Negotiating of the Site Towards Creating an Architectural Expression

Architectural design involves a negotiation of a designer’sbuilt intentions within, among, and beyond the contextualsite. Engaging in play with a site requires a designerto question any preconceived notions of the ground, as asacred surface or uncompromising mass, and instead strategizehow he/she might approach the earth effectivelyto sculpt space, generate form, and employ structure.Thoughtful consideration of the ground as a pliable surfaceand soft forgiving mass can lead to new forms of architecturalexpressions that further encourage play towards thecreation of complex geometries that blur the demarcationbetween the earth and the sky. This paper proposesa divergent view: that ground and architecture should beconsidered as inter-reliant, and susceptibly accommodatingentities. Examining various theories of tectonics and stereotomicprocesses offers persuasive strategies that can beintegrated and celebrated throughout the design process asa means to promote an impressionable dialogue betweensite, structure, and architectural form.

Volume Editors
Jasmine Benyamin, Kyle Reynolds, Mo Zell, Nikole Bouchard & Whitney Moon

ISBN
978-1-944214-28-9