Narcotecture

These images get placed in my Architectectural Horrors File.... a file that is, sadly, already very thick. They come from P.J. Tobia, the Afghanistan correspondent on TrueSlant.com. He calls these monstrosities "narcotecture" or "poppy palaces." They are the type of fortified residences favored by drug kings in Kabul. I'm not qualified to comment on the occupation of the owners. But the architecture...really?

Nouveau riche always exbhibit this kind of bad taste. It reminds me of some of my neighbors in Las Vegas. Perhaps these two cities have something in common? This is agressive architecture that barks at you like a carny hawker. If the razor wire doesn't slice your skin the roof overhangs will.
A serious criticism of these structures is simply that nothing on any of them belongs. Each building is a collection of mismatched details and styles from different eras or nightmares. Greek columns with art deco parapets. Ali Baba portals with Los Angeles diner roofs. A Thai temple over a parking garage.

Check out Mr. Tobia's link if you want to see more.

Theme, Variation, Development

Architecture is often compared to music. Goethe called it “frozen music.” But architecture is anything but frozen. It is an experience that changes with the time of day, environmental conditions, age of the structure, and the viewpoint (both physical and cultural) of the participant.
Architecture engages all of the senses and is a dynamic experience. It is not frozen music or frozen anything. Yet, music provides useful terms to describe architecture. Architecture lacks a theoretical language of its own, and we borrow from other art forms to get a handle on what architecture is. A useful musical analogy is the concept of theme, variation, and development.

Most of us know what a theme means in music: a recognizable pattern of notes and chords. Such patterns (melodies; tunes) are the core of most musical compositions. In music, sound provides the theme. In architecture the theme is established with shapes and geometric volumes. Here is a simple shape – a rotated square with four small squares embedded. One can manipulate this simple theme by rotation and extension to create interesting variations. From this is is possible to develop the variations of a theme with an infinite number of choices in size, composition, organization, and even color. This playfulness with geometry can be seen in many cultures, from the bilateral symmetry of a Navajo rug to the single-axis symmetry of a Turkish prayer rug. In architecture these themes, with variation and development, become three-dimensional and more complex. It is like moving from checkers to chess. Geometry still plays its part. It may be right-angled geometry (most typical in western architecture). It may be an arrangement of arcs and curves combined with cubic forms, as found in many mosques. Or it may be a geometry of apparent chaos like the deconstructivist Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. (Architect: Frank Gehry, 1997.) Music is a composition of sounds and silence; architecture is a composition of solids and voids. For example, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bogk residence in Milwaukee (1916) is based on simple cubic forms which grow into an elaborate and sophisticated volumetric composition to emerge as architecture. A building may be only simple structure enclosing space, perhaps useful for some function like a warehouse or shed or an office building. But without an organizing theme behind the structure, it is not architecture. A theme helps give architecture meaning. Great architecture creates delightful environments where every detail builds upon the design theme, repeated in endless variations. Structures like the Bogk house are reminders to modern architects of the power of theme, variation, and development.

To return to the musical analogy: random sounds may be nothing more than noise; it takes organization — a theme with variations and development — to transform sounds into music. Architecture, being a three-dimensional art, has its primary themes in space. Solids and voids. Structure and volume. Other themes also exist in architecture: color, historical allusions, manipulations of scale. However, the geometry of space unfolding is the primary theme of an architectural experience.

One final example of theme, variation, development: vintage photographs of the Price House by Bruce Goff. (Designed 1956; destroyed by arson 1996.) This masterpiece of residential architecture is based on the rare module of an equilateral triangle. The extrapolation of this basic shape into three-dimensional architecture is in
evidence everywhere throughout the structure. This is architecture in its purest form.

Just so there is no mistake: the essence of architecture is not repetitious two-dimensional patterns. That is just wallpaper. In architecture the purpose of a theme is to build upon it spatially, creating human-purposed variations that develop into three-dimensional habitations. In skillful hands this aims to be a symphony rather than just a pleasant ditty.

Photo credits: Office building and mosque in the public domain. Guggenheim museum by Bill McDonough. Bogk house by MJK. Price house from Bruce Goff (photos probably by Joe Price).

Extending Architecture Into the Landscape

Many of my clients are familiar with the name Longshadow Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd. Longshadow makes outdoor planters specified on a number of projects by Michael Knorr & Associates. On a recent road trip through the Midwest, I had an opportunity to visit Longshadow at their manufacturing facility near Pomona, Illinois. More on that in a moment. First, a description of what drew me to Longshadow in the first place and why we like to specify their product:

Architecture looks best when it connects to the landscape around it. Though architects usually aren’t directly involved in landscape design, the points of connection between building and landscape can reinforce an architectural theme. When architecture is extended into gardens, patios, terraces, and balconies, it becomes anchored to the earth. One way to accomplish this is by providing places for planters as illustrated in the two projects below.
Longshadow produces garden ornaments that lend themselves to this ethos. Their products are architectonic in design and scale. This means they almost look like part of the building. This is partly due to the manufacturing process, dry cast limestone – a method that goes back to structures in ancient Rome. It is also due to the care invested in the design of these products. Longshadow’s traditional designs use “ancient motifs of protection, life, and regeneration…. a symbolic language that has been shared for thousands of years about the fears and aspirations of all humans.” (Quotation from the Longshadow catalog.)

Longshadow also has an extensive Prairie School line which takes inspiration from the work of American architects such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Walter Burley Griffin.
We have found that in both contemporary and traditional architecture, products like this anchor our buildings not only to the ground, but also to history. They imbue architecture with a timeless quality.

Longshadow is located well off the beaten path in the verdant hills near Pomona, Illinois. You might expect to find a business like this housed in a hulking industrial plant. What one actually encounters is an idyllic hundred-acre farm. Instead of grey smokestacks, there are tree-lined allees. Instead of a confined factory there is a plein-air environment with peacocks, dogs, and kittens roaming freely. Owners Charlotte Peters and Daniel Ward grew Longshadow as an artistic enterprise. With about twenty employees they have created a successful business that reflects high ideals; they clearly love what they do. Because of their efforts, we get to select from quality products that amplify architecture. An array of planters, urns, fountains, birdbaths, and other garden ornaments are reminiscent of an era when architecture worked with all arts in a collaborative way. It is good to know that such opportunities are still available.
Longshadow Classic Garden Ornaments, Ltd. is certainly not the only producer of quality architectural products, but they are definitely one of the best. That is why it was a pleasure to visit the facility and meet Charlotte and Daniel.

To quote philanthropist Bill Daniels (out of context), “The best is good enough for me.” That’s the way I feel when Longshadow’s products show up on my buildings.

Credits: Top photo by Rob Munger; all others by MJK.

Modern in the Guise of Traditional - Two Churches

One of the most interesting buildings in Santa Fe, New Mexico is the church of Cristo Rey, pictured below. Many people mistake it for a very old, traditional church. The adobe and weathered timbers provide a natural patina that appears to wear the mantel of great age. It is one of the largest adobe structures in the world. However, Cristo Rey is not as old as it looks. It was designed by noted architect John Gaw Meem in 1940. Not that long ago for a city founded in 1608.
John Gaw Meem was instrumental in codifying the Pueblo Revival and Territorial styles in Santa Fe, an architectural code that survives to this day. Much of the apparent history of Santa Fe, at least in its architecture, is ersatz history. Meem and his band of cohorts created the image of Santa Fe that we still revere: a mélange of architectural forms that give Santa Fe its unique character. Historicism but not history.

Cristo Rey is better appreciated as the modern building it really is. Its interlocking planes and unadorned surfaces are as pure as anything modern form-givers like Mies van der Rohe or Corbusier produced. The adobe massing foreshadows modern Mexican architects like Luis Berrigan and Ricardo Legoretta as well as Californian Mark Mack. These architects have created strong modern forms rooted in the desert southwest and Hispanic culture. Meem would certainly be at home in this group.

The best feature of Cristo Rey is the interior. In the simplest of ways Meem focuses our attention on the altar. Without resorting to electric spotlights (except at night) he bathes the altar in heavenly streams of pure white light. No distractions, no architectural gymnastics. In a straightforward, modern way our attention is directed to nowhere else but the altar. The narthex is secondary, barely noticeable at first. This is brilliant – both literally and figuratively. Upon entering Cristo Rey our thoughts go immediately to the symbols and artifacts that the Archbishop of Santa Fe and the Pope wish us to contemplate. [One can also contemplate the possible legal ownership of some of these artifacts by Santa Fean Gwen Battle Horne.]
This is effected by the use of clerestory windows to illuminate the church's hand-carved stone altar screen. These windows are out of sight from almost every vantage point. The ethereal results cannot be denied.
John Gaw Meem did not invent such architectural theatrics. Similar ideas go back at least to late Renaissance structures like the abbey church in Weltenburg, Germany. (By architects Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam, 1717.) With John Gaw Meem, the architectural device is simple, direct, and modern in application. The wall surfaces are unadorned, the structure honestly expressed, the natural light introduced without baroque fanfare. Modern audiences are “in” on the trick but still delight in the magic. The secret is revealed in the photo below.
Compare Cristo Rey to another New Mexican landmark, the church of San Francisco de Asis at Ranchos de Taos, shown below. Also of adobe-and-timber construction, it is old in both time and attitude. Completed in 1815 (architect unknown) the attraction of the Ranchos church is the sculptural quality of its four-foot-thick walls and its sense of place as a focal point for the village. The Ranchos church is probably the most photographed in New Mexico and has been the subject of paintings by nearly every southwest-style artist, both good and bad. Painting it seems to be a rite of passage for anyone working in the genre. It is not difficult to understand its appeal to artists. They immediately appreciate the building's abstract qualities. It is sensually sculptural. Surfaces are bleached to desert hues by the sun; edges are melted by the elements. The soft forms tell a story about the people who crafted the hand-plastered adobe. Everything about the exterior is captivating, hypnotic.

In contrast, the interior is a secondary experience, somewhat anticlimactic. It is a conventional cruciform plan with no particular architectural interest. Which is not to say it lacks charm or historical value. However, it certainly does not have the panache of Meem’s essay in shadow and light as can be seen in this 1934 photo of the Ranchos church from the Library of Congress:
It is the exterior we appreciate as pure, organic form. At the Ranchos church, time coalesces into matter.
Undoubtedly John Gaw Meem was influenced by the subtle power of this famous structure. Meem reinterpreted these iconic forms to create a thoroughly modern work of architecture inside and out at Cristo Rey.

Of course, there is much to appreciate in both Cristo Rey and the Ranchos de Taos church. The unique qualities of each will richly reward the architectural gourmet. Bon apetit!

Circulation

ABOVE: The gallery in this classically-styled home features a barrel-vault ceiling and terminates in double doors that look upon a rose garden surrounded by a colonnade.
In architecture, circulation means the pathways through a floor plan. These pathways are how we experience architecture; the design of these pathways has an enormous effect on the success or failure of a plan. Circulation spaces ought to be as interesting as any other part of a building. There are always unique opportunities to make circulation interesting.
ABOVE: This residential gallery uses extra width, creative lighting, and an integral focal point to make the architectural experience interesting.
Obvious pathways include hallways (horizontal circulation) and stairs (vertical circulation). But every space we are able to occupy is part of the circulation system of a building. Halls can be expanded to become spacious areas like vestibules, foyers, galleries, arcades, and colonnades. Vertical circulation can include elevators and escalators. Less obvious pathways are the spaces between and around furniture: the spaces in rooms where people are likely to walk. All of these variations on circulation are important aspects of architecture because it is through movement that we enjoy architecture as a three-dimensional experience. Without movement, architecture is merely a stage set: entertaining to look at, perhaps, but with no direct relationship to the user.

ABOVE: This hallway uses at least five architectural "tricks" to make the long traverse interesting: skylights, level changes, art niches, generous width, and terminating the vista with a window looking out to a private garden. (Photo by Cynthia Schlaer.)

Good circulation is essential to successful architecture. Like the flow of blood in a body, circulation works best when the route is clear and unobstructed. After all, how can you appreciate beautiful spaces if you don’t know where to go or you’re constantly bumping into obstacles? When we confront people with an obstacle course, their eyes are on the obstacles, not the architecture.

ABOVE: Note how this master suite accomodates circulation and furniture without conflicts.

A floor plan with good circulation makes every square foot of space work efficiently and gracefully. Good circulation does not necessarily mean that the shortest path between two points is best. It means that the most architecturally rewarding path between two points is preferred. ABOVE: Vertical circulation handled with sweeping stairways in traditional and contemporary homes.

BELOW: A simple organic shape (like a snail shell) makes the vertical circulation seem inviting and effortless.

When designing any building, an architect must consider circulation and furniture placement simultaneously. Plans in which furnishings and circulation work in concert optimize the chances of people being able to move easily and comfortably. When people feel at ease, the experience is more likely to be pleasurable. A master bedroom, for example, must have a logical place for a bed. A bed wall should be opposite the entry to a bedroom. A bed can be a beautiful piece of furniture and this is an opportunity to display it, rather than make it an obstacle. In speculative housing an awkward bed location would be bad marketing; in any home it is bad design. Art niches, television walls, and natural views are among the conditions that must work with the circulation patterns and furniture arrangements. Any furniture grouping – whether in a living room or a bank lobby – should have a place to be without compromising circulation. Circulation forced through such groupings is like a rude interruption to a private conversation.
ABOVE: This courtyard home is entered through a small gate house (left) that leads to an enclosed path (right) bridging a swimming pool and leading to the front door. This sequence of events engages our curiosity and imagination to make the space inviting.

Traffic patterns are most effective when clear, logical, and unambiguous. However, that doesn’t mean they need be boring. Walking through a work of architecture is a sequence of events, and every event can be interesting. In a well-designed floor plan, every event reinforces the theme, variations, and development of the overriding functional requirements and esthetic purpose. Circulation spaces should be designed as meaningful parts of the whole.
Open planning is modern architecture’s gift to spatial perception. Narrow, dark hallways are a relic of the past. In many buildings, efficient space planning can make hallways all but disappear, blending the circulation spaces with functional spaces, transforming hidden square footage into open, perceived space. This borrowing between spaces adds interest and thereby increases value. When circulation must exist independent from the main spaces because of privacy or security, the architect still has many design tools available to keep things interesting. When the budget allows, foyers can be generous, halls can be designed as galleries, and stairs can be compelling focal points. Circulation need never interfere with furnishings or function. The challenge is to find interesting and lively transitions from one space to another. Space flows naturally and effortlessly when circulation is an integral part of architectural design. ABOVE: Three views of a residential hallway consisting of interlinked galleries topped by pyramid skylights and clerestory windows.

BELOW: Plan showing how the galleries are staggered to set up a dynamic path through the home.In mild climates we have additional opportunities to make circulation especially interesting. Good weather is an encouragement to integrate indoor and outdoor circulation. Connections between various parts of a structure could be a series of vine-covered, open-air trellises rather than indoor corridors. In colder or wetter climes, this might be impractical, but in Las Vegas, for example, we recently designed a home where all the hallways are outdoor trellises. Yes, there are days when heat or winds are an inconvenience, but the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment on an everyday basis far outweighs those negatives.
ABOVE: This Las Vegas home is a series of pavilions with the circulation system accommodated by outdoor trellises and broad roof overhangs.
Every part of a building should enhance the architectural experience. No less important than any other part is the space we devote to circulation: the space between the spaces. ABOVE: Narrow halls, even in the most affordable homes, can be enhanced with art niches. This display area was constructed within the constraints of a 2x6 wall.

All photos in the above article by Rob Munger unless otherwise noted. Architecture by Michael Knorr & Associates, Inc.

A Letter to the Mayor

The following letter was sent to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper last week following presentations by the Planning department regarding proposed zoning code changes. I reproduce it here in response to interest expressed by local architects, builders, Realtors and property owners. The proposed changes follow a nationwide drift to reduce property entitlements. The trend is to make redevelopment of private property more difficult, more restrictive, and less creative. (See "Malibu Dreaming" post, March 31, 2009.) I apologize to readers outside of Denver who may find this discussion of zoning rules a bit arcane, but be aware it could happen in your neighborhood.

I do believe the final draft of the new zoning changes will be less Draconian than the current proposal. How much better is difficult to predict. To keep abreast of the massive code revisions (hundreds of pages) visit www.denvergov.org/planning. You can also find contact information for the mayor, council members, and the Planning department at this site.

2 July 2009

The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Office of the Mayor
City and County Building
1437 Bannock, Room 350
Denver, CO 80202

Re: New Zoning Code

John Hickenlooper:

I have attended several meetings and workshops conducted by the department of Community Planning and Development regarding the new zoning code. The Planning department emphasizes that the new code is “a work in progress.” Work has progressed for some time with each rendition of the proposed code introducing additional troubling concepts and details. Since the shape of the code is now becoming quite specific, I feel it is time to register deep concerns regarding negative architectural and economic impacts the new code will have.

The proposed code is lengthy and complex, covering, as it must, very different neighborhoods and conditions. The observations in this letter are limited mainly to the S-SU-B and E-SU-D designations and specifically as they apply to the University Hills neighborhood. These are limited examples. Please be aware that other parts of the proposed code are similarly flawed.

S-SU-B

S-SU-B is a residential district. The blocks of University Hills north and east of Eisenhower Park fall under this new category. Spokespeople from Planning assert that the current R1 zoning (single family detached) would remain intact and thus “preserve current entitlements.” In fact, as written, S-SU-B would change current entitlements by significantly reducing the allowable size of future development. This will negatively impact property values and, by extension, the future tax base of the City and County of Denver.

Lots in this neighborhood vary considerably by orientation and shape. There is no typical lot, but a common size is 60’ x 155’ (approximately 9300 square feet) as illustrated below. Prior to February 2003 one could develop 50% of such a lot, including garage, porches, and any covered areas:

1 Zoning Restrictions Before 2003


This entitlement allowed for several features of proven value in the marketplace: a three-car garage (albeit with a “tandem” space on this narrow lot), the option of a single-story plan, and room for outdoor covered spaces.

These possibilities significantly changed with “Quick Wins II” in 2003. Those changes, currently in effect, limited developable area to 37.5 per cent of a lot:

2 Current Zoning

On the example 9300 square foot lot with similar garage and porch allowances, the main floor living area is reduced to 2300 square feet. The possibility of a single-story plan is sharply curtailed and two-story plans become more likely. Of course, smaller lots (of which there are many in the neighborhood) have less buildable area. Current zoning restrictions also sharply curtail the size of second floors, development in the rear one-third of a lot, and the bulk of structures. Nevertheless, the University Hills neighborhood has seen a renaissance of new housing in recent years under these restrictions.

The proposed zoning reduces the developable area again. The new maximum is a miserly thirty percent. In print, this is an abstract number. On actual lots the effects are Draconian:

3 Proposed zoning with 30% maximum lot coverage.

To yield 1900 square feet of living area one would be required to forgo a third garage space and reduce the amount of covered porches or patios. Single-story plans or main floor master suites become more difficult. Remember, the illustrated example is a relatively large lot by urban standards; even so we encounter difficulties meeting the demands of market-oriented housing. Imagine how problematic this becomes with smaller parcels. Big segments of the market would be jeopardized by these conditions: growing families who require more bedrooms and additional car shelter, older or physically challenged people who don’t want to climb stairs, and the affluent market that simply demands more space.

Property owners already experience negative impacts from previous zoning changes. The proposed zoning exacerbates the situation by shrinking allowable development. The following graphic illustrates the diminishing returns:

4 The Incredible Shrinking House

There are many other detrimental restrictions in the proposed zoning. Note in the above illustration how the allowable driveway shrinks to a ridiculously small area. The proposed rules would make servicing two-car garages impossible.

Also worrisome are the proposed height and setback changes. Current rules allow for a two-story house that could offer the style, amenities, and architectural volume to make it competitive in the broad marketplace. The proposed zoning drastically reduces width, overall height, and floor-to-ceiling allowances. Two story homes would lose 4’ to 9’ in height (depending on lot width). Single story homes would lose 10’ to 15’ in allowable height. Increased side yard setbacks further reduce the street presence of new construction. Houses already limited by Quick Wins II are further diminished in size and curb appeal.

5 Proposed zoning eliminates shaded area on a two-story house.

6 One story homes would fall under additional height restrictions.


The Planning department makes a point of claiming that architectural style is not affected by these changes. However, the restrictions channel design into squat structures with low-pitched roofs and low plate heights. Furthermore, even more severe limits on flat-roofed structures and single-story plans make modern or inventive styles impossible as shown in the two examples below:

7 Flat roof structures are singled out; the red-shaded areas would not be permitted.

8 Innovative architecture is problematic under the proposed limits; shaded areas not allowed.

E-SU-D

A second University Hills district, described as “urban edge”, falls to the south of Eisenhower Park. This E-SU-D designation is distinguished by square blocks with alleys. Otherwise, it is similar to the rest of University Hills in appearance and variety. Yet some of the restrictions here are even more severe. Rear setbacks are now proposed at 50% to 60% of the lot depth and allowable driveway features (such as circular drives) are mathematically eliminated. If the intent is to preserve the morphology of the neighborhood, the restrictions do not accomplish this. For example, an actual existing older home of 1500 square feet would be impossible to reproduce under the proposed rules. Square footage, width, and architectural offsets would all be in violation. Approximately 200 square feet would be lost in the following example:

9 An older existing home not allowed under the new rules.

Calibration

The response by Planning to these criticisms in public meetings has been that the restrictions are in flux and will be “calibrated” based on neighborhood input. My concerns are more fundamental than calibrating numbers. A catch phrase from Planning describes the zoning revisions as “form based” design. This means, by my understanding, that for every designated district the shape, size, offsets, and massing are predetermined by a matrix of dimensions. At the same time, we are told that these prescriptions do not regulate architectural style. The contradiction in the last two sentences should be apparent. Architectural style is not limited to frivolous details applied to predetermined shapes. Architecture is precisely a result of form.

Summary

This letter has focused on a limited portion of a lengthy document. I want to emphasize, again, that there are numerous examples throughout the proposed code where architecture and development possibilities are limited more like a covenant-controlled community than a vibrant urban center. Section 3.3.2, to cite one final example, gets into issues of architectural “articulation.” It describes (in detail) “horizontal articulation elements,” the “base, middle, cap” of a building, and even the dimensions of eave projections. There are whole swaths of architectural styles compromised by such picayune micromanagement.

The proposed zoning moves in the direction of freeze-drying our neighborhoods, as if they are already the best that they can be. This only stifles new ideas and discourages monetary investment. It will put Denver at a competitive disadvantage for tax dollars. It will limit the number and diversity of people attracted to our redeveloping neighborhoods. Most detrimental to current residents is the damper it places on existing lots and the possibilities of enjoying the full potential of our property.

As an architect, I would like to see every aspect of the built environment in perfect harmony, well proportioned and beautiful. But this works best when it happens organically and with variety. By allowing great latitude in the system, mistakes may happen and things may not always look the way we want them to. However, in balance, maximizing creative freedom also invites exciting innovations that just may point the way to a better life for everybody.

The proposed zoning code heads in the wrong direction. I trust that the mayor’s office will closely examine these impending policy changes. If you or a member of your staff would like to discuss these ideas or other aspects of the code in more detail I am available anytime.

Sincerely,

Michael Knorr