Welcome to the Future of Austin Architecture
Bottom-up reform of the modern built environment by Austin's best artisans, hottest artists, and enlightened architects.
Cooler, greener, higher quality, lower cost.
Noble QuotesPaul Valéry dubbed the works of art housed in museums `orphans' because they had lost their mother architecture. Pier Nervi described modern architectural students as having a "desire for structural audacity and the incapacity of its realization." "Having traveled all over, I have found one constant across climates, cultures, and economic systems: it is that Modernist architects are swine. I do not deny that some of them are talented, or that others are personally cultured and charming, I am merely asserting that when they engage in the design of buildings within cities, they become swine." - Andres Duany "The disaster has not been bad architecture as I thought. The disaster has been the loss of the vernacular, upon which Architecture floats." - Douglas Duany "Modernism is predicated on ignorance of the past." - Douglas Duany "What condemns modernism is not its theory, but its practice." - Douglas Duany "There is nothing more uncommon, than common sense." - Frank Lloyd Wright "There are only two things in art - humanity or its lack. The mere form, some detail in itself, does not create humanity. We have today enough of superficial and rather bad architecture which is modern." - Alvar Aalto "The very essence of architecture consists of a variety and development reminiscent of natural organic life. This is the only true style in architecture." -Alvar Aalto "Isn't it sad that our civic leaders, who once knew the place of beauty in our architecture and its role in creating a civil society, no longer have a clue?" - Robert Wilson "We have legislators who only listen to the people instead of becoming experts on the subjects, which they decide upon." - Andres Duany "Civil courage in an ecological age means not only demanding social justice, but also aesthetic justice and the will to make judgements of taste, to stand for beauty in the public arena and speak out about it." - James Hillman and Michael Ventura "To achieve excellence should be a struggle." - Mayor Riley of Charleston "We are building for centuries and should not subject ourselves to the charge of stupidity from those who come after us." - Andrew Dickson White 1867 "I want to make it very clear that our decisions should first, last and always reflect the public interest, and not the private interests of people in government, their relatives or friends." -Mayor Richard M. Daley |
A sterile monopoly dominates Austin's large scale civic architecture by means of campaign contributions and lobbying rather than design competition.
Based on official planning criteria supplied by the FAA and City of Austin the Alternative Airport Design is intended to be compared with what is actually being built, point by point. Official planning goals included economy, functional efficiency, intuitive wayfinding, ample natural light, minimal walking distances, energy efficiency, and the reflection of our Central Texas character.
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Alternative Airport Perspective  |
Various elevations |
| An Interior View of the compact Atrium | ||
Imagine the average city parking garage. It is built in the form of a huge ungainly rectangle which sits plopped down on the corner of the block looking like the massive cement behemoth it is, silent and immovable. From the outside it is gray and plain, and from the inside it is dark and cave-like. I have never seen a picture of a Nervi parking garage, if there is even any such thing, but I can imagine one in contrast to the eyesore I just described. It would be gray, and plain, too, in the sense that it would lack any superfluous adornment. Rather than the word "plain," though, an adjective such as "austere" would come to mind. Rather than just sitting on the site, it would appear to have pushed its way up from under the soil like some type of organism, and would somehow seem to be soaring upward. Instead of looking like a dead inert mass, a Nervi garage would have elements of dynamic tension. If you went inside, you'd find light cascading in through the whole structure. There would be a sense of spaciousness and majesty about the inside. The ceiling would be the most awe inspiring part of the structure- Nervi's ceilings are described in words like "sunburst" and "lacework" (as well as the more technical "cantilevered roof trusses" and "lamella vault.") In effect, you would experience the Nervi union of utilitarianism and artistic beauty. Sara Askari
Video based bird recognition for airports.
Washington Post: The amount of art in the (New Terminal) building is unusual.
Pelli: The art has a similar purpose. In actuality, it was called an
"architectural enhancement program." For me, this meant the art had
to become part of the architecture. We don't have any art that is just
plopped beside the architecture or hanging on the architecture. For
example, the two stained-glass windows are integral parts of the long
wall of windows. The mosaic medallions are parts of the floor. They
are works of art created by significant artists, but the images were
handmade by very proficient artisans. We submitted the materials to
tests for friction, durability and cleanability, so that the end product is
very beautiful and also very serviceable.
The intention was to make the art contribute to making a building that
is much, much richer. Now, if you come in and they tell you your
plane is an hour late, at least you will be able to walk through the
concourse and enjoy the art. Your children will enjoy it, too. Like the
building, the art is done to please the most refined tastes, and yet it is
basically a populist approach. This is architecture and art everybody
should enjoy, including congressmen.
Structural expressionism- The use of engineered structures to express aesthetic qualities. Everything, from door hardware to the Eiffel tower, once did its job efficiently without sacrificing spirit.
MultiDisciplinary synthesis- Common materials such as ironwork, masonry, and glass are natural partners. Each is low cost, yet capable of the highest realms of expression. The challenge is to develop advanced design/build languages that seamlessly integrate the best of various disciplines. True regionalism or "sense of place" follows from this fertile union.
Intangible value of creative hands-on work- Civic spaces acquire a priceless immortality if, like Florence, Kyoto, or Dresden, the cultural genius of a people is allowed to flourish. It seems to make "good business sense" to create "landmarks", even if costs are greater than a lifeless product.
Artisan rationing- It is possible to allocate existing civic building budgets better. Architects should use more low cost mediums such as concrete in clever ways and use the savings to place artisan work at key locations such as entrances. Instead, many projects spend extra on fancy finishes such as polished marbles and alloys, but in a boring uniform way.
Upfront inclusion of artisans- A trend is emerging for architects to collaborate with creative smiths, masons, etc. at the beginning of the design build cycle. The current sad practice is to have the architects design everything in the office and low bid out contracts. There is no role for the creative artisan in such a process.
Coming soon- Youth Apprenticeships, in collaboration with JumpStart, is a vital component of CAT's mission.
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