Context / Architectural Design (ePub)

Demonstrates how a building's setting should inform and inspire
rather than constrain architectural design

Context-Architecture and the Genius of Place is a highly
engaging, informative discussion of context in architectural theory
and practice. Eric Parry, one of the UK's most highly regarded
architects -- whose work has been widely lauded for its
innovative response to its setting -- addresses the
contemporary definition of context and its importance for
sustainable everyday living and urban design. Looking beyond the
formal agenda to explore the fundamentals that give new social and
cultural perspective to this vital point of departure for
designers, this book turns the urban statistician's telescopic
focus on global trends inside out for a better understanding of the
cultural and physical conditions that make archetypes like the
Parisian Café, the London High Street, the Baltic City Square,
and the Mumbai Market part of the architect's lexicon. From
pavement to landscape, readers will examine how context must be
taken into account at every stage in the design process.

This book draws on the author's extensive experience within
complex urban settings to show how the existing fabric and social
conditions can provide an essential starting point for new design,
offering a framework for thinking about design responses and their
relationship to cultural origins of place.

* Discover the importance of orientation

* Develop a sequential understanding of urban space

* Hear the dialogue between parts within a whole

* Differentiate the uses of formal and informal

Whereas existing urban settings, particularly historic city
centers, are generally regarded as limiting to architectural
creativity, this book presents context as grounds for inspiration
rather than constraint. When used correctly, these techniques
create the feeling that a new building has always been there,
simply because it "fits". Context explains the methods
behind brilliant architecture, helping designers create buildings
that not only belong, but can provide a catalyst to urban life.