What Architecture for me is...

by nobutaka ashihara

noby's philosophy

 

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rchitecture to me is one of the essential element to make you feel happy. In another way of saying, architecture is the comfortable fortress to insulate yourself. But in my opinion, the architecture has more important purposes than just protecting from intruders and controlling rain, wind, heat and humidity.

 

In your daily life, there are basically two aspects of activities, one that is private and the other that is public. Through the transition flowing from public to private, each step of the way requires adequate spaces. Architecture must satisfy the necessary and adequate degree of privacy.

 

The private activities, such as sleeping, making love, resting, excretion and so forth, and the public activities such as working, learning, playing, communicating, enjoying entertainments, these activities definitely require the spaces appropriate to each of them. You can say that architecture creates these spaces artificially.

 

But just by satisfying these required functions but neglecting your emotions, you do not feel happiness. I must say, for that reason, such aspects like identity, monumentality, atmosphere must be in architecture. Also, you must be extremely sensitive to human perceptions like the speciousness, proportion, color, brightness, sense of touch, temperature, humidity, air flow, smell, sound and so forth. Then architecture can create comfortable and joyful spaces.

 

You must also realize that there is always a client to the architecture. You must understand the client' need in terms of function, time and cost requirements. It must be also clear and understood the where and for whom the architecture is intended.

 

One of the difficult aspects of the architecture is that it must not accommodate only the clients needs, but also pays serious attention to the parties who do not use or are involved in the architecture directly, for example passers by. It must be sensitive to these people's feelings and preferences.

 

In many cases, architecture or buildings are created for income generating purpose as an investment. This is the reason the architecture must accommodate the marketing requirements in terms of functions and looks. But it is important to note that accommodating groups of people other than a client will in fact stimulate the marketability of the project.

 

In a sense, the general public, not only the owner, must always accept the architecture, and you must challenge this difficult task within the economical, technical and scheduling constraints as well as legal limitations.

 

 

We are a member of A-Architect Net!

world wide architecture network

aanet

 

 

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RCHITECTS.NET is the worldwide network of architects centered around Yoshinobu Ashihara Architect and Associates established by Yoshinobu Ashihara FAIA Japan's leading architect (1918-2003), his son's TARO ASHIHARA ARCHITECTS and his nephew's Nobutaka Ashihara Associates.

The main objective of the network is to seek the fresh approach to the architecture through the effective corroboration of the network members.


The headquarter is located in A-ARCH.BLDG completed on October 2007 in Tokyo. The building also houses offices of network member including Yoshinobu Ashihara Architect and Associates, Taro Ashihara Architects and other local network offices. They are maintaining the close working relationship in architectural practices.

 

In addition, Yoshinobu Ashihara Gallery and Library are located there and actively promoting cultural activities such as Yoshinobu Ahihara Travel Scholarship and Yoshinobu Ashihara Digital Forum (http://www.ashihara.jp) .

 

 

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