Spirt of Place
A term often bandied around within the profession, but what does it mean? Derived from Classical Roman religion the genius loci was a protective spirit or guardian of a place. These spirits would have been considered very literal entities; unlike the abstract concepts of modern religions, and were believed to observe, protect and influence all that happened within the borders of their domain.
In contemporary language the term refers to a location’s distinctive atmosphere or ‘sense of place’ a purely human, emotive response, and one that may vary from person to person. As a Designer of spaces it is important to consider how this abstract concept of place informs and directs design decisions and how it can be measured. There are many factors that might influence the way in which we interpret a given place; the sights aspect and light levels, flora and fauna, signs of human activity, shelter and refuge, noise pollution, or its personal, cultural or historic importance. How we influence these and many other of the sites features will accumulate in a change to its genius loci, and hopefully one we intended.
Whilst it is important to try to decipher the magic of ‘place’ to help inform good design, It is key that we do not disregard or move away from the abstract, emotive connection we all have with our environment. Only by embracing this intuitive response can we truly create a sense of place.
As Designers have we become the modern expression of the genius loci observing, protecting and influencing that which happens within the places we live?
A term often bandied around within the profession, but what does it mean? Derived from Classical Roman religion the genius loci was a protective spirit or guardian of a place. These spirits would have been considered very literal entities; unlike the abstract concepts of modern religions, and were believed to observe, protect and influence all that happened within the borders of their domain.
In contemporary language the term refers to a location’s distinctive atmosphere or ‘sense of place’ a purely human, emotive response, and one that may vary from person to person. As a Designer of spaces it is important to consider how this abstract concept of place informs and directs design decisions and how it can be measured. There are many factors that might influence the way in which we interpret a given place; the sights aspect and light levels, flora and fauna, signs of human activity, shelter and refuge, noise pollution, or its personal, cultural or historic importance. How we influence these and many other of the sites features will accumulate in a change to its genius loci, and hopefully one we intended.
Whilst it is important to try to decipher the magic of ‘place’ to help inform good design, It is key that we do not disregard or move away from the abstract, emotive connection we all have with our environment. Only by embracing this intuitive response can we truly create a sense of place.
As Designers have we become the modern expression of the genius loci observing, protecting and influencing that which happens within the places we live?
“That the decay of the leaf should be the glory of the leaf is a perennial encouragement to all”
- John Stewart Collis
Piano Tops
“I am enthusiastic over humanity’s extraordinary and sometimes very timely ingenuity. If you are in a shipwreck and all the boats are gone, a piano top buoyant enough to keep you afloat that comes along makes a fortuitous life preserver. But this is not to say that the best way to design a life preserver is in the form of a piano top. I think that we are clinging to a great many piano tops in accepting yesterday’s fortuitous contrivings as constituting the only means for solving a given problem.”
Fin
The LMU School of Art, Architecture and Design Degree Show opens tonight and runs all week from 10am - 4pm. Its great to have finally pinned everything up now and I am happy with how the exhibition has turned out. I think everyone's work looks great, and there are some interesting things going on across the other disciplines too. I'm looking forward to having a good look around the rest of the school tonight, but I think I may need a quick nap first!
MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE A.A.D DEGREE SHOW '14
Violence
“When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is trying to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.”