DETAILS!

I agree with the author that tectonics is of utmost importance in architecture. I remember sophomore year having an epiphany that most of the architecture that I observed to be good or beautiful had its strength in the details. It was almost overwhelming realizing this because before that point, I thought it was all about the form, and I felt like that was all I had been taught to design. Detail is not something we can figure out and slap on at the end. To have a true expression of tectonics, it has to be more grassroots, taking details and structural information, and emerging a form in conjunction. Thus, I felt that I had to start from scratch and redevelop my personal designing methods. This was quite the adventure last semester.

I agree with Jeff that many of our models and past work have neglected the details altogether. This is why I believe we should be cautious with our use of the laser cutter. I am very much pro-build-by-hand because this the closest we can get to understanding the part that tectonics plays in putting a building together. And also to be honest, many of our models that look good as models, including my own, would look dry and cold if they were built because we are not thinking in terms of human scale. (Not that I’m against the laser cutter altogether; when used reasonably, it’s a great tool.) I think Louis Kahn is a good example of someone who had a strong formal language, and at the same time was a master of details. Just thinking about the Kimball, I cannot get over the composition of majestic vault-like forms coming to their load points with intricate, detailed joints.