arkitrave :: log

Peter Zumthor, one of the top architects in the world, was at school today and provided critiques in my studio. I didn’t get to present my project, as he talked a lot. Only three students presented. But out of those presentations came many interesting questions; his approach is very different from UB’s, and I thought that many of his questions could be asked of both design in the physical world and design in the digital world.

[Note: for the uninitiated, architecture studios deal with hypothetical building problems - this semester is a mixed-use apartment block on the Toronto waterfront.]

[Note: for a good, only slightly cynical overview of the architectural studio culture, read this.]

“What did you learn” [through exercize x]

“Why do I want to buy this apartment you’ve created? Why is it better than other apartments I could buy? Because it’s ‘more interesting’ isn’t enough.”

“You can do a crazy house for a friend. But apartments? No.”

“Why is this form being used here? Why is it being used at all?”

“What is my experience of this building? Where do I enter, where do I walk to get where I’m going?”

“Do you like it?”

“Do you like it as a designer or as a user of the building?”

“What do you like best about your project?”

“What are the problems you see?”

Of course, there were also a few statements like “I don’t like it at all - I’d never do it.” He’s Swiss - they tell it like it is (I know — my wife is Swiss…)

Some of these are provocative questions, of both web design and architecture. Some are simple, but don’t get asked enough.

Discuss.