Although this PhD dissertation has been written as a monograph, it is intended that the three central chapters 05, 06, 07 entitled, “Defining the Dwellscape”, “Inhabiting the In-Between Realm” & “A Picturesque Dwelling”
can be read coherently as independent meditations. Chapter 02 entitled,
“The Functionalist Dwelling” provides a comprehensive background to this research enquiry tracing the emergence and proliferation of functionalist spatial planning within the domestic interior through the important works
1. INTRODUCTION
and writings of Robert Kerr (1864), Hermann Muthesius (1904), Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky (1926-1927), Alexander Klein (1934) and Ernst Neufert (2015;
1936). Chapter 04 entitled, “The Architectural Model as Epistemic Artefact”
explores the complex domain of the architectural model and its potential to be utilised as an ‘epistemic artefact’ within the field of academic research.
In chapter 05, “Defining the Dwellscape”, architectural theory from Le Corbusier (1987; 1923), Josef Frank (1931), Aldo van Eyck (2008) and Lars Lerup (1977) relating to the spatial organisation of the domestic interior is explored and interrogated through the comparative analysis of House Vandenhaute-Kiebooms (1967) designed by the Belgium architect Juliaan Lampens and Moriyama House (2005) designed by the Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa in order to develop the notion of the ‘domestic landscape’
and to arrive at a definition for the ‘Dwellscape’ concept. In this chapter the following question is posited, through a reconceptualisation of the dwelling interior as a ‘domestic landscape’ what spatial organisation strategies can be developed that challenge the prevalent functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform contemporary architectural praxis?
In chapter 06, “Inhabiting the In-Between Realm”, architectural theory from Peter & Alison Smithson (1994), Aldo van Eyck (2008), Kiyoyuki Nishihara (1968), Fumihiko Maki (2008) and Atelier Bow Wow (2010) relating to spatial organisation and in particular thresholds within the contemporary dwelling interior and how they are subsequently inhabited is synthesised together with prospective ‘research by design’ investigations based upon the use of large-scale physical models in order to develop proposals for a 25m2 micro dwelling.
This chapter posits the following question, through a reconsideration of threshold space within the contemporary dwelling interior what spatial organisation strategies can be developed that challenge the prevalent
functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform current architectural praxis?
In chapter 07, “A Picturesque Dwelling”, original writings from William Gilpin (1768), Edmund Burke (1756), Sir Uvedale Price (1794), Humphry Repton (1795), Richard Payne Knight (1805) relating to the picturesque movement
1. INTRODUCTION
01. INTRODUCTION
08. CONCLUSIONS & CODA
02. THE FUNCTIONALIST DWELLING
03. A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
04. THE ARCHITECTURAL MODEL AS EPISTEMIC ARTEFACT
06. INHABITING THE IN-BETWEEN REALM RESEARCH BY DESIGN
CENTRAL CORE CHAPTERS
05. DEFINING THE DWELLSCAPE
07. A PICTURESQUE DWELLING RESEARCH BY DESIGN
In the midst of the current ‘crisis’ in domestic architecture brought about by a positivistic approach to the application of functionalist spatial planning principles, which results in deterministic forms of inhabitation through the abstraction of the lived reality of the built environment into definite ‘functions’, ‘users’ and Cartesian ‘space’, how might the architect re-conceptualise the spatial organisation of the contemporary dwelling interior?
Through a reconceptualisation of the contemporary dwelling interior as a ‘domestic landscape’ what spatial organisation strategies can be developed that challenge the prevalent functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform
contemporary architectural praxis?
Through a reconsideration of threshold space within the
contemporary dwelling interior what spatial organisation strategies can be developed that challenge the prevalent functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform current architectural praxis?
Through a re-exploration of the picturesque what spatial organisation strategies can be identified that are relevant to the contemporary dwelling interior and that challenge the prevalent functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform current architectural praxis?
Figure 1.05 Ph.D. Chapter structure diagram, Nicholas Thomas Lee, 2019
1. INTRODUCTION
have been revisited in order to establish foundational theory. At the same time more contemporary reflections upon the picturesque from Christopher Hussey (1927), Nikolaus Pevsner (1955), David Watkin (1982), Caroline Constant (1990) and John Macarthur (2007) have been synthesised together with prospective ‘research by design’ experiments focused on developing a proposal for a 250m2 villa in order to identify distinct traits within the movement that can be productive agents for the spatial organisation of the contemporary dwelling interior. In this chapter the following question is posited, through a re-exploration of the picturesque what spatial
organisation strategies can be identified that are relevant to the contemporary dwelling interior and that challenge the prevalent functionalist approach to the programming of domestic space that continues to inform current architectural praxis?
It is intended, that through the re-conceptualisation of the contemporary dwelling interior as ‘Dwellscape’, it will serve as a productive catalyst for reflection and discourse upon, and in developing alternative approaches for, the spatial organisation of this important built environment. Through an exploration of the ‘Dwellscape’ concept this research project aims to develop strategies that productively challenge a functionalist approach to the spatial organisation of the domestic landscape. This functionalist approach, where a dwelling is considered to be formed from an aggregate of isolated cellular spaces that accommodate specific functions while advocating for the removal of threshold places under the guise of utilitarian efficiency abstracts the complexity and richness of human behaviour into prescribed activities. Aldo van Eyck eloquently writes, “Man still breathes both in and out. When is architecture going to do the same?” (Eyck et al., 2008, p. 50) This Ph.D. thesis takes the form of an assemblage of explorative enquiries, with the collective aim of formatively challenging the predominance of functionalist planning principles within the contemporary dwelling interior, rather than serving as a polemic that seeks to replace the status quo with yet another dogma.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.5 REFERENCES
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Bose, S., Self, J., & Williams, F. (2016). Home Economics. London: The Spaces & REAL Foundation.
Burke, E. (1756). A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. London: Scott, Webster & Geary.
Constant, C. (1990). The Barcelona Pavilion as Landscape Garden: Modernity and The Picturesque. AA Files(20), 46-54.
Corbusier, L., & Etchells, F. (1987). Towards a New Architecture. London: Architectural Press.
Evans, R. (1997). Figures, Doors & Passages. In Robin Evans: Translation from Drawing to Building and Other Essays (pp. 55-91). London: Architectural Association.
Eyck, A. v., Ligtelijn, V., & Strauven, F. (2008). Writings 1: The Child, the City and the Artist.
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Frampton, K. (1983). Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance. Anti-aesthetic / ed. and with an introduction by Hal Foster., 16-30.
Frank, J. (1931). Das Haus als Weg und Platz. In T. Bojankin, C. Long, & I. Meder (Eds.), Josef Frank: Writings Volume 2, Published Writings 1931-1965 (pp. 198-209). Vienna:
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Gilpin, W. (1768). An Essay Upon Prints. London: J. Robson.
Hansen, F. T. (2009). Epistemic Artifacts: The potential of artifacts in design research.
Hussey, C. (1927). The Picturesque: Studies in a Point of View. London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Kerr, R. (1864). The Gentleman’s House: Or, How to Plan English Residences, from the Parsonage to the Palace.
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Macarthur, J. (2007). The Picturesque: Architecture, Disgust & Other Irregularities. London:
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Nishihara, K., & Gage, R. L. (1968). Japanese Houses: Patterns for Living. Tokyo: Japan Publications.
Pevsner, N. (1955). The Englishness of English Art. London: The Architectural Press.
Price, S. U. (1794). An Essay on the Picturesque, as compared with the Sublime and the Beautiful, and, on the use of studying pictures, for the purpose of improving real
1. INTRODUCTION
landscape. London: J. Robson.
Repton, H. (1795). Sketches and Hints on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening.
London: W. Bulmer & Co.
Sergison, J., & Bates, S. (2016). Papers 3. Sergison Bates Architects. Luzern: Quart Publishers.
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Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D., & Izenour, S. (1972). Learning from Las Vegas. Cambridge, Mass.:
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1. INTRODUCTION
“It is often forgotten that the domestication of animals included the domestication of humans.”
(Bose, Self, & Williams, 2016, p. 39)