August 14, 2014

Measure + Time

Architecture exists in time, and buildings have many stories to tell. By carefully listening to buildings as they evolve, the engaged architect can gather and act upon a range of valuable insights. When the building is framed as teacher and the architect as student, we are better able to recognize previously unseen opportunities, and to continuously hone a rich craft.

Buildings can be understood as dynamic networks of interlaced systems, each performing a special function. Over time, the measurement of these systems will lead to a critical accumulation of knowledge about how to “tune” our buildings – to keep them calibrated for performance. As a result, the built environment becomes a unique library of information, both about one particular building and about the broader impact of our design and operational decisions. How and when we access this library significantly influences our practice.

Today’s rating systems, resource trackers, award programs, and forums for feedback set the framework for what is managed tomorrow. As the world continues to fill with new technologies and methodologies, and as buildings increasingly become tools for gathering and storing environmental information, the practice of architecture will become more intelligent. An open but critical approach to these advancements will allow us to achieve elegant applications of these innovations.

In exploring Measure + Time, we will delve into questions like:
+ How is architecture a tool for understanding the larger environment?
+ How might a building create ambient information for the development of ecological knowledge?
+ How can the existing built environment influence the way we interrogate our building practices?