Restraint

Japanese calligrapher painting enso

Thanks to the image search I have found out a lot of other people have totally different ideas when you search for 'restraint'. The first think that comes to mind when I hear restraint is being able to know when enough is enough or being able to self-edit. I think for a society, that hasn't been ruined by a design guidelines, restraint is a foreign term. We are constantly bombarded with more of everything. I won't get into the whole "less is more/less is a bore" conversation, but we see a hell of a lot more excess than what is needed in everyday life.

Is restraint minimal?
Short answer: Yes, I think so. You can make a much bolder impression with a single gesture than with a bunch of supporting fluff. Throughout my education I have noticed it takes a lot for a designer to know when they're pushing too hard and to ease off. There is a certain level of maturity, awareness and a bit of sophistication when a designer can take a step back from his/her work and begin to remove the not needed. Huh? Example please! Everyone may not design, but everyone cooks, right? At some point in your life you've probably made eggs. Okay, there comes a certain point when you're cooking your egg that you think to yourself, "I should probably take the egg off the heat. Otherwise, the eggs are going to smell like a wet dog when they overcook!" I think that is the most basic and straightforward example I could give. You know the eggs will overcook when you leave them on the heat longer so you take the eggs off the heat. Now comes another issue: what do you put on the eggs? Seasoning the eggs is another opportunity for restraint. You could season the eggs with twenty-plus different flavors, but a simple salt and pepper would suffice. But how much salt and pepper? You see how something simple can just have layers of complexity?

Recording artist Salt-n-Peppa. *Do not put Salt-n-Peppa on your eggs unless you want to push it*

When it comes to restraint in design, I think Japan in King. I'm not talking about the newer stuff and Hello Kitty. I'm talking about the architecture, the tea ceremony, the ikebana, the calligraphy, the food (my god, the food!). All of these topics have few bold gestures and can celebrate the voids between the elements. Meaning: what is not there is just as important as what is there. Take a birds nest. There are two elements to a birds nest. There is a the structure that makes a bowl shape and there is the void space where the eggs will lay. Both elements are pretty important, right? If there is no structure, there is no nest. If there is no void, there is no safe area for the eggs. You don't need more stuff to fill the voids. You don't want to labeled as a 'void-filler'! 

I guess what it all boils down to is quality over quantity. I suppose during this transition between holidays is a great time to reflect on the past year and what you would like to be more self-aware during the coming new year.

Why is architecture so weird?

"There are no ______ in architecture. There are only design intentions and strategies." 

This statement blew my mind and totally changed my perspective on...life. One of my favorite professors would always tell us this statement throughout the semester while our projects developed. He changed our perspective on design every time we hinted the mention of doors/windows/roof by saying, "There are no doors/windows/roof in architecture! They are openings/canopies relating to design intentions and strategies." This abstraction is part of giving architecture a soul. Anyone can put up four walls (planes) and a roof (canopy) and call it a building; but the manipulation of the form and space relating/responding to the environment, relating to the surroundings, responding to the inhabitants all help give a living soul to the architecture.

Sketch of Santiago Calatrava's 'Turning Torso'

Abstraction of a concept pretty much drives architecture. Why abstraction? Abstraction sparks intrigue. Abstraction makes you think and ask why or how. Well, doesn't that make it art? Well, yes and no. Granted, there is a lot of architecture that is so strong formally (the shape of the building) that it cannot adequately respond to the program (needed and wanted rooms for the building). That is when it just becomes art. The architecture fails to respond to the needs of the inhabitants and/or the environment and was just about an architect's ego.

Jewish facility at Woodlawn Cemetery in Houston

Take this building. No doors, no windows, just abstraction of a concept and architecture. Forgive me, but I do not know enough Jewish history to accurately describe Jewish origin. The context of the building has everything to do about the number 12, which I believe describe the twelve tribes of Israel, and 7, which I believe have to do with the seven days of creation. If anyone is more familiar with Jewish culture, please comment the story below.

Arrangement of elements on the right-side of the pavilion

Five out of the six of these massing elements are shown in the photo. Looking at the front of the pavilion, the series of the elements are all on the right. On the left-side of the pavilion, there is a space dedicated for a seventh element, but its just an empty space meant to represent a seventh element representing the seventh day of rest.  

View from back of pavilion showing courtyard

This photo is showing the transition space before people actually enter the pavilion. Notice there are no doors. people enter through the space between each one of the rounded objects on the right-side of the photo.

Front right-side view

If you look carefully, there is a bench and this is the only area that you cannot enter the pavilion. There are a series of seven elements in this pattern. Again, this is more symbolism integrated with the architecture that on the seventh day was a resting period.

Access to interior of the pavilion

Seven elements. You enter the pavilion through the space between the elements.

Interior of pavilion

 Take notice of the seven water spouts.

Rear of pavilion

This was the back entrance. The back entrance of the pavilion is used to transport the casket and religious directors. Also, take notice of more symbolism representing the seven days of creation. The series of 6 square openings.

Exterior left-side of the pavilion

Look closely and you''l see little steel pegs embedded into the wall surface. Shown are eleven of the twelve pegs.

Steel peg on the left exterior wall

Notice the rust from the steel peg on the concrete. This is more symbolism integrated within the structure. The rust literally and symbolically references time.

I hope this example gave you guys a different perspective on architecture and hopefully a better understanding about why architecture seems weird.