Context & Building
What do you think about the ‘context’ when come to the architecture? For me, context is the important keys that being used through the architecture in the past and architecture today. Context been a very important factor and have been consider as inseparable when it comes to architecture design. The form and function of the building can be change but the context cannot be change as we said, context is simply an external element that influences the building and site both.
Contextual factors include the nature of the surroundings that is natural and built elements. Basically, the context determines the architectural style, building material selection and site layout, which is very important in creating an effective design. All these promote continuity between the building and local circumstances.
As you know that buildings itself do not exist in isolation. They are conceived to house, support, and inspire a range of human activities in response to socio cultural, economic, and political needs, and are erected in natural and built environments that constrain as well as offer opportunities for development.
As time goes by, the use of ‘context’ in architecture bring out different meanings and ways but, it is still as important as before. We can see that a building which is said to be contextual is blend and merge into the site (century ago) turned to be a contextual building that is iconic compared to the surrounding site but it still takes consideration based on the basic context. So, let’s get into the building that roughly completed in a century ago and the contemporary building to know how important of context and what is the community between the two building.
FALLING WATER, Frank Lloyd Wright
A great example of contextual architecture in the past is the well-known Fallingwater by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright. His first intention was to design an extraordinary house that redefined the relationship between man, architecture, and nature. Built in the year of 1939, Wright wanted to create harmony between man and nature, and his integration of the house with the waterfall was successful in doing so.
The house was meant to complement its site while still competing with the drama of the falls and their endless sounds of crashing water. As we can see, in the past the context of architecture is an important factor that allows the building to somehow blends in to its surrounding by having similar characteristics that are implemented architecturally into the design of a building.
Idea of direct the eye horizontally to look outside which the connection with nature by use of glass and also done by long cantilevered terraces.
The house has no walls facing the falls, only a central stone core for the fireplaces and stone columns which interior arrangement of building is placed according to the inner core which is the stone wall growing out of the site and the building is shaped according to the main organic concept.
It also shown that it is creating an architecture in a whole piece with environment and also respect to the context and material in the past.
From this example by Frank Lloyd Wright we can understand how the in the past that architects utilize the context in his design and trying to complement the surroundings with the building itself and creates architecture as a whole with the environment, also designed with respect to material and patterns.
Through these examples, we can clearly see the importance of context to architecture in the past.
HAROLD STREET RESIDENCE,
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
The Harold Street Residence is a new two storey dwelling located in a heritage overlay area of Middle Park. The site is the north-west corner of the Neville and Harold Street intersection. The buildings on the other three corner sites are built hard to the Neville Street edge and are typical of the surrounding context - red brick single storey Victorian terraces. The original building on the site was a double storey 1930’s cream brick apartment building that sat as an island on the site and within its' wider context. Their response attempts to engage with the site's heritage context through its architectural form and detailing, to explore the public/private nature of the corner site, and to complete the ‘fourth corner’ of the intersection.
The siting strategy locates the building along the Neville Street edge of the site, effectively mirroring the other three corners of the intersection. This enabled the creation of a long garden on the northern and more private half of the site. On this northern facade, a more sculptured interface is created, providing a varied engagement between the garden and living areas.
The twisting form of the zinc clad roof was chosen to reconcile the building with its single storey surrounding context and the requirements of the clients brief.
The roof sweeps upwards from the corner along the Neville Street frontage following both the natural movement through the house and the programmatic requirements of the internal spaces. The choice of pressed red brickwork to the external facades reinforces its presence as part of the surrounding context. At night this condition reverses and the building glows invitingly to the street.
In summary, the building is a sculpturally engaging family home that acknowledges its heritage context in a positive way.
In a conclusion, we can see the two-contrary environment of the era from the past and in the present and both of this era shows how important contexts are to each of the building. Different generation play a different role of context in architecture but I believe there are still an influence no matter what and how times goes by. This is because context plays an important role that provide an identity to the building, hence providing unity and harmony between the building and its surrounding.