Architecture communicates. Buildings actually speak to us in countless ways. Elements such as form and space can tell us about a building's function, they can direct us and bring things to our attention, their shapes can be symbolic and remind us of other things, and they can inspire strong feelings in us.
It is no revelation that architecture communicates, yet few architects have actually given this phenomenon serious analysis. It should then be no great surprise that many buildings do not speak enough or in a way appreciated by the client or passer-by. Often architects do not have the opportunity to sincerely get to know their clients and as a result their buildings may fail in the realm of communication.
At Harry Gendel Architects, one of our foremost design challenges is for our buildings to "speak" and aesthetically appeal to our clients and the passer-by.
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The Walker/Zanger-Houston Facility (a natural stone and tile supplier) is a building that, through the singularity of its design and construction, has spoken to many about the identity and nature of it's business. |
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The entry panel for the VSA of Texas building (a candy distribution facility) tells a subtle clue about its products. |
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The facade of the Aldine Community Fire Station #2 reveals the bold spirit of it's employees and symbolic forms rooted deep in the history of the American fire house. |
Our particular interest in architectural communication was inspired by some breakthrough discoveries of the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) in his study of signs, "Semeiotic" (pronounced Seem-I-O-Tick). Remarkably, some of Peirce's most significant discoveries have been overlooked and untested and inferior theories have developed (often called ""semiotics"").
By Travis Dougherty
travis@hgarch.com
For more information on Semeiotic, browse our reading list.