05 Dec

Over the past fifteen weeks, I have come to the realization that the power of architecture lies in its ability to situate. Good works of architecture allow us to realize something productive about the world, or the building itself, or even ourselves. Architecture becomes meaningful when it opens our eyes to all three simultaneously; when the architecture becomes a tool through which we gain a greater understanding of ourselves in this world. Architecture has the power to work with existing conditions and make us aware of them, without overpowering them. It situates us in history, culture, place, and time; hopefully in a way that respects each of them. Observing or experiencing the play of these contexts with one another is where architecture performs. Where a building creates something other. Where the life of the city is found and lived.