Building Meaning

Michael Imber, writing for Period Homes, has an only slightly overly nostalgic post contemplating the meaning of what we build. I particularly liked this bit:

It is the cultural memory of our past that informs us, and it is what forms the genetic code of our built environment. Buildings and homes should say to us: “This is our history and our aspirations. This is our landscape and environment, our resources, our craft. This is how we build.” By these principles, buildings and places become authentic to their nature and to their place – they become “local.” This is what makes them cherished and valued by the people that populate them and gives us pride in who we are as communities. Buildings should not arbitrarily reflect style, but should reflect the architectural language that expresses a community or culture – it is this that makes our buildings and cities meaningful and sustainable, for it is the building that can be loved by generations that will last for generations.

This ties in nicely with my previous post, Of Time and Place. Architecture should respond naturally to the local conditions. This includes environment, climate, culture, and tradition. This doesn’t mean there can’t be outside influences. It just means that outside influences must be calibrated to the local conditions to achieve a basic harmony and common language and meaning in our places.