HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

ARCH11019:Design,ValueandArchitecture
Session20112012Semester1

Coursework2:

HowImportantIsContextInContemporary
ArchitecturalDesign

Preparedby:
MohdFirrdhausMohdSahabuddin(S1131077)
MSc.AdvancedSustainableDesign

TheUniversityofEdinburgh
EdinburghSchoolofArchitectureandLandscapeArchitecture(ESALA)

2011

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Introduction

Contemporary architecture is a range of style of architecture appropriate to

thecurrenttimeperiod.Itisanevolutionofmodernarchitecturethatconnects
the internal space and external contexts, which are optimized for current use.
Some opinions (as stated below) reflect contemporary architecture is anti
vernacular, comfortable with new materials and are not influenced by the
traditionsandtypography.

ContemporaryArchitects'suggestsapositionthatisantivernacular,comfortable
withnewmaterialsandnonlocalmaterials&forms,usingarchitecturallanguage
thatiscontemporary,inexamplenotgenerallysteepedinpasttypographiesor
traditions.1

Context is external elements that influence an object. These elements are

physical and nonphysical. Roads, buildings, and land contour are examples for
physical elements while nonphysical elements are weather condition, local
culture,aswellaspoliticalandeconomicconstraints.

Master planning starts with an assessment of the ecology of the site and its
context;weneedtoknowwhatistherebeforewecaninsertanythingnew.2

Thusthecontextsareinfluencingcontemporaryarchitecturedesign.Designfora
house in four seasons countries for example is different than the design in
tropicalcountries.Understandthelocalcontextsareimportantfordesignersto
produceagoodbuildingdesign.

The context determines the architectural style, building material selection and
site layout, which is very important in creating an effective design. All these
promotecontinuitybetweenthebuildingandlocalcircumstances.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.Adrian,W.&Isabelle,L.,2011,ContemporaryArchitects,viewed12December2011,
<http://www.earchitect.co.uk/>
2.Ken,Y.,2009.KenYeangEcoMasterPlanning,UnitedKingdom:JohnWiley&SonsLtd,p.16.

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

TheImportanceofClimaticContext

The climatic context plays the important role in design. Ken Yeang explained
climatecontextasunderstandingthesiteecologicalhistorygivesfurthercluesas
to what design strategies should be adopted. 3 There are three basic climate
groups, lowlatitude climates, mediumlatitude climates and highlatitude
climates. Each of the climates has its own features; with the architecture
strategiesshouldalsobeappropriateinthecircumstances.

Figure2:ThedifferentdesignapproachofamodernigloohouseinAlaskaanda
contemporarytropicalhouseinSingapore.4

Designersneedtodesignbuildingsthatmeetthecriteriaoflocalclimatesuchas
buildingorientation,typesofmaterialused,andalsosizeandtypeofopenings.
Forexample,ahousewithlargewindowopeningsinlowlatitudeclimatewilluse
electricalenergyforairconditioningtocoolthebuilding.Theotherproblemwill
arise such as over use of electrical power that consumes more maintenance
budget.

Because of lacking attention to the climatic design and depending merely on

artificialcoolingandheatingsystems,thebuildingsareveryhotinsummerandare
socoldinwinterandinresulttheyarequietlyuncomfortable.5

Unfortunately,theimprovementofthetechnologyandinventionsinmechanical
engineering system make designers so depending on artificial heating and
cooling.6
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.Ken,Y.,2009.KenYeangEcoMasterPlanning,UnitedKingdom:JohnWiley&SonsLtd,p.16.
4.Cubeme,n.d.,Architecture,viewed6December,2011,<http://cubeme.com/blog/>.
5&6.Nasim,I.&Elahe,B.,2009.Climaticdesignandlowcarboncity.ISOCARPCongress,pp.16.

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Figure3:TheoldhouseandnewcontemporaryhousedesigninIran.7

Wind catchers have been served as a cooling system, used to provide acceptable
ventilationbymeansofrenewableenergyofwind.8

Iranhasavariableclimatethatgenerallyhot,dryandcoldatdifferentpartsof
the country. Therefore, the wind towers or wind catchers are considered as a
partofbuildingform.Itplaysaroleasamodifyingmechanismtoadjustheatand
windflowintotheinteriorspacesandmakethespacescomfortnaturally.9

Therefore, the new contemporary design of Iran Architecture has to integrated

withwindtowersystem.TheclimaticcontextissoimportantinIranbecauseof
itsgeologicallocation.Asacomparison,belowisanIraniancontemporaryhouse
thatadoptedtheconceptoftraditionalwindtower.

Figure4:ThenewcontemporarywindtowerdesigninIran.10

Theunderstandingtothelocalsclimaticcontextisthemostimportantstrategy
incontemporaryarchitectureotherwisethebuildingwouldbelesscomfort.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7.GreenSolutionsMagazine,2011,Gymwithwindtowers,viewed6December,2011,
<http://www.greensolutionsmag.com/>
8&9.MahnazMahmoudi,Z.,2009.AnalysisonIranianWindCatcherandItsEffectonNaturalVentilationas
aSolutiontowardsSustainableArchiteture.QazvinIslamicAzadUniversity.
10.Cubeme,n.d.,Architecture,viewed6December,2011,<http://cubeme.com/blog/>.

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

TheImportanceofEconomicalandPoliticalContext

The economical context is related to the condition or situation of a countrys

economy. Through these few decades, recession has given a big impact to slow
down the buildings construction and development. It has also given the
psychologicalimpacttoallpractitionersinconstructionindustry.11

Economicconsiderationwerealwaysimportantinmodernarchitecture,butaside
from a few, exceptional clients, the trend today is not only toward costeffective
buildings,butalsotowardstructureswhicharenotaestheticallychallenging.12

Every country in the world does not have the same economic viability. This
difference makes the practice of contemporary architecture is different from
place to place. Therefore, this context makes the architecture style is geared
towardsthesimpleandcleanfacadeelements.

Oneofthedesignmethodsthatexistduetotheeconomiccontextiscosteffective
constructionmethod.Thus,theemergenceofnewmethodssuchasprefabricated
components and module systems have greatly utilized in architectural design
today.

This method was introduced to reduce labour costs and speed up the
construction period. It also can provide best value for money and clients
satisfaction.

PrefabhomesarebecomingpopularinEurope,CanadaandUnitedStatesasthey
arerelativitycheapwhencomparedtomanyexistinghomesonthemarket.13

Prefabricatedsystemmakesconstructioncostscheaperwithabetterqualityas
wellasenvironmentalfriendly.So,theeconomicalcontextisalsoinfluencingthe
contemporaryarchitecturedesign.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11&12.Philip,J.,1996.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeII,Italy:Taschen,p.6.
13.Wikipedia,2011,PrefabricatedHome,viewed7December,2011<http://en.wikipedia.org/>

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Figure6:PrefabricatedTrojanHouseDesignedbyJacksonClementsBurrows.14

In addition, political influence affects the character of a building as well. As

stated by Philip Jodidio in his compilation book, Contemporary American
Architects:Volume2;Fortunately,theprivateentrepreneurialspiritwhichmade
for much of the success of United States still exists, and many of the buildings
publishedinthisbookwerebuiltthanksnotonlytothetalentofthearchitects,but
alsothankstotheopenmindsandspiritsoftheclients.

From the statement above, the political influence proved vital in the success of
the contemporary architecture and creativity of the architects to realize a
buildingthatmeetstheclientrequirements.

Politics also plays a large role in determining the direction of contemporary

architecture.ForexampleinMalaysia,thegovernmenthasmadeapolicythatall
governmentbuildingsmustusethemethodsofindustrializedbuildingsystemto
reduce the dependency on foreign workers. Recently, the concept of
sustainabilitywasintroducedtoreducetheamountofelectricityandwaterbills
ingovernmentbuildings.

As it happened in Switzerland, the minaret that traditionally constructed apart

with the Muslim religious buildings is prohibited due to locals public protests
andreferendum.15
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14.ZinmagChronicle,n.d.,HouseDesign,viewed7December,2011,<http://www.homemagz.com/>
15.Wikipedia,2011,MinaretControversyinSwitzerland,viewed7December,2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/>

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

TheImportanceofComputational&TechnologicalContext

The latest technology here is not about construction methods but also current
technology in building design process. The design methods have become more
attractivewiththecreationofcomputersoftwarethathelpsspeedupthedesign
processandsimulation.

Another significant element of change which has already begun to substantially

alter the built environment is the generalization of the use of computer assisted
design.16

Itassistsarchitectstounderstandandexplorenewdesigninarchitecture.Assists
to create and construct new forms and also gives a new dimension and
exploration to the designers. The software innovation happens when
contemporary architecture is also becoming popular. Thus the development of
this style of architecture has been more productive as well as many
contemporaryarchitectsappearallaroundtheworld.

Not only does such technology, which has progressively become more affordable
andeasytouse,facilitatedesigninitstechnicalaspects,italsoinvitesarchitectsto
explorehithertounheardofpossibilitiesincreatingnewforms.17

Figure7:FrankGehry,GuggenheimMuseum,Bilbao,Spain.Computerdrawing.18
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16&17.Philip,J.,1996.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeII,Italy:Taschen,p.6.
18.MoreAEdesign,n.d.,GuggenheimMuseum,viewed7December,2011,
<http://moreaedesign.wordpress.com/>

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Apparently the effect of using computer technology in design process of the

buildingisverydominantandimportantincontemporaryarchitecture.Through
computersoftware,architectscanunderstandtheexactsituationofthebuilding
onsite.Italsodemonstrateshowthebuildingresponsetothelocalclimateand
be aware of the construction issue before the construction begins. Therefore,
exploration of the contemporary architecture forms is very prominent since
1990s.

Figure8:ZahaHadidArchitects,a3Dsimulation.19

Theseweredevelopedas3DCADmodelsbyZahaHadidArchitectsandwerethen
importedintoacousticmodelingsoftwarebySandyBrownAssociates.Thisenabled
the investigation of different finishes and sculptural shapes to enhance acoustic
conditionsaroundthestageandaudienceareasofthespace.20

Buildingformsthatwereoncedifficulttodesignnowcanbedemonstratedusing
computer software technology. It is undeniable that the achievement of
computer technology in building design is very important. The current
technologycontexthelpstoimprovethequalityofthearchitectureinconceptual
andpractical.Forexample,theconstructiondrawingwillbemuchfasterthanold
methods whilst coordination with other disciplines such as engineering
drawingswillbemoreaccurateandprecise.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19&20.Tecnicheparametriche,n.d.,viewed7December,2011,<http://tecnicheparametriche.com/>

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

TheImportanceofCultural&CurrentContext

Cultureisawayoflifeofaplace.Itisthebestwaytoaccepttheconstraintsofa
place and is followed from generation to generation. Sometimes it becomes a
symbol and identity of a place. Adaptation into the architecture is the most
popularwaytoshowtheidentityofaplace.

ContemporaryAmericanarchitectsoftenmakereferencetolocaltraditionintheir
work,asthoughtheUnitedStatescouldcallonahistoryasrichandvariedasthat
ofEurope,whichofcourseitcannot.21

The cultural context plays an important role in influencing contemporary

architecture.Theinfluenceofthistraditionhasevolvedsincethebeginningand
alsohasinfluencedthethinkingofmanycontemporaryarchitects.

To this day, American architecture, like the very history of the country, is the
product of wide range of influences, the most important of which clearly found
theiroriginintheoldcontinent.22

Figure9:LouisSullivan:WainwrightBuilding,St.Louis,Missouri.23

For an example, the Wainwright Building designed by Louis Sullivan was built
with the elements of modern and also adaptation from its original classical
forms.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
21&22.Philip,J.,1993.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeI,Italy:Taschen,p.7.
23.Wikipedia,2011,WainwrightBuilding,viewed8December,2011<http://en.wikipedia.org/>

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Aformthatcomesfromacultureandhasbeenaniconmightalsoinfluencethe
contemporary architecture forms. For example, an Egyptian pyramid form has
become a popular form across the world and has been imitated by many
architects. An immediate example is Louvre Pyramid in Paris designed by I.M.
Pei.Thebuildinghasbeentriggeringcontroversyduetoitsformthatverycontra
from the classical building at background. While some others stating that this
building is a symbol of the success of the merger between the old and new
concepts.24

Figure10:LouvrePyramidinParisdesignedbyI.M.Pei.25

Contemporary architecture is essentially related to the issues and the current

style. Therefore, architecture is constantly changing according to the times.
Environmentalissuessuchaspollutionthatrisingrecentlyareveryimportantto
overcome. Architecture also plays an important role to reduce the pollution by
making innovative changes in design, utilization of environmental friendly
materials and implementation of renewable energy approaches are a few
strategiestosolvetheproblems.

We no longer live in a world of cheap and abundant energy. Promises of

electricitytoocheaptometerhavebeenandgone,andtheclimatechangecaused
byourburningoffossilfuelsisanincreasinglyurgentissue.26

Sustainabledesignisincreasinglyapopularideaduetorisingfossilfuels.These
changeswouldlogicallychangethestyleandformofcontemporaryarchitecture
tothenewparadigm,whichatleastthisnewapproachwillbethemainideafor
thenewarchitectsintheirdesignincomingyears.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24&25.Wikipedia,2011,LouvrePyramid,viewed9December,2011<http://en.wikipedia.org/>
26.Chris,B.,2010.LocalSustainableHomes,UnitedKingdom:TJInternational.

10

HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Figure11:EDITTTower,SingaporebyKenYeangArchitects.27

Yeangsresponsewasthedevelopmentoftheconceptofthebioclimaticskyscraper
as a more environmentally appropriate model, which consumes less energy and
providesabetterandmorehumaneenvironmentforitsuserswhileestablishinga
uniqueculturalidentityrelatedtothelocation.28

The example of architect whom profound the idea of sustainable design is Ken
Yaeng. He is one of the leaders in green architecture movement, especially for
greenskyscraper.Heappliedinmostofhisdesignwithgreenelementssuchas
sky parks and roof top vegetation that brought a new dimension to the
appearanceofcontemporaryarchitecture.

ShigeruBan,ayoungJapanesearchitectforinstancehasadifferentwayof
currentcontextcontemporaryarchitecture.Themostfamousforhisinnovative
workwithpaper,particularlyrecycledcardboardpapertubesusedtoquicklyand
efficientlyhousedisastervictims.29

Figure12:ShigeruBanrecycledbuilding.30

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
27&28.Sara,H.,2011.EcoArchitecturetheworkofKenYeang,Italy:JohnWiley&SonsLtd,p.11.
29&30.Wikipedia,2011,ShigeruBan,viewed9December2011,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/>

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HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

Conclusion

In conclusion, contemporary architecture is influenced by many factors. These

factorsarethemaincontextforthearchitectsindesigningabuilding.Thedesign
processshouldnotonlyfulfillthedesignersdesiresbutmusttakeintoaccount
thesurroundingcontextslocallyandglobally.

Response to the surrounding contexts is very important because it determines

the success of a buildings design. In response to these contexts will create
communication channels between buildings and people around. Sometimes
peoplewillappreciatethearchitecture,ifdesignersappreciatetheirculturaland
aestheticvalues.

Thus, the context of climatic, cultural, economical, political, computational and

environmental cannot be denied is very important in determining the
contemporaryarchitecturaldesign.

References

Books
1. Philip,J.,1993.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeI,Italy:
Taschen.
2. Philip,J.,1996.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeII,Italy:
Taschen.
3. Philip,J.,1997.ContemporaryAmericanArchitects:VolumeIII,Italy:
Taschen.
4. Ken,Y.,2009.KenYeangEcoMasterPlanning,UnitedKingdom:JohnWiley
&SonsLtd.
5. Sara,H.,2011.EcoArchitecturetheworkofKenYeang,Italy:JohnWiley&
SonsLtd.
6. Chris,B.,2010.LocalSustainableHomes,UnitedKingdom:TJ
International.

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HowImportantIsContextInContemporaryArchitecturalDesign?

ElectronicJournals
7. MahnazMahmoudi,Z.,2009.AnalysisonIranianWindCatcherandIts
EffectonNaturalVentilationasaSolutiontowardsSustainableArchiteture.
QazvinIslamicAzadUniversity.
8. Nasim, I. & Elahe, B., 2009. Climaticdesignandlowcarboncity. ISOCARP
Congress.

ElectronicSources
9. GreenSolutionsMagazine,2011,Gymwithwindtowers,viewed6
December2011,<http://www.greensolutionsmag.com/>
10. Adrian,W.&Isabelle,L.,2011,ContemporaryArchitects,viewed12
December2011,<http://www.earchitect.co.uk/>
11. Cubeme,n.d.,Architecture,viewed6December2011,
<http://cubeme.com/blog/>.
12. MoreAEdesign,n.d.,GuggenheimMuseum,viewed7December2011,
<http://moreaedesign.wordpress.com/>
13. Tecnicheparametriche,n.d.,viewed7December2011,
<http://tecnicheparametriche.com/>
14. Wikipedia,2011,<http://en.wikipedia.org/>

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