30X40 Design Workshop
Using Materials to tell a Story (An Architectural Essay) Meaningful architecture, for me, always relays a story. It’s fundamental that it conveys something about a place, a specific time, a person or a family. It must have an opinion, an attitude. Architecture doesn’t have to be an explicit rendering of that idea; rather it can be discovered over time while living in a structure or just by knowing a little more today than yesterday.
| Length | 11:32 |
| Price | Free of charge |
| Subject | Architecture |
| Languages | English |
| Video Transcripts | English |
About the video
My personal design process always begins with my asking the question, “What is the story I’m trying to tell?” Architecture can convey historical ideas, ideas about craft, personal tastes, an attitude toward light (or dark), the forest canopy, a city skyline. This seed of an idea can become the design engine for the project, a reference point for decisions made along the way. Most architects refer to this as a parti, but the term is far less important than the actual concept. One of the most basic and accessible means of conveying this idea is through the use of material.
In this video I use three materials: stone, wood and concrete to illustrate how materials can imbue architecture with meaning, both implicit and explicit.
Featured Architects:
Peter Zumthor
Ensamble Studio
Tadao Ando
Zone 4 Architects, LLC
Michael Ryan Architects
Sage Modern
Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC
E. Cobb Architects
Cornerstone Architects
Mell Lawrence Architects
Renzo J. Nakata Architects
Bluetime Collaborative
Augustus Jones
AR Design Studio Ltd.
Kate Johns
Meet the instructors
Eric Reinholdt is a founder of Thirty by Forty Design Workshop which was established in June 2013 in a home he designed overlooking Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. In 2016, he designed and constructed the Long Studio to complement the Longhouse and serve as a full-scale model of his design principles and the latest in building science; this is the home for 30X40.
“My work celebrates humble materials, subtle contrasts and finely-crafted details. I have a strong interest in modern regionalist design, local materials and familiar building forms juxtaposed against modern, open floor plans. I employ a minimalist, Shaker-like palette of details inspired by the site and natural surroundings.”
Video syllabus
Materials and Meaningful Architecture