Me again. Simple is hard, simplistic is easy. If I don't have many billable hours to spend on a job it's more likely I'll do something simplistic, i.e., not very good.
When we first started out we thought we were being simple, but it turned out we were being simplistic. Being minimal and simple takes a lot of time and a lot of experience to pull off.
Why can't simple be as good as a complex, and cheaper for the client especially since construction costs have risen to a level where the client "just hits the pause button" after the bank puts a hold on the construction loan thus throwing a lot of people out of work. Why do we make things so complicted? Unnecessary complexity is now self defeating for architecture given the current economic situation.
To borrow from another thread (sort of), minimial is as close to "one answer" as we might be able to get. And the moment when you realize that one right answer, no other alternatives seem to make sense.
By narrowing your scope (but not necessarily limiting your options), minimialism might actually help an architect's fees because not as many big picture ideas need to be explored. Sometimes we think that the only way to increase complexity is to add more stuff. When in reality, we just need to find cleaner details and ways of articulating the integrity of the selected materials.
Absolutely, it just seems that over the past 10 years there have been increasing layers of complexity that defocus the scope of architectural projects with a resultant increase in cost. We need to take drastic action now to focus on the essentials.
'true' minimalism = hide the detail = more craft = more cost
If you want to save costs, use existing modular systems effectively, use one manufacturer [a manufacturer that supplies floor, wall and roofing systems for example] and minimise trades.
Its not minimalism, its deduction and consolidation.
in other words, manufacturing of prefab kits of parts?
as an alternative to copyandpastism, maybe inventing new flexible systems... cost effective custom building... innovations in prefab building typologies to offer diversity and additive upgrades, rather than sameness?
i know an architect here in tokyo (a minor starchitect i guess) who has been doing inexpensive system research for about 10-15 years. it is rather expensive. like a usonian home.
cheapest way to build (in short run) is to avoid thinking too much and just doing what everyone knows. very likely the resulting building or whatever will look like rubbish, but it will be cheap.
i wonder what unnecessary complexity you are talking about, По-русски ?
do you intend the question to be leading? ie, you have an answer in mind, or are you actually wondering?
the question is really leading. It just seems like Blob architecture and complex curtain wall/window wall and other complex skin systems could need optimisation.
learn to detail right the first time and stop wasting time with redlines and changes. it's easier to command the system in the beginning and go from there
Don't let the architect waste his time detailing at all. Take the schematic design to someone who knows how to build it and let them produce the contract documents/shop drawings.
По-русски your questions really have nothing to do with cost, which is what your title implies. Do you think complexity is just happening for complexity's sake? In that case, let's just gather some sticks and build some huts. That's cheap as hell. Don't confuse minimalism for efficiency.
No confusion - taking a properly designed efficient and minimalist
approach will reduce costs. We need to come up with more expediant ways of designing efficient buildings that are cost effective without the excess of the last 10 years.
Economic situation forces a return to a more austere minimalist approach to design
A more basic minimalist approach to architecture as a response to the current economic situation?
no
To quote Rick Joy:
Less is more work.
Me again. Simple is hard, simplistic is easy. If I don't have many billable hours to spend on a job it's more likely I'll do something simplistic, i.e., not very good.
totally true LB.
When we first started out we thought we were being simple, but it turned out we were being simplistic. Being minimal and simple takes a lot of time and a lot of experience to pull off.
great quote from rick joy.
Why can't simple be as good as a complex, and cheaper for the client especially since construction costs have risen to a level where the client "just hits the pause button" after the bank puts a hold on the construction loan thus throwing a lot of people out of work. Why do we make things so complicted? Unnecessary complexity is now self defeating for architecture given the current economic situation.
reframe the question as:
A more basic cheap approach to architecture as a response to the current economic situation?
Answer: possibly.
To borrow from another thread (sort of), minimial is as close to "one answer" as we might be able to get. And the moment when you realize that one right answer, no other alternatives seem to make sense.
By narrowing your scope (but not necessarily limiting your options), minimialism might actually help an architect's fees because not as many big picture ideas need to be explored. Sometimes we think that the only way to increase complexity is to add more stuff. When in reality, we just need to find cleaner details and ways of articulating the integrity of the selected materials.
Absolutely, it just seems that over the past 10 years there have been increasing layers of complexity that defocus the scope of architectural projects with a resultant increase in cost. We need to take drastic action now to focus on the essentials.
'true' minimalism = hide the detail = more craft = more cost
If you want to save costs, use existing modular systems effectively, use one manufacturer [a manufacturer that supplies floor, wall and roofing systems for example] and minimise trades.
Its not minimalism, its deduction and consolidation.
The alternative to this is copyandpastism.
Going home and drinking heavily as a response to the current economic situation?
diabase:
in other words, manufacturing of prefab kits of parts?
as an alternative to copyandpastism, maybe inventing new flexible systems... cost effective custom building... innovations in prefab building typologies to offer diversity and additive upgrades, rather than sameness?
change will cost, use existing things as diabase suggests.
creating new 'flexible' systems is cool in school, but in reality you just don't have the quantity to justify the expense
i know an architect here in tokyo (a minor starchitect i guess) who has been doing inexpensive system research for about 10-15 years. it is rather expensive. like a usonian home.
cheapest way to build (in short run) is to avoid thinking too much and just doing what everyone knows. very likely the resulting building or whatever will look like rubbish, but it will be cheap.
i wonder what unnecessary complexity you are talking about, По-русски ?
do you intend the question to be leading? ie, you have an answer in mind, or are you actually wondering?
I can see a return to more simplistic forms - in other words blob architecture is on its way out.
Jump and 4arch
the question is really leading. It just seems like Blob architecture and complex curtain wall/window wall and other complex skin systems could need optimisation.
a
learn to detail right the first time and stop wasting time with redlines and changes. it's easier to command the system in the beginning and go from there
Don't let the architect waste his time detailing at all. Take the schematic design to someone who knows how to build it and let them produce the contract documents/shop drawings.
По-русски your questions really have nothing to do with cost, which is what your title implies. Do you think complexity is just happening for complexity's sake? In that case, let's just gather some sticks and build some huts. That's cheap as hell. Don't confuse minimalism for efficiency.
Wurden
No confusion - taking a properly designed efficient and minimalist
approach will reduce costs. We need to come up with more expediant ways of designing efficient buildings that are cost effective without the excess of the last 10 years.
a
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