CASE STUDY 1
A Case Study on Exterior and Interior Designs of Architecture: Nature Co-Existing Designs and Practical SolutionsAbout: Architectures can affect people’s emotion or image by exterior and interior designs such as colors, lights, and materials. In addition, architectures shape the town or city by supporting and attracting people, who live, play, shop, and visit. Winston Churchill, prime minister of the UK in 1940 and in1952, stated, “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us”. His argument shows that developing areas are not only about making new buildings, but also about growing the society together with people. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the effect and maintain successful gains such as MORI Building’s developing strategies. Moreover, Travis Price, an award winning architect and philosopher, has proposed that the problem with architecture today is the lack of connection with nature (Gray, 2014). Modern buildings’ isolation from nature is a big issue, because co-existing with nature provides advantage to people both physically and mentally. Research has been conducted by Cornell University that stress reduction can also be seen from the connection with nature. Regarding with MORI Building’s concept, their aim is to build a “Vertical green garden”. Inspired from Le Corbusier’s rooftop garden, their aim is to utilize the dead spaces and turn it into green areas. They construct tall buildings (ex. 45th floors high), and create gardens or waterfalls on the open space. Especially the Hills series, Roppongi, Omotesando, Toranomon, and Ark Hills, are aimed to build a nature co-existing building. Although some developing industries like MORI Building seek to actualize a new and an advantageous town/ building designs, Tokyo requires more of those nature co-existing buildings. There are already beautiful architectures in Japan such as Tiffany Ginza (Kuma Kengo), Prada’s flagship store (Herzog & de Meuron), The National Art Center (Kisho Kurokawa), Omotesando Hills (Tadao Ando), and Tama Art University Libarary (Toyo Ito); however, repeatedly emphasizing, creating and increasing vertical green garden are very interesting and important. This is because architectures are and should be built for both beauty and comfort. In order to understand and analyze the element of nature use, this case study would focus on Frank Llyod Wright and Charles and Ray Eames’ works, which nature are fully utilized on designs while fulfillng human needs. Furthermore, as for the interior design thinking, analysis and suggestions would be presented from my own chair making and paper making process in University of Brighton.Organic and Meaningful Structure DesignsFrank Llyod Wright: “I knew well that no house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it.” Frank Lloyd Wright has mentioned this when commenting about the Taliesin he built in Spring Green, Wisconsin. He goes on and says, “Hill and home should live together each the happier for the other”. As his statements illustrate, he looked more into how architecture can be designed to fit in the nature. The Taliesin is in fact a fascinating architecture, which landscaped gardens, roofs, and limestone designs show Wright’s interest and skill in creating a coexisting space of nature and architecture. He was passionate in making architectures that would not be obstructive to nature, and in utilizing the nature as an attractive essence when designing architectures. (Figure 1: Fallingwater (1936〜1939)) Figure 1 is the Fallingwater, which Frank Lloyd Wright built. This astonishing design illustrates the original styles of Wright. This house is built over a waterfall, in Pennsylvania. The integration of the rocks, terrace, and shapes are all precisely considered to fit into the forest. This Fallingwater was built for the Kaufmann family, who owned the Kaufmann’s department store. The family loved nature, doing outdoor activities, and even enjoyed going to the mountains to take in the fresh air. Because of the Great Depression, their employees had lack of money to spend for a summer camp. Since the Kaufmanns had a small cabin and considered of having a new modern house, their son, who was studying under Wright at Tallisen Fellowship, asked Wright to design it. Moreover, both the Kaufmanns and Wright’s preference towards nature and especially the love of waterfalls of the family, made Wright design their house in the quiet (without artificial mechanical sounds) atmosphere above the waterfall (Pennsylvania Conservancy). This masterpiece of Frank Lloyd Wright can be visited by buying a ticket online. Various tours are offered such as a tour with lunch, dinner, or photo shooting permission. In addition, surprisingly, events can be held in the Fallingwater. It can be used for meetings, conferences, parties and even weddings. A Fire room with stone fireplace, Threshing room with maple floor, and Courtyard, which is perfect for a wedding, are selectable. In addition, Fallingwater is a popular site to visit for tourists, architects, and Wright’s fans. Lodging facilities and visitor center are nearby, and shops of the Fallingwater sell photos, posters, books, kids’ goods, stationaries, and interiors. The fame and surrounding business of the house shows how the Fallingwater was an impressive masterpiece of Frank Lloyd Wright. (Figure 2: Robie House (1910)) Figure 2 is the Robie House, which now is a symbolic modern architecture of Prairie style. The flat exterior designs are magnificent with the low horizontal lines. His inspiration came from the American landscape where he used to live in the Midwest and utilized that sense in the Prairie style. Wright has mentioned that, “The prairie has a beauty of its own and we should recognize and accentuate this natural beauty, its quiet level” (Perez, 2010). The materials, bricks and wood, are a noteworthy point, because they amazingly blend in with the nature. As for the interior, the art glass windows take in the sunlight and bring in the harmonious atmosphere with its soft light. Frank Lloyd Wright was famous for his works of using art glass windows, which he aimed to emerge harmony with the exterior and the interior by using art glass. Another interesting aspect of this Robie House is that the entrance is hard to figure out at first sight. “Seeing the neighbors without being seen” was the idea that Wright had (Perez, 2010). The interior is also an amazing design, especially the fireplace. The fireplace is positioned as the heart of a house, separating rooms, and controlling temperatures and light. For the wall roles, he used screens to create simple and open interior spaces. Brick walls, stairs, fireplace, wooden furniture, carpets, light bulbs, ceiling, and art glass windows creates a private space from the outside; however, a sense of unity can be seen. There is also a tour to visit the Robie House, which is placed in Chicago. The Chicago Architecture Foundation states that Robie House is a significant masterpiece of Wright that stands out from the crowd (Chicago Architecture Foundation). The need of a family is wonderfully fulfilled, because of the value of family privacy. Wright has practiced his skills of blending architecture into nature with unified designs and also answering to his client’s expectations. Hence, the openness, simplicity, and freeness of the Robie House established a newvision and astonishing fame to the world.Charles and Ray Eames: (Figure 3: Charles and Ray Eames) Charles and Ray Eames are known for their outstanding designs and their use of materials (Figure 3). Charles Eames, born in Missouri, studied engineering and architecture, then increased his architectural interest under Frank Lloyd Wright. His knowledge of design and technology has been utilized in his works, which his technological and drawing skills were obtained by working at a steel company. Because he was attracted to Wright's modern architecture designs, he decided to quit Washington University where he had entered on architecture scholarship. Charles and Ray met at the Cranbrook Academy, and became the best husband and wife team, creating fascinating designed objects. Their design of molded plywood chair was introduced as the “Best Design of the 20th Century” in the Time magazine. Also, they have made splints, glider shells, and stretchers from molded plywood, for the US navy, which was actually used during the World War II (Herman Miller Inc, 2017). As described above, Charles and Ray Eames have dived into various fields and have always challenged themselves. In fact, their Grandson, Demetrios, has attended to TED talk and shared his views and stories of Charles and Ray Eames. “Beyond the age of information is the age of needs”, is a word by Charles Eames. Demetrios explains that design is not for designers, and that design is not a style. Design is a process. Design is a process to solve key problems. This vital concept perfectly explains the Eames style, since they centralized their creations on people’s needs. As Demetrios introduces in his TED talk, Charles had simultaneously made films and furniture, not because he aimed for success, but because he was interested in trying new things out without being afraid of failures. (https://www.ted.com/talks/the_design_genius_of_charles_and_ray_eames#t-290095) (Figure 4: Molded plywood chair) This chair is made by plywood, which thin sheets of wood glued together and does not easily shrink nor split as the natural wood (Merriam Webster). Although utilizing plywood on furniture makings became normal in recent era, it was not a popular method to create a chair from plywood during the age of Charles and Ray. Its comfortableness and the revolutionary designs are amazing. Practicality and affordability were also considered while the quality of the products they made was highly maintained. Ester McCoy, an architectural historian and an American author, stated the molded plywood chair (Figure 4) as “the chair of the century”. This shows how the creative effort of Charles and Ray influenced numerous people, organizations, and cultures.(Figure 5: Walnut wood leather lounge chair and ottoman)Charles and Ray’s desire to arrange the molded plywood chair eventually lead to the creation of a luxurious lounge chair, the walnut wood leather lounge chair and ottoman (Figure 5). It was made in 1956, as a special but comfortable lounge chair. In addition, the plan was to make a modern chair that has a warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt (Herman Miller Inc, 2017). Even from this interesting point of view, the core aim, making new but relaxing furniture, is penetrated. This chair has also become one of the common styles of a lounge chair in America, and also in the world. There are variations of materials (leather and wood), shapes, and sizes, and Herman Miller emphasizes that the user satisfaction is guaranteed due to its premium quality. Hence, Charles and Ray have created another amazing furniture style, which was innovative to prevail worldwide. As described above, Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles and Ray Eames, definitely were influential in the architecture and design industry, and had similar intentions, which are their persistency towards material and practicality. Wright had invested and increased his skills of building architectures in harmony with the nature. Moreover, the presented architectures prove how he had successfully manipulated the artificial and natural materials and spaces. Fallingwater is an astonishing but amazingly structured piece, and Robie House is fashionable but perfectly designed private space. Regarding with Charles and Ray Eames, their multi-skilled features had been positively used to produce innovative products, which grew as the design models for many architects and manufacturers. The molded plywood chair, and the lounge chair were all new and fresh during the 1940s and 50s. Furthermore, Wright and the Eameses have similarity, not only because of Charles’s respect towards Wright, but also the stubborn thought of creating a product to solve a certain issue, meaning that the goal for all three of them was to make something meaningful and practical.
