understanding architectural world

Deborah A. Jimenez (daj5 who-is-at psu.edu)
Wed, 24 Sep 1997 11:44:40 -0400

At 6:57 PM -0600 9/23/97, Phillip Allen White wrote:
>On Tue, 23 Sep 1997, Deborah A. Jimenez wrote:
>>
>> we can not continue to ignore such an absence of architecture in
>>education...
>> how many of you had studied it beyond this building is blank and built by
>> blank???
>
>
> Deborah, I have for the last near thirty years marveled at how
>dreadful buildings for education have been as expressed in the modern
>vernacular. It's often difficult to tell a public school from a public
>jail. Or a factory.

phillip...i could not agree more with you !!! and i am so amused at times
when i hear of people decorating their rooms...and using pretty paint to
"fix" the problem of the "cold"...sterile classroom...while i appreciate
their attempts...i do believe they are superficial...

institutional architecture is really complex in how it functions...how
decisions are made about buildings and designs...who makes the decision...
for who are they making it...with what criteria... on what basis...etc..etc

i also have experience with residential architecture...and even there...i
witness such strange logic for what was "wanted"...why??? and
misconceptions of relationships between what they thought...what they
envisioned and what they were able communicate... they lacked so much
information, vocabulary, meaning and really could only enter in the
dialogue
superficially...

i hope, phillip, you did not take offense to my final question...let me
reword it...i am sure all of us at sometime or other have thought about
these issue...but would it not be beneficial...wow i think crucial!!!...for
us to talk more in depth about architecture...should it not be addressed,
studied, integrated into our formal gen ed schooling...we all encounter it
...our lives are so intertwined with it it!!! it IS a form of literacy...
and i would not underestimate its importance... it is alarming the rampant
existence of this form of iliteracy !!!

i just can not see how we can begin to change or impact our built
environments if we do not undertand the discourse!!!

there are so many examples...the american "mall", supermarkets,
homes..(from the hollywood mansion...to track homes...to public housing),
parks..(amusement and recreation)...ok you get the point...all of these
examples lie under a very complex structure that is often obfuscated... we
need to look at this in formal as well as informal educational setttings!!!

that is my plea and it is never too late!!! i appreciate your response
phillip! sincerely deborah