Say, what?

because i am such an information maniac i did this thing tonight:

i studied kengo kuma's work from the interview he gave in 1997 in the book that i've talked about here. some god at the forum i joined in would be interviewing him tomorrow. and i was sore for not having read the kuma interview thoroughly, especially after i learned the forum god needed more questions for his kuma interview, because i was not able to formulate interesting questions to throw to kuma-san.

Kuma in 1997 interview was an anti-hero. Tandao Andao was already popular then, too popular he could be the poster boy for Japanese architecture. He openly discussed his being a non-devotee of small houses architecture and branded architecture, both of which Tadao popularized--though maybe un-intentionally.

what i am beginning to love about this book is it encourages people like me, non-architects who are interested in architecture--beyond the practice of architecture, the pre-requisite of knowing the technicalities, the sciences and engineering behind putting up a building, and without any ability whatsoever in drawing. It was encouraging, what Kengo Kuma in this book said about the need for architecture to spread its wings. For it to see beyond the limits of civil and material engineering, because architecture of today no longer deals with just the enclosed spaces. Psychology, sociology and virtual spaces are starting to be one of the many components of architecture. Logically, it follows that programs should not be solely made by architects themselves. Meaning, dude, comments that i make, my opinion and thoughts that i shared in PF's studies are so legit (although not necessarily correct, ahe ahe) they matter after all!

i felt vindicated in my want to study this ever evolving field, although i'm still unsure if the RLAs i know feel the same, because usually when they talk architecture they only want to discuss the details of construction. It makes my brain bleed. I'm sorry.

what is probably more important, and where us, Filipinos can learn a lot from is that traditional, village architecture aren't amateur and unremarkable. Ultimately, it is harmonious marriage of space and its intended use (activities in the space) that prevails, not the style, not the brand of style or the state of the art materials used. It will be good if we try to view things in this perspective, sans the theatrics of exoticized nationalism (that the malls sell).

and last advice from kuma master himself: "...it is [not] necessary for architecture to beat every other field." (a lot of moonlighting CEs can also learn from this) every type of media and other fields can certainly be used to work with architectural to achieve a purpose. isn't that humbling?





(now, i move aside and pray i made a correct interpretation/analysis of the interview.)