Post Structuralism
Post Structuralism (1968-1999), was a set of theories that were a reaction to Structuralist thought. With the influence of Derrida, Foucault and Deleuze a language based system was born from these philosophical stances. In opposition to Structuralism, thought changed to it is the texture not just the text; anything can mean anything. “A” no longer just means “A”, it can also mean “B”, “C”, “D”, etc. Henri Lefebvre states that “a specific or indefinite multiplicity of meanings, a shifted hierarchy in which now one, now another meanings comes momentarily to the fore, by means of – and for the sake of – a particular action”. In the theory of language we see that text is an element of how we understand meanings. The meaning of text depends directly upon the texture. As Fredric Jameson points out, we can not remove ourselves from the fabric of society so we can not fully understand the “truth” of an object. This non-objective understanding of space points out a power struggle between the dominance of history and the present. Since there is no truth in the object, the space becomes powerful in defining what the object means. This approach depends highly on society and how space is perceived.
Adam A. Dailide – Studio Render Inc.
Posted in Architectural Theory and tagged architecture, Discussion, history, post-structuralism, style by Studio Render with 18 comments.
Villa Savoye
Villa Savoye, dubbed as Le Corbusier’s masterpiece was constructed in 1929 in Poissy, France. This structure sits on an open site and gives the feeling that the building is floating. This open site has been said to be the reason for its stature. The site gave Corbusier a chance to apply his 5 points of architecture without the constraints of an urban site. The main section of this residence is a box that sits atop slender pilotis or stilts that are offset from the edge of the structure above. The building which was designed out of concrete and plaster unit masonry shows the purist Modern design of Corbusier. This modern structure designed to be “machine a habiter”, a machine for living, uses a flat roof and strip “ribbon” windows to give this freestanding building a distinct modern look. In addition, the design is simplified with the pure white color and lack of ornamentation as well as the curvilinear forms on both the roof and lower level to further support the machine imagery.
The modern design continues into the interior of Villa Savoye. Corbusier uses non-traditional conveying systems, an open plan, an integral ground floor garage, built-in furniture and a roof garden to give this machine a habitable and efficient feel. The interior flows well from one space to another with the use of ramps and spiral staircases, while creating a modular feel and keeping movement from one space to overlapping spaces available. The use of the “ribbon” windows provides this interior with ample sunlight and giving the framed look to the exterior.
The theory behind this structure is based on a Modernist view and directly affected by World War II. The use of industrial materials associates this residence with the Modern Movement. These facts teamed with Corbusier’s preference to a square plan and pure, natural form come together to express his theory in Villa Savoye.
Posted in Historical and tagged architecture, Discussion, history, review, villa savoye by Studio Render with 3 comments.
The Crutch of Human Resources
The idea that an answer to our problems will come with the continuing development of machine and technology is naive and puts our future in dire straights. We must foreshadow the future and try to prevent the crutch of waiting for something to happen before we deal with it. Consequently, we are already at that point with many of the things that we depend on to live our daily consumer driven lives. Countries like China have a limit on family size to try and stop the overgrowth of population. Our water supply has diminished and is becoming more polluted. Fossil fuels are being depleted while people complain of high gas prices as they fill up their 15 mile per gallon oversized SUV. The air we depend on is more and more polluted while politicians bicker over when outdated pollution regulations should be in place. There are improvised countries that are already feeling the effects of famine and a barren landscape. Landfills continue to grow while a majority of what is contained in them could have been recycled in one form or another. Wars wage on depleting resources while our own people are killed because of power and differences. These issues are real and sadly they are just a few of the issues that face the human race and our survival. At some point the majority must stand up and make a stand to break the vicious cycle that has been set before us.
Posted in Editorial and tagged comsumer, crutch, death, development, Editorial, foreshadow, future, history, human, humanity, issues, landfills, oil, overgrowth, pollution, population, recycle, social, vicious cycle, water supply by Studio Render with 9 comments.
