Architecture

Kahn looks at architecture as a form of art because after all it is an expression.  He feels a built form should evoke unmeasurable qualities because these give the architecture an existence.  The measurable qualities provide the architecture with a presence.  Together the measurable and unmeasurable qualities give architecture life.

People often forget how important architecture is to their daily lives.  We walk in and out of great structures and sometimes never take the time to see the wonderful forms around us.  It is not until we stop and our breath is taken away by a completely unique piece of architecture that we realize what Kahn means by the word unmeasurable.  This type of architecture is art because it represents an outward expression to the world.

Renzo Piano, architect, once said in an interview "curiosity is a much better emotion then intimidation."  Designing to him is about crafting out a structure that draws emotion and becomes an expression of his thoughts.  His architectural forms portray unmeasurable qualities in every detail and take on an existence of their own.

Institutions

I could not say this better then the words of Kahn "Institution stems from the inspiration to live."  To live is to express yourself, to desire, to achieve.  The institution provides us with the platform to be free. Free to learn, grow, and become.  The institution is not one place but a single unit of information as institutions multiple based on human desire they become cities of information.  A then maps out patterns of streets or connections between the institutions.

Kahn talks further about institutions becoming schools, chapels, and architecture but I feel that it is important to remember that institutions are our databases of knowledge that provide us with the opportunity to express ourselves.  

Wall + Column

Kahn talks about the wall as if is the beginning of what we call interior shelter.  He goes on to show how man over came the wonderful power of the wall and began to conform it to what he needed it to do.  Soon the man overcame the wall and broke free to create a window.  Next, the man altered all that was great about a solid wall and what was left was a tiny artifact...a column.  The strange thing is that the destruction of the wall into a column began what we now call "architecture." 

Kahn has a great way of describing things so they become more personal.  Could the wall be a man and could the world be the wall.  So in turn the strength in the beginning is slowly changed and distorted by the effects of the world.

This makes me wonder about issues of sustainability and green design.  Are we trying to fix what we started and what was great to begin with or are we just creating a window in the wall of design?

Materials

Realization in form... with this comes a realization of shape, form, feel, and use.  There is an honor in understanding materials.  Kahn feels that individuals must respect the natural state of a material and only until you see the beauty in a material are you able to create.  Kahn warns individuals to never use material in a subsidiary was so as to make the material behave in a way that is disrespectful to the honor of its character.  

This topic is currently a major issue in building and in world views.  Recently, people are becoming aware of the need to be more conscious of their footprint on the world.  THere is a strong lean towards sustainability and green design.  I feel this is an important conversion people must have in order to create a better world.  There is a need for people to understand the beauty that surrounds them everyday in nature and the elements it provides us.  We have to respect our environment and in return it will honor us.

Garden + Room

Nature in relation to Architecture.  Kahn weaves these two words together to explain the relationship between the garden and room as both being the beginning place of design chosen by an individual.  The individual then consciously adds elements to this space to create an extension of themselves. 

The Plan

Kahn looks at the plan as "the structure of the spaces in their light."  He talk about a plan as having a voice that speaks to each dimensional foot within a given area.  It is a "society of rooms" where each part must interact with the next in order for the space to function as a uniform entity. 

This is an interesting way to think about a plan.  As a student studying architecture we are often faced with questions about circulation, relationships, and purpose when developing an interior space.  I agree with Kahn... a plan is very much like a society.  Each room must function individually while providing attributes to aid in bettering the overall structure.  

Structure

Kahn describes Structure as "the giver of light."  He looks at structure as having form based on the effect light has on a solid plane.  By combining mass with void, the eye reads space has having rhythm and depth.  This gives structure character by transforming space with light.