Subtext

Sometimes you enter a space in a building, and your first thought is – I’d love to live in a place like this. Sometimes these spaces are designed to be exceptional like the interior of the East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington DC, designed by IM Pei. And sometimes you’re genuinely caught off guard by the quality of an everyday space.

Ayr Academy has a fair claim to be the oldest school site in Scotland, and, at the rear of the building, overlooking the river, is a wonderful northlit art room. You could discuss its history and architectural references – or you could just say that it is a great place to be in.

‘A great place to be in’. Sometimes, we need to remember that this is always a part of the brief: the subtext of living well in buildings that we ignore at our peril.

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Shadows

In the Northern Latitudes it is not enough to specify lighting levels. The fact of the matter is that without an understanding of landscape and light, we can find ourselves literally learning in the shadows.

The way the sun traverses the brow of a hill can help define our sense of place, and of wellbeing. The outdoor learning space perpetually shaded by the juxtaposition of topography, buildings, and latitude – is a constant reminder of what it can mean to learn in one place as opposed to another.

Location matters – and not just because we have created boundaries on a map – but because maps are a narrative of how we might experience time in a certain place. Shadows are not an accident.

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Tweet

The Economist’s recent special report on social networking was entitled ‘A World of Connections’ and concluded simply – The world is better off for it. Its survey of the diverse means by which millions of people are now connected in real time, and the myriad of innovative ways in which this emerging technology is exploited, would suggest taking an eclectic, agile approach to this whole area.

What can you say in 140 characters? Rather a lot if you are a poet, or a songwriter, or in mortal danger, or in love. The issue is not the format or length of what you say but whether it means something.

At the heart of communications and connections remains the need to use the language best suited to the message and the audience – the basis of a good conversation. The issue for good design is not how you choose to represent it, but whether each and every line is meaningful to the person you’re ‘talking’ to.

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