Bauhaus 1919-1933: Weimar Dessau Berlin
To me, Bauhaus is a renowned name in the architectural and artistic world, synonymous with the highest of the profession, a complete school of absolute skill and attention to detail.
The reading from this week has made me think about exactly this. It was the idea that members of Bauhaus were not afraid to experiment with their profession. They were taught from day one to respect the scientific side of architecture and to understand the engineering involved.
Some might suggest that these two aspects of building are not really compatible with the artistic side of the profession. Certainly it seems that in the modern world the architect gets frustrated with the engineer, and vice versa.
However, the Bauhaus taught that it was important to understand all aspects in order to design well. This is something which I have taken very strongly from all my encounters with Bauhaus research. This extends beyond just the engineering though. When creating a show house for example, they fill the rooms with furniture made in the Bauhaus workshops. They designed every element of a building to work in the context it was sat. Be that the context of the furniture in the room, or building in it's environment.
This is something which I would like to achieve with my own designs. To go that extra step further that simply creating a building which could be put anywhere. I would like to craft every element of my designs to fit the context which it is in, or to represent the meaning that I am intending to convey. Just as would be done by members of the Bauhaus.
Furthermore, I feel as though after reading this text, it is entirely possible to be playful and experiment with techniques and aesthetics and forms and functions which I made not have thought about previously because of worrying about technical details. It is clear now, upon reflection, that the technical details of the structure can work to the benefit of the building, they should never hold back idea from being tried.
I feel spurred on to create more inspired designs, but also to better inform myself into how they might be built. Who knows, maybe the technical elements will be where my next inspiration comes from?
The reading from this week has made me think about exactly this. It was the idea that members of Bauhaus were not afraid to experiment with their profession. They were taught from day one to respect the scientific side of architecture and to understand the engineering involved.
Some might suggest that these two aspects of building are not really compatible with the artistic side of the profession. Certainly it seems that in the modern world the architect gets frustrated with the engineer, and vice versa.
However, the Bauhaus taught that it was important to understand all aspects in order to design well. This is something which I have taken very strongly from all my encounters with Bauhaus research. This extends beyond just the engineering though. When creating a show house for example, they fill the rooms with furniture made in the Bauhaus workshops. They designed every element of a building to work in the context it was sat. Be that the context of the furniture in the room, or building in it's environment.
This is something which I would like to achieve with my own designs. To go that extra step further that simply creating a building which could be put anywhere. I would like to craft every element of my designs to fit the context which it is in, or to represent the meaning that I am intending to convey. Just as would be done by members of the Bauhaus.
Furthermore, I feel as though after reading this text, it is entirely possible to be playful and experiment with techniques and aesthetics and forms and functions which I made not have thought about previously because of worrying about technical details. It is clear now, upon reflection, that the technical details of the structure can work to the benefit of the building, they should never hold back idea from being tried.
I feel spurred on to create more inspired designs, but also to better inform myself into how they might be built. Who knows, maybe the technical elements will be where my next inspiration comes from?
Siebenbrodt, M. (2009). Bauhaus 1919-1933: Weimar-Dessau-Berlin. Parkstone International.