Comments on: Is Design Balance at Play in your Building? http://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/ Architecture | Design | Science | Technology Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:00:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Maria Lorena Lehmanhttp://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/comment-page-1/#comment-5362 Maria Lorena Lehman Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:11:31 +0000 http://sensingarchitecture.com/?p=2461#comment-5362 David,I think you make excellent points about how important it is to facilitate communication and a convergence of ideas during the design process. I agree that the "marriage" between the landscape design and architecture should complement not only one another, but also the lives and needs of the occupants which they serve.Thank you for your comments. David,

I think you make excellent points about how important it is to facilitate communication and a convergence of ideas during the design process. I agree that the “marriage” between the landscape design and architecture should complement not only one another, but also the lives and needs of the occupants which they serve.

Thank you for your comments.

]]> By: David C Freemanhttp://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/comment-page-1/#comment-5096 David C Freeman Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:40:04 +0000 http://sensingarchitecture.com/?p=2461#comment-5096 As a Landscape Designer/Contractor I'm as or more interested in the concept of balance, obviously, especially in a visual sense and in a sense to get my work to flow with the work of the building architect. I, too often, find that I get brought into the process after the home has basically come to a final design, which is fine, I can still do my job, but when brought in earlier in the process, it is easier to create that sense of harmony, and we have two or more design minds trying to understand the clients lives and their aims at how to they wish to "live in" their property as a whole, instead of the house and the outdoor landscape and structures being an entirely different set of ideas. In a very real sense, my goal is to create an "outdoor room" or set or rooms that are of concomitant interest and flow naturally from the complete design of the building structure. I find when I'm in contact with the building architect that there is a much clearer sense of communication between all parties involved and I often wind up trading ideas with the building designer that help us both bring our game to a slightly higher level and increase the overall harmony and flow of the project in its entirety. I've taken time to study as much psychology as I can because I find clients often do not have the concrete sense of what they want or what will work for them because they lack the experience, the vocabulary or design nomenclature to fully explain it to me. So instead of guessing or making it a process of pulling teeth, by reading their body language, mood, relationships during meetings and getting a basic understanding of how they prosecute their lives on a day to day basis, I am able to understand "the flow of their lifestyle", and therefore give them something closer to truly meeting their needs in a way that enabls them to use the products or designs I have provided them with to the fullest extent, also thereby giving them the most use-value for their dollar. I try not to even begin designing or throwing ideas at them until I have completed some of this process of getting to understand their lives and find it not only give us all a better finished product, but saves me time on wasted ideas as well. As a Landscape Designer/Contractor I’m as or more interested in the concept of balance, obviously, especially in a visual sense and in a sense to get my work to flow with the work of the building architect. I, too often, find that I get brought into the process after the home has basically come to a final design, which is fine, I can still do my job, but when brought in earlier in the process, it is easier to create that sense of harmony, and we have two or more design minds trying to understand the clients lives and their aims at how to they wish to “live in” their property as a whole, instead of the house and the outdoor landscape and structures being an entirely different set of ideas.
In a very real sense, my goal is to create an “outdoor room” or set or rooms that are of concomitant interest and flow naturally from the complete design of the building structure. I find when I’m in contact with the building architect that there is a much clearer sense of communication between all parties involved and I often wind up trading ideas with the building designer that help us both bring our game to a slightly higher level and increase the overall harmony and flow of the project in its entirety.
I’ve taken time to study as much psychology as I can because I find clients often do not have the concrete sense of what they want or what will work for them because they lack the experience, the vocabulary or design nomenclature to fully explain it to me. So instead of guessing or making it a process of pulling teeth, by reading their body language, mood, relationships during meetings and getting a basic understanding of how they prosecute their lives on a day to day basis, I am able to understand “the flow of their lifestyle”, and therefore give them something closer to truly meeting their needs in a way that enabls them to use the products or designs I have provided them with to the fullest extent, also thereby giving them the most use-value for their dollar. I try not to even begin designing or throwing ideas at them until I have completed some of this process of getting to understand their lives and find it not only give us all a better finished product, but saves me time on wasted ideas as well.

]]> By: Maria Lorena Lehmanhttp://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/comment-page-1/#comment-2292 Maria Lorena Lehman Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:54:27 +0000 http://sensingarchitecture.com/?p=2461#comment-2292 Mónica and William,I agree that the subject of harmony and balance is a core component to achieving great architecture. As architects, we all try to improve our work with each project that we do --- and truly understanding harmony and balance can have a tremendous rippling effect which will make our designs reach their fullest potential.Thank you for your kind words. I am really encouraged by feedback like yours.Maria Mónica and William,

I agree that the subject of harmony and balance is a core component to achieving great architecture. As architects, we all try to improve our work with each project that we do — and truly understanding harmony and balance can have a tremendous rippling effect which will make our designs reach their fullest potential.

Thank you for your kind words. I am really encouraged by feedback like yours.

Maria

]]> By: William J. Martin WJM Architecthttp://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/comment-page-1/#comment-2265 William J. Martin WJM Architect Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:57:43 +0000 http://sensingarchitecture.com/?p=2461#comment-2265 I sincerely thank you for this post. You have captured the essence of the "Blind Design Paradox" in a most poetic way. Harmony created by appropriate balance in architectural design is important. It is the way for a design to reach a higher potential and become something more.More on this subject would certainly be of interest.Thanks again,Bill I sincerely thank you for this post. You have captured the essence of the “Blind Design Paradox” in a most poetic way. Harmony created by appropriate balance in architectural design is important. It is the way for a design to reach a higher potential and become something more.

More on this subject would certainly be of interest.

Thanks again,

Bill

]]> By: Mónicahttp://sensingarchitecture.com/2461/is-design-balance-at-play-in-your-building/comment-page-1/#comment-2244 Mónica Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:30:03 +0000 http://sensingarchitecture.com/?p=2461#comment-2244 Hi María, I really liked this post because for me it turned out to be somewhat poetic. The balance of the design, how people experience architecture, harmony and beauty. It all reminded me to Alberti and his texts about beauty, and how it is achieved by the harmony between the parts to such a degree that you can't subtract or add anything without altering (and worsening) the whole. I always loved this part of Alberti's re aedificatoria. Your posts give me that poetic feeling and are so insightful that always make me question my way of designing. Thank you for a wonderful blog!Love, Mónica Hi María,
I really liked this post because for me it turned out to be somewhat poetic. The balance of the design, how people experience architecture, harmony and beauty. It all reminded me to Alberti and his texts about beauty, and how it is achieved by the harmony between the parts to such a degree that you can’t subtract or add anything without altering (and worsening) the whole. I always loved this part of Alberti’s re aedificatoria.
Your posts give me that poetic feeling and are so insightful that always make me question my way of designing. Thank you for a wonderful blog!

Love,
Mónica

]]>