“A home should be a reflection of the spirit that lives within.”

So much of our built world has a “generic” sense, neutrality that attempts to create a universal acceptance or likability. We often choose conventionality in order to make our spaces, our homes neutral enough or mainstream enough to be liked by all. But in that “play it safe” approach, we tend to create impersonal spaces that can lack character and personality…specifically—ours.

I am sure we have all walked through countless homes for sale, and have seen the “vanilla” building design. It is usually the “safe” beige color inside and out, with limited elements that would draw attention. The features follow current mainstream trends, and in that predictable design, the result can feel uninteresting and lacking in depth. There is a detached and somewhat stale feeling to the house that shows no sign of who lives within.

And truthfully, it seems to be unnatural. We should always have an impact on where we live, and in turn, it should have an impact on us. It should be representative of who we are, and should naturally reflect our personality. Whether it does so by displaying our tastes and aesthetic style, or by housing special images or mementos with personal significance to us, it should speak to us and create an environment that is both inviting and defining.So as you look around your home right now, does it speak to you? Does it feel like YOUR home, or could it just as well be anyone’s? Do you feel an emotional attachment to it?

There are so many unique ways to inject personality and life into a house, and in so doing to make it a home that speaks to you.

Pictures are powerful images that connect us to places and people that mean something to us. Surrounding ourselves with these images gives our home vivacity and depth. Whether you place them on a console table, the mantle, or fill a wall, use different frames that are similar in color. This gives variety while still feeling cohesive.

Visiting new lands can be exhilarating, educational, and enlightening. And bringing a part of that culture or land back to our homes is a way to maintain those memories. Why not take a wall and decorate it with colorful or antique framed maps of the places you have visited, or plan to visit? Or, create display cases of unusual objects, souvenirs, crafts, or art pieces that have personal meaning from diverse travels.

Kids artwork, no matter how “artistic” always holds significant feelings and memories for us. Rather than storing them all in a box high up in the garage, why not devote a wall to kids paintings over the years? You can help to unify the different frames by painting a “panel” in a unique color as a backdrop for them; for example ,a light slate blue wall, or sage green with black frames of various artwork. They will feel unified, while maintaining a playful aesthetic.


So today when you walk into your home, take stock…look around. Does it reach up to greet you? Do you feel your personality embedded within? Allow your home to surround you with the kind of comfort we get when we are with someone who truly knows us. Let your home reflect the spirit that lives within.

Complexity

Architecture becomes interesting when it explores the idea of putting two or more things together, and experiencing the result. It can be the creative spark that happens with the juxtaposition of elements to create a new understanding, new meaning, and new vision.

When we hold two opposing or conflicting thoughts in our heads at the same time, our thoughts have more depth and complexity than if one simple thought resides. Pairing two complementary or different elements can create something entirely new. For example, when we pair a good wine with food, what we enjoy is a complexity of flavor that brings out something new in the wine. Often the profundity in design is similarly the result of a merging or collaboration of elements that encourages us to see anew.

In the design of architecture, we can put two materials together that we might not ordinarily see. Merging the two, juxtaposing them, allows each one to comment on the other. For example, stainless steel next to smooth stucco—each one can be a beautiful finish, each one feels smooth, but the coolness of the steel emphasizes the warmth and tactility of the pottery-like stucco.

So let’s take this a step or two further…

How do we pair things in our homes in order to create something new? And how do we pair things in our lives in hopes of obtaining an even more interesting result?
Combining several different textures in your home can be an easy solution to inviting that complexity in. For example, smooth varnished wood shelves against a rough stone wall. Or, satin and silk throw pillows upon a textured couch…a thick wool rug lying on a smooth polished concrete floor. Merging the two, and highlighting the contrast, makes each one individually more interesting.

Now for the more difficult question…How do we bring that depth and complexity to our lives? When we get accustomed to doing the same thing day in and day out…we begin to blur our vision. We become less and less observant and less present. If we were to inject something new and complementary to our routine, perhaps we would begin to take notice of that, and everything it contrasted. Perhaps the pairing would bring renewed awareness. For example, if you spend a lot of time talking on the phone, socializing at work or conversing with your kids and family once you get home, try to carve out a time for true silence. Whether it is a walk on the beach, a meditative pause, or a time to read or reflect, you will sense the profound quiet and stillness. The contrast of this tranquility to the typical mundane routine and chaos of your life will bring a new awareness you did not know.

For some of us, watching television every evening becomes habitual, and while we are tuning in to our favorite show, we are all too often, tuning out. Maybe try sitting on the porch or in the backyard with a glass of wine whether alone or with your partner. Or choose eating dinner outside on the patio by candlelight. This can add the depth and complexity that is lacking by contrasting that which has become all too familiar and ordinary.

"Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery and paradoxes of life, not to be dismayed by the multitude of causes and consequences that are inherent in each experience -- to appreciate the fact that life is complex."
— M. Scott Peck

Steps

"It is good to have an end to journey towards,
but it is the journey that matters in the end."
~ Ursula K. Le Guin

Life can be a rat race.
However having an alarming aversion to rats, I prefer to call it a hamster race. We can feel like that little hamster that is running in circles on that wheel. We run, we run faster, we get out of breath, we get off for a little while…but eventually we are back on, running in circles once again.

We want so badly to get that promotion, that degree, or that quaint house on Wisteria lane that we focus so intently on reaching that goal, we can lose sight of our journey. Frequently plagued by the stress and anxiety intrinsic to the hamster race, we often wish to accelerate our life just to get there, whatever there might be.

But, wise philosophers, therapists, Zen masters, and every self help book on the shelf, tell us that we need to slow down and be in the moment to enjoy the present. In other words, life is not simply a means to an end….the journey matters.

In architecture, a staircase is all about journey. It is an architectural element enabling us to get from one level to another. While it serves this purpose, it can also be a rich opportunity to offer us volume, dimension, and an entirely new vantage point. Rather than solely providing a utilitarian and practical function, a staircase can be aesthetically transformed into an interactive sculpture that encourages a dynamic change in perspective.

A staircase embodies dramatic architectural possibility.

The first step is to make the steps comfortable. When stairs are too steep (high riser) or the tread too short (where you can barely place your foot on it without feeling clumsy), there is an awkwardness, and we feel out of breath as we climb our way to the top. Stairs can also feel confining and claustrophobic, making us feel uneasy and unsettled. The other day, I was in a medical building, and rather than take the elevator to the second level, I decided to take the stairs. It turns out that the staircase was actually a stairwell. I opened the door and stepped in, and instantly got this nervous go-as-fast-as-you-can feeling, and hurry-and-get-the-heck-out-of-here vibe. Checking over my shoulder certain that there would be a creepy stalker, I took the stairs two at a time…Clearly I was not enjoying the journey!

The second step is to bring sculptural form that is not only striking to look at, but beautiful to experience. As we ascend the stairs, do we get the sense that we are perched above, hovering between floors? Does the shape of the staircase feel dynamic and energetic? Is there a gracefulness reminiscent of flight?

The aesthetic power of a staircase can be captivating. With its quiet drama, it can profoundly elevate our experience, making our journey matter.

Passageways

Passageways mark our transitions from one place to another.
In architecture they are arches, doorways, entrances, opening, foyers, gates, lobbies, or porches. They bring awareness that we are making a transition.

We may each be going through our own transitions; embarking on a new job, beginning a marriage, or ending one, going off to college, becoming a parent, moving into a new house or to a new city. Our lives are made up of many transitions all pieced together.

There are so many conflicting feelings that are attached to these passageways: fear, anxiety, possibly excitement, and hopefulness. We often feel a combination of emotions as we are passing through to what is unfamiliar, and that may bring confusing discomfort and veiled uneasiness.

Aware of our own apprehension, we strive to make our passageways inviting, unique, and memorable.

They should be to scale. When passages are massive and overwhelming, they do not take into account the human scale. In essence they fail to acknowledge the human spirit. That can make us feel too small and powerless. Instead, a doorway needs to invite us through feeling safe, and able to walk through with confidence and certainty.

Passageways should be inviting and interesting. While we have our conventional doors and standard opening sizes, why not redefine those? Still marking our transition, a door can be surprising in size or unexpected in shape. This invites our attention and coaxes us to pass through.

And lastly, passageways should pay homage to the transition. When we try to ignore the reality of our transition, we awkwardly stumble with its abruptness. Our awareness of the change that is upon us, recognizing its significance, and understanding our trepidation helps us to welcome the passage.

Whatever passage you might be approaching, make it memorable.

Architecture as Habitable Sculpture

So much of what we acquire or admire in life are things we need to survive such as food and shelter; or things which give us a sense of status and importance, such as racy cars and fashion couture. Uniquely, art serves neither purpose. It is simply pure beauty for our eyes and nourishment for our souls.

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
-Thomas Merton

With so many facets to the art world, architecture is unlike most other disciplines. Architecture must not solely be an object to be admired from afar, but rather, be sculptural art to be walked in and through, it is to be touched and used, it is to shelter and protect. True architecture engages the viewer or visitor – it enhances and deepens the experience of a space. That experience is as important as the aesthetic result.

“There are three forms of visual art: Painting is art to look at, sculpture is art you can walk around, and architecture is art you can walk through.”
-Dan Rice

By creating sculpture that we inhabit, architecture resonates with us, because it identifies and pays particular attention to the very needs we seek as human beings. Often what we appreciate in architecture is what we strive or search for in our own lives:

Excitement,
Security,
Strength,
Safety,
Simplicity,
Ease,
Tranquility,
Serenity,
Endurance,
Longevity.

By speaking directly to our intrinsic needs, architecture becomes a human experience. Perhaps that is why we feel a quiet understanding when we enter a powerful, awe-inspiring space. Without quite defining the elements of its beauty, we intrinsically know that we feel connected to it. We feel our awareness awakened as the space somehow acknowledges our human need.

We feel the tranquility...

or the commanding strength...

or the pure simplicity of the space...

It is not always something easily verbalized...
but it is usually something felt with genuine force.

Trendiness vs. Timelessness

In response to last week’s blog, the question a reader asked was….
"At what point does a building become eternal?"

For a building or space to become eternal, there must first be a moment where the building or space is alive, where it embodies a soul. The architect is usually the first to feel the moment when his or her creative spark gives birth to the project. And somewhere in the creative process, the project itself, with its new found spirit or personality, begins to lead the design, and generate the design decisions that follow.

And once the space is built, when does the architecture transcend from “living” to “eternal?”

I believe that the moment the building leaves a lasting impression on any one viewer/visitor, that is when its eternity is sealed. Because it is in actuality, our memory that makes the building eternal. It is the indelible mark a space etches onto our memory that grants it timelessness. We leave that space forever changed in our thinking, or perhaps in our vision, awe-struck by the experience. Once the “awe” factor has been ignited, it is hard to ever let it go. It will stay embedded in our memory as we bestow upon that building a cherished timelessness.

And that leads us into today’s topic of trendiness versus timelessness. Timelessness is a quality that remains invariably powerful throughout time. It sort of suspends itself between time, unaffected by its passing. But trendiness is the following of what is fashionable and often faddish at a given moment in time. They are quite the opposite. Certainly when we see a trendy building, something that might be “cool, hip” and “of the moment,” we feel an excitement as we respond to its vitality and boldness. However, over time, that diminishes as a newer trendiness gains momentum, and overrides the old.

Timelessness is quite the opposite, since it does not heed time. Its strength or power remains unaffected by time or the fashionable changes that come and go. It has a sophistication, an understanding, or a depth that resonates much deeper than a trend can possibly evoke. For example, looking at the fashion world…the stretchy neon disco pants of the 80’s had their moment. But I think we could agree that their moment has now passed (thankfully!). But the little black dress is a timeless piece that has the classiness, clean structure that accentuates a woman’s body in a timeless way.

Similarly, architecture can define itself as a trendy project, or a timeless one. While a trendy design can shake things up a bit, bringing a lot of attention to the project because it is unusual and “new,” it can; however, later become stale and dated, unable to stand the test of time.

For timelessness to be achieved, I believe the space and/or building has to resonate for us on a deeper level, in a way that transcends time. When we are in a space that has the awe factor, and we sense its enormity, or its exquisite detailing, or the ethereal quality of light against texture and form, we have experienced timeless beauty. It is those buildings that will continue to inspire, long after the latest trend disappears and is forgotten, long after each visitor leaves, and even well past the building’s life expectancy. It is the memory of our experience of the architecture that will hold it timeless.

An Indelible Mark

This week, with the passing of a dear family member and the six month anniversary of another dear friend, I was reminded about our mortality. At some point we all reach the finish line of life. It arrives either with sudden shock and loss, or is defined by a gradual letting go of this world. And as we arrive at the finish line, we will have had the ability to leave a lasting legacy, a vivid memory of ourselves.

The more engaging and intertwined our lives have been, the larger the legacy, the more timeless the memory that we leave behind. Hopefully, throughout our lives, we have all been enriched by many wonderful and unforgettable people who have made an impression, an indelible mark on us. In having known them, they may have elevated our lives with their special connection and significant meaning. They may have changed our understanding of love and friendship; and we are certainly better for having known them.

Certain buildings and spaces too can be such powerful experiences, that they too leave their indelible mark upon us. With that impression, they become timeless, enduring, and sustained in our memory. These buildings enrich our experiences bringing beauty and aesthetic awareness to the forefront.

There are certain buildings that etch themselves into our minds.

The Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, that sits afloat the water, defying its weight and looking as if delicately placed upon a sheet of ocean, is extraordinary.

The carved out Italian plaza amidst a sea of buildings

An ethereal interior

Searching for depth and meaning in our lives is essential to the human experience. People and spaces can come into our lives, that literally inspire and change us. It is this quest for significance and personal fulfillment of not only our physical needs, but those needs of our souls as well that can transform a mundane existence to a life that is profound, authentic, and unforgettable.