Landscape, Earth, Water, Stone, Steel, Glass, Light, Shadow and depth of Purpose
I attended a fascinating lecture by an architect from Mexico on a cool winter evening at Wurster Hall at U.C. Berkeley. Mauricio Rocha had me from the very start of his talk, when he showed a set of photos of his first project, a house for his mother. I was entranced by the images and ideas and concepts in his portfolio, each project tied into the earth and landscape, a focus on only five materials, a respect of light and shadow, and a reference to smell and sound. His project, Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a masterpiece of design, blending all the primary elements that architects and designers dream about in the sleep.
Mauricio mentioned two of my favorite artists, Gordon Matta Clark and Robert Smithson as key influencers of time and space. He spoke of how the "Accident" can be important, during the exploratory design phase. He showed how he chose to weave gardens through his spaces, leaving traces of fragrant flowers for the explorers and users of his constructed worlds. And he concluded with a mention about the importance of memory, and dignity and how architecture really is all about true and rich Experiences.
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