nagy). This statement emphasises the way in which a designer should look at their piece of art, whether that be art or architecture. The realisation of the relationship to every element allows the designer to create unique and critical relationships between that, that exists and that which doesn‟t. It can be used to look within the context of a building‟s design, not just to its surroundings, environmental conditions but to the relationship between its politics and language that is applied to the site of choice. The qualities that create these interesting relationships can be seen throughout history from the times of the primitive, these relationships have become an unconscious evolution in the understanding of our surroundings and influences the way in which we perceive the connotations of the contrasting communications of contextual factors, “A system of kinship does not consist of blood ties; it exists only in the consciousness of men; it is an arbitrary system of representations, not the spontaneous development of a situation of fact” (Claude Levi-Strauss). An insight into this can be seen through the intuition of modern designers as the gaps in knowledge are filled with the preexistent intuition of the past. This relates to the issue of context through the knowledge of a region in response to its environmental characters, political connotations and language in which the design possesses “the area of pure intuition must be based on a knowledge of past solutions applied to related problems, and that creation is a process of adapting forms derived either from past needs or from past aesthetic ideologies to the need of the present” (Tomas Maldonado). The idea of adapting the past to ensure the solution of today allows designers to study the historical context when facing similar problems. The assumption that all architecture derives from adaptation of the knowledge of the past allows us to then make the statement that all architecture reacts to its context. The reaction to context within architecture then puts emphasis on the relationship to the building and its site, “so the work of architecture itself is not an object in a vacuum but is reacting to and commenting on its [5] context”, (Alan Colquhoun – Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews).

3.1.2 - Richness of the past The aesthetic qualities of the historical context possess a subtle richness in their design as they hold meaning and relation to human feeling. It can be seen within the concept of contemporary design where the styles and meaning of past objects are portrayed in a new light while still retaining the rich [6] qualities of the past, “We must therefore look upon the aesthetic and iconic qualities of artefacts”. (Alan Colquhoun – Typology and Design Method). This relation to the nostalgic feelings of the previous era allows a relationship to be established within the design approach and allow the subtle richness of the past to be perceived through intellectual design, “the sort of availability or redundancy [7] in them in relation to human feeling”, (Alan Colquhoun - Typology and Design Method). This statement again adds to the ever-growing need for design to consider the time in which stood before it and adapt these qualities to suit the needs of the present. Within the design of spaces certain architectural details are being retained for example, “An atrium is a space that unifies the entire [8] building” (Alan Colquhoun – Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews). The atrium was a key architectural quality of classical architecture and was brought back to use within the neoclassicism of the nineteenth century. This shows how the richness of certain „artefacts‟ can heavily influence the design of the present, thus allowing the teachings of the past to be portrayed through adaptive design. The artefacts of the past still retain the notion of place, what is meant by this is the idea that if a certain „artefact‟ is removed from the place in which it was created, does it still hold the same values in which it previously held? This question can be placed upon the architectural forms that help build a cities architectural persona i.e. the industry buildings that surround Leeds City Centre would not retain their personality in regard to the history of the building if they were to be placed around another city as it holds no ties to the place. It‟s argument has been brought up in length throughout the last century in regard to the conventional idea of a museum, “Once a piece of art is placed in a museum and a label

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attached to it, the visitor is asked to identify the author, the year, the material, the donor”, (Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews). Serra is addressing the idea that once the piece of art has been removed from its roots and placed in a “white cube”, the initial meanings of the piece are distorted and skewed. He later goes on to reiterate this point, “If a work is not completely robbed of its initial meaning, it is definitely distorted by its inclusion in a museum”. The metaphorical meaning that Colquhoun is addressing here is that when a building is removed from its context it will not possess the same language in relation to its context as the building should retain aspects of its context. If a building were to retain the meaning of the initial design once being placed elsewhere, then the building has failed to enhance the area in which it initially sat due to the limited nature of its relation to its rich context.

3.1.3 - Architecture, Art in Context? The relationship between art and architecture over time has diverged due to the nature of the art as a decoration within the architecture or its characteristics of being dependent on the architecture for its context. The modern day language between art and architecture has diversified, thus allowing the relationship between the two to be separated by the role of an architect, Richard Serra talks about the creation of a piece of art in relation to its location, he states “Very few works are really built in relation [10] to a particular location.”, (Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews). This can be applied when looking at architecture, pieces of architecture that have little if not any incentive to incorporate context (consideration to its location) within its design can be viewed as „art‟ not architecture. Thus accompanied with the view that, “Art is a form of self-expression with absolutely no responsibility to anyone or anything. Architecture can be a piece of art, but it must be responsible to people and its [11] context”, (Dessen Hillman – How to Make Architecture not Art), shows how the deference between art and architecture lies within its relation to context and the language between form and use. The use of these points of view allow one to establish a notion in which separates artist and architects, “As soon as an architect comes on to the scene with a will to design he has then to consider whether he should be making his building seem like something which is or is not designed. He also has a [12] relationship with the pre-existing context”, (Alan Colquhoun - Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews). Thus establishing the difference between the artist and the architect, this builds an importance to the role of context within a design as it becomes a fundamental factor in which you have to establish as an architect. The Modernist Movement can be translated into a Movement within art, “Marcel [13] Duchamp, the whole tradition of that kind of revolutionary art, artists against art”, (Alan Colquhoun Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews), shows how the teaching of architecture before the Modernist Movement can be translated into an almost „revolutionary state‟‟, architects against architecture. As explained the artistic movement away from architecture over time grew due to the ties between architecture and context, does this then mean that the Modernist Movement with its disregard for its context then become pieces of art opposed to architecture?

3.1.4 - Contextual metaphor. A piece of architecture can be compared to a piece of art in a sense, as its relationship between its contexts both strive to initiate language between the two. “The work of art has a relation to its context, which in a broad sense architectural, but the work of architecture also has a relation to its context. It [14] has to decide what this relation to its context is”, (Alan Colquhoun - Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews). Within this statement the ideology of the piece of art within a museum reacts to its context as a building does to its city. The aforementioned piece of art when moved to a museum loses its context so should that of a building if it were to be implemented anywhere else.

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3.2 Limitations of Context 3.2.1 – Realisations of Limitations “The Modern Movement in architecture was an attempt to modify the representational systems which had been inherited from the preindustrial past and which no longer seemed meaningful within the [15] context of a rapidly changing technology”, (Alan Colquhoun – Typology and Design Method), this th summarises the approach in which the Modernist Movement took towards design of the 20 century. This emphasises the need to move away from the designs and concepts that were being rolled out at the time, although this allows the movement away from technological context, there is still many other aspects in which context takes. It therefore shows a disregard for the majority of the context in which the Modernist Movement chose to ignore. “The Modernist Movement was teleological, because it saw the aesthetic of architectural form as something which was achieved without the conscious [16] interference of the designer… his ultimate purpose”, (Alan Colquhoun – Typology and Design Method), the notion of unconscious design within the field of architecture to achieve this „ultimate purpose‟ is flawed due to the nature of the reliance of the building within its context. Despite the everchanging nature of an architectural movement, it was established that the architectural precedence that the Modernist‟s embraced was that from the same Movement as nothing of this nature was done within the confines of architectural history. This gave the notion of „context-less‟ design no incentives to apply the, environmental, economic and religious context to a design. Colquhoun points out that Postmodernism and Modernism are both linked to each other through negative aesthetics (or opposite); this allows the designer to incorporate the ethos of both Movements in design. “The difference between Modernism and Postmodernist points of view does not reside in any radical reassessment of our relationship to historical culture; it lies solely in the fact that… it is now often [17] denigrated as a symbol of reductivism”, (Alan Colquhoun – Newness and Age Value in Alois Riegl). This brings a new light to the way in which Modernism is viewed and that it is not completely disregarding the historical context within design, it is merely changing the way in which we view how we design looking at the short falls of the past. “It is true that there exists an opinion that the [18] expression „postmodernism‟ is meaningless and that our period is continuous with modernism”, (Alan Colquhoun – Postmodern Critical Attitudes), shows that despite the loss of context through the Modernist Movement, we are able to build from the teachings of it. The Modernist Movement allowed the creation of simplistic functional buildings with mixed uses, eradicating the need for redesign once the use becomes outdated. The advancement in the field since the teachings of the modernist movement has encouraged growth through the use of these spaces and cut costs in the form of redesigning or rebuilding buildings that would otherwise have been left dormant.

3.2.2 - Current Need of Architecture “Changes in patterns of settlement and work, technical changes involving the use of new materials, economic changes in the vast increase in profitability of land redevelopment, changes in the method [19] of distributing people and goods, have radically altered the architectural infrastructure”, (Alan Colquhoun – Rules, Realism and History) this allows the designer to design for the time period in which he stands. It shows that the shift in need for architecture is ever changing and with it the ethos of the current movement. The use of architecture as a profitable investment in times of economic hardship allows the design of a building to incorporate the growing retail market within their schemes which allow maximum profitability. Although this for an investor brings potential rise in wealth the fundamental approaches to architecture are lost. By this I mean the surrounding context that a site brings with it e.g. Eastgate in Leeds is currently in the process of redevelopment through the integration of a new retail establishment. It will cover the whole site (1.1million sq. /ft.). The redevelopment process demolishes all buildings on the northern site apart from Templar House and covers the most of the site situated directly south (Intersected by Brigate), (Fig 6). Due to the integration of another retail establishment within the City Centre; following the opening of Leeds Trinity Shopping Plaza which already brought 1 million sq. /ft. of retail redevelopment to the city (Fig 7), the architectural persona of the city will be essentially wiped out as the old industrial quarter of Leeds faces eradication. This is a prime example of how the skewed ideologies of investors, who do not understand the rich heritage that the site holds, destroys the historical context and with it the personality of this quarter of Leeds. “There is a stronger interest in marketing schemes than [20] alternative spaces”, (Richard Serra – Writings/Interviews), this speaks of the growing concern for the loss of an alternative space in which could hold the contextual teachings of the past. This shows

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the insensitivity of the current field and every effort to eradicate this form of exploitation should be done.

3.2.3 - Connotations of Context Due to the complexity of the architectural langue regarding context and the reasoning‟s behind decisions that directly affect the context i.e. the needs of a client with no regard for the context, it allows this unique language to be „lost in translation‟ when it comes to building designs, “there‟s a tendency now for architects to treat their buildings as if they were autonomous works of art… Is that to [21] do with the difficulty of creating a publically shared language? … Yes, I think It is”. (Dialogue between Alan Colquhoun and Lynne Cook, Richard Serra –Writings/Interviews). Due to the dictator nature of the Client within the architectural design phase it is now possible for the disregard of the context within a design to go unnoticed due to the desires of the client. It needs to change due to the naivety of this negligence as who regions architectural identity will suffer. When looking into the history of architecture the same can be applied to the classical methods of design where a client, (due to the date of this line of investigation the assumption of the client is of noble/dictator like origin), has completely disregarded the context of the surrounding location, religious needs, environmental factors, economic climates and what lay there before it. It allows us to then look at the idea of architectural history as a potential connotation for the political beliefs of previous centuries. Within the same framework of discussion surely this could be overlaid into the current stance of commercial architecture, where the place of the noble/dictator is replaced by the investor or commercial client whose aim is to maximise profit margins of real-estate. Where would one find the line in which we perceive all forms of architecture to be political connotations at the time of construction? Surely this fact alone could enable us to disregard the historical context from a design?

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3.3 - What Should Be Done 3.3.1 – Implications of Aesthetic laws. When talking about the aesthetics of architecture we are discussing the representations of a system of design, this is the same when we look at other forms for art. Therefore a system should be put into place, not the laws that constrain a subject such as chemistry in which these laws become fundamental, but look at an adaptive law that takes all factors of context into consideration. These laws must be adaptive in their nature and enable the user of these laws to apply them at all areas or architectural design with the projections of technology also becoming a notion in which it holds. These laws must not be mediated by an internal source within the field of architecture but by a neutral position that is able to see the contextual limitations and fundamentals that allow the urban grain to link effortlessly with the design of these new spaces. This almost becomes a value system of the past in which certain aspects are retained in the form of included context and disregarded context in order to allow the field of architecture to advance in parallel to that of new technologies.

4. Case Study 4.1 - Renzo Piano, Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre (Fig 8) The Jean-Marie Tijbaou Cultural Centre in Noumea was designed with the concept of praising the vernacular Kanak, which is the culture of New Caledonia. This centre is constructed using shell like structures which resemble the traditional huts of a Caledonian Village. These huts serve different purposes in the build-up of the cultural centre. The unfinished design was imposed to reflect the current state in which the Kanak culture is in. This opinion was shared by the deceased Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tijbaou. Projects that have the ability to draw on local tradition and build on them to gain new purpose automatically hold value to the local community and help to preserve a „cities‟ persona within design (Cultural Context). The structures form a genuine village, with its own paths, greenery, and public spaces, located outside and in direct contact with the ocean. The project addresses the exploitation of currents of air and the difficulties of finding a way of expressing the tradition of the Pacific in modern language. The Kanak building traditions and the resources of modern international architecture were blended by Piano. The formal curved axial layout, 250 metres long on the top of the ridge, contains ten large conical cases or pavilions patterned on the traditional Kanak Grand Hut design. The building is surrounded by landscaping which is also inspired by traditional Kanak design elements. Marie Claude Tjibaou, widow of Jean Marie Tjibaou and current leader of the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture, stated: "We, the Kanaks, see it as a culmination of a long struggle for the recognition of our identity; on the French Government‟s part it is a powerful gesture of restitution." The use of contextual design has effectively helped bring the community together and allow the development of a cultural land to bridge together the local community and surrounding communities through architecture. Its successful stance on cultural context has helped to integrate contemporary architecture into a pre-existing urban fabric and allow consolidation of the idea that context is not lost and should be celebrated within the idea of design.

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5. Conclusion Aforementioned, context is the amalgamation or accumulation of situations stemming from various factors from predetermined facts, events and sensations. Within the field of architecture this allows a relationship to be created between the building and its urban fabric. Within contemporary design context takes many forms, so a building that is initially seen to hold little if no relation to context can still hold many ties to its context and/or its immediate surroundings. This allows a user specific definition of context to be created and utilised within a design. When looking at Renzo Pianoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s JeanMarie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, it is clear what context has been utilised within the design. This then allows site specific relationships to be built between the building and its immediate surroundings. The cultural centre can be seen to be a great example of how the architect has allowed the rich history of the local area/province, local culture and local site specific surroundings to aid him in the design process. Inevitably this can be related back to the vernacular and/or iterations stemming from this primitive form of design. In relation to this successful use of context it can be seen as important to ensure direct ties to the local urban fabric are established as this allows purer and more aesthetically pleasing proposals for new builds to also be successful within the urban grain, inevitably helping to become empathetic to the history, culture and environment in which this building sits. As discussed within the â&#x20AC;&#x17E;Background of Contextual Designâ&#x20AC;&#x; the vernacular and traditional forms of architectural design gave a basis for architecture as an art and a science to develop over time. The vernacular as a form of design utilised the surrounding environment and gave program to the spaces in which were created, thus allowing the vernacular although referred to as a primitive form of design, to become one of the only forms of architectural design to sit in perfect unison to its context. The change in need for architecture can be seen to be the start of the divergence between architecture and its roots within contextual design. The ending of both world wars at the beginning and middle of th the 20 century altered the necessity of certain spaces within a design and a new character and political stance towards the new movement encouraged its divergence. Inevitably it was due to the under developed understanding of context at a time that allowed the aspirations of a few to be heard and seen by the masses (Modernist Movement). This movement within the architectural field can be said to have been completely within its own contextual world as it draws on the understanding and teachings of others from the same movement, but this still does not take into consideration site specific context and therefore falls short of allowing context to once again be reconciled with th architectural design. Due to the context less design eras of the 20 century, context now includes a context less time of design, which without adjustment to its main aims may continue to plague the contemporary world of design. Chapter 1 builds on the idea that contextual design is the unconscious evolution of the necessity of an era. This is only based on the knowledge of a specific time therefore the role of context within architectural design holds a fundamental value, thus if a building were to be removed from its context, would it still hold the same value. If it were to hold the same value then the role of context within its design is no longer required and the loss of a rich site specific context will be lost. As mentioned previously this can be seen as the difference between art and architecture. Chapter 2 leads on by looking at how the shift in the architectural field may increase the divergence of contextual design. This builds on the prospect that a change in need for architecture would result in decreased meaning of the role of context within the contemporary field. This may be achieved by the limitations of money from a client and/or the funding by a governing entity, along with the need to cut costs and compromise the need for empathetic aesthetics, cultural importance, historical context and environmental characteristics. In addition the political stance of the current governing body in retrospect to the historical context may allow a context less design, therefore eradicating a part of the role of context within contemporary design. Chapter 3 imposes the need for rules/regulations/guidelines when using context within design. This builds my manifesto towards the contemporary world or architecture. I believe that the notion of empathetic design, coupled with the implementation of aesthetic law towards any model of contemporary architecture, will allow the role of context to once again reside at the fundamental centre of architectural design. To conclude I believe that the role of context within architectural design is not outdated; if anything it should be recalibrated as the fundamentals of design. This being said I believe that the foundations of

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the new should always be buried in the past. Therefore celebration of the immediate context to ensure empathetic designs are implemented on a local/regional scale will allow the continuation of the rich heritage that site specific context holds.

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6. Endnotes [1] – Oliver, P (2007). Dwellings: The Vernacular House Worldwide. London: Phaidon Press Ltd. p13 [2] – Lloyd Wright, F (2011). Open Interview [3] – Sullivan, L (1947). Form and Function: Remarks on Art by Horatio Greenough [4] - Hillman, D. (2013). How To Make Architecture, Not Art. Available: http://www.archdaily.com/337603/how-to-make-architecture-not-art/. Last accessed 15th Mar 2014. [5] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p236 – Paragraph 1-3 [6] - Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p45 – Paragraph 1 [7] - Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p45 – Paragraph 5 [8] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p232 – Paragraph 1-2 [9] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p242 – Paragraph 10 [10] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p245 – Paragraph 1-24 [11] – Venturi, R (1984). Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (Museum of Modern Art Papers on Architecture). 2nd ed. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, New York. p112 Paragraph 2 [12] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p235 – Paragraph 4-6 [13] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p240 – Paragraph 6-9 [14] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p236 – Paragraph 5-12 [15] - Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p44 – Paragraph 4 [16] - Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p45 – Paragraph 2 [17] - Colquhoun, A (1989). Modernity and the Classical Tradition, Architectural Essays 1980 - 1987 . Massachusetts: The MIT Press . p218 Paragraph 2-3 [18] - Colquhoun, A (1989). Modernity and the Classical Tradition, Architectural Essays 1980 - 1987 . Massachusetts: The MIT Press . p235 Paragraph 1-3 [19] - Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p69 – Paragraph 1-2

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[20] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p241 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Paragraph 1 [21] - Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p242 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Paragraph 1-9

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7. Bibliography

Colquhoun, A (1985). Essays in Architectural Criticism, Modern Architecture and Historical Change. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. p43-74. Colquhoun, A (1989). Modernity and the Classical Tradition, Architectural Essays 1980 - 1987 . Massachusetts: The MIT Press . p229-247. Fazio, M (2013). A World History of Architecture. 3rd ed. London: Laurence King. p1-624. Glassie, H (2000). Vernacular Architecture (Material Culture). Indiana: Indiana University Press. p6394. Gold, J.R (1997). The Experience of Modernism: Modern Architects and the Future City, 1928-53. London: Taylor & Francis. p20-198. Jencks, C (1991). The Language of Post-Modern Architecture. 6th ed. London: Rizzoli. p167-201. Maldonado, T (1972). Design, Nature, and Revolution. New York: Harper & Row. p1-139. Moholy-Nagy, L (1947). Vision in Motion. London: Paul Theobald & Co. p46-243. Oliver, P (2007). Dwellings: The Vernacular House Worldwide. London: Phaidon Press Ltd. p1-288. Palladio, A (2002). The Four Books of Architecture. Massachusetts : The MIT Press. p1-126. Payne, A (2012). From Ornament to Object: Genealogies of Architectural Modernism. Conneticut: Yale University Press. p43-116. Serra, R (1994). Writings Interviews. Chicago, London: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition. p229247. Venturi, R (1984). Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (Museum of Modern Art Papers on Architecture). 2nd ed. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, New York. p1-144. Zumthor, P (2010). Thinking Architecture. 3rd ed. Berlin: Birkh채user GmbH. p4-35. Hillman, D. (2013). How To Make Architecture, Not Art. Available: http://www.archdaily.com/337603/how-to-make-architecture-not-art/. Last accessed 15th Mar 2014.

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List of Illustrations Fig 1 - Inner Hebrides, (2007), Wojsyl, Scotland

Fig 2 - Hypostyle Plan, (2012), Kavuri-Bauer, San Francisco

Fig 3,- Villa La Roche Axonometric Drawing, (2008), Jaques, Paris

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Fig 4 - La Maison du Fada, (2011), Johnson S, Marseille

Fig 5 - AT&T Building New York, (2011), Shankbone D, New York

Fig 6 - ACME Masterplan Leeds Eastgate, (2012), ACME, London

Fig 7 - Trinity Leeds, (2013), Land Securities Retail, Leeds

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Fig 8 - Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, (2011), Meinhold B, New Caledonia

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