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Architectural pattern books have been around for a long
time. In the time of the Romans, Vitruvius, a Roman Engineer, compiled probably
the first pattern book that had plans for everything from houses to temples so
that builders in the far reaches of the empire had a models from which to
build. In the Renaissance, Palladio assembled his “4 books of Architecture”
which contained patterns for houses and public structures. In the late 1800’s, A.J. Downing assembled a pattern book that was influential in disseminating
residential architectural designs across the United States. Even Sears-Roebuck
got into the act and sold pre-fabricated houses in various architectural styles
through their mail-order catalogues. One can still find pattern books at the
local market magazine stands (much to the consternation of architects
everywhere).
If it weren’t for these pattern books, however, the Average
Joe wouldn’t have had a clue about house design since architects
weren’t as underfoot as they are today, as was commonly the case before 1900.
Back then, all Mr. Joe had to do was point out his favorite plan to the builder
and the builder would do the rest-No architect required. Besides the missing
architect, all Pattern books have a couple of other things in common: all the
projects are for ultra-flat sites; everything is worked out; the plans are a
measure of what is currently popular and deemed “safe”; And, all the books are a
great way to spread architectural uniformity.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the
re-release of another pattern book called “The Place of Houses” by Charles
Moore, Gerald Allen, and Donlyn Lyndon. For those who don’t know or don’t
remember, Charles Moore and Donlyn Lyndon were two of the founding members of MLTW (aka;
Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whittaker) who are
best known for their seminal work, The Sea Ranch Condominium No. 1, the project
that put the firm on the international architectural map. After the firm
dissolved in the mid-sixties, Mr. Moore continued on to
bigger and better things and would eventually attain international, almost cult-like ,
stature. Mr. Allen was an editor at Architectural Record who met Moore while at
Yale and is currently an architect somewhere back East. Mr. Lyndon is currently
a professor at UC Berkeley, has a successful architectural practice, and
recently wrote a wonderful book about The Sea Ranch.
Why a re-release, then? My guess: With the recent
publications of some glossy pictures books on The Sea Ranch CA and Seaside FL,
there seems to be a renewed interest in U.S. Regionalism. Also, U.S.
Architectural Magazines are printing more built-work from around the world and
it is becoming more apparent to American architects that most architecture
outside of the U.S. is constructed from local materials and influenced by local
customs and building practices and is not (surprise, surprise) recycled American Architecture. Even
within the U.S., it is also apparent that most architects are now designing projects
uniquely tied to the locality. Architectural solutions can be tied to the
locality and not necessarily from a foreign culture or source.
At the time of the 1974 release, post-modern
influences on architecture were beginning to take hold. Staples of High
Post-Modern (Whimsy, quotes from the architectural past, and ironic
references), were starting to make appearances here and there in response
to what these architects felt was stale inhuman modern architecture. To
them, modern architecture eliminated any historical sources way too much. So, if one was a “hip and happening” architect back
then, one wore bell-bottom pants and one’s architecture and/or writings made
references to the past architectures in a “tongue-in-cheek” or ironic manner. We find
this is the case in the “The Place of Houses” which is patterned on early pattern
books. However, the book really isn’t a pattern book as one would expect,
as the authors readily admit. This pattern book makes a ironic
reference to traditional pattern books. The irony being that
patterns are not architectural floor plans as one might expect. Rather, the a
whole different kind of patterns.
What might be the "patterns?" “The Place of Houses”, in its opening chapter, talks all
about locality, its history, and how it impacts the architecture. Examples such
as Edgartown; Massachusetts, Santa Barbara and The Sea Ranch; California are
presented by the authors as good examples of “Place”. By explaining the
history and patterns of the locale, the authors explain, one understands the
architecture and vice versa. They also explain how patterns established
early on led to memorable places on an urban scale and also, to a very personal
“house” scale. Or even on at a “room” scale.
The authors continue on to explain what patterns they use
when they design homes for the clients. Patterns suggested by the path of the
sun, by local architectural history, by appliances and plumbing fixtures,
by personal interests or hobbies are all fair game to the authors. They cite
examples of historical houses by well-known architects, by amateur architects,
by unknown architects, and even by the authors themselves. The authors implore
that we look at our own patterns of living, our interests, site features, and local history
and local building solutions as design
influences on our own house instead of being slaves to taste-makers and the mass
media.
The book is beautifully written. I really can’t think of
too many examples of superb writing in architecture, and this book is one of
them. For architects, it is difficult to avoid “architectural geek speak” when
describing architecture to the layman, especially in writing. Fortunately,
Mr. Moore is one of the few people who can write clearly without succumbing to “geek speak”. The
passages where Mr. Moore describes his own work are simply wonderful a pleasure
to read.
For those academics interested in the work of MLTW, this
book provides a first-hand account of the formal processes and circumstances
that lead to some of the most influential houses in the 1960’s and early
70’s. Typical early MLTW projects were basically very small houses that
contained very big ideas that can still be used today.
The re-release also features an epilogue which features
some projects built after the original release by the three authors and by
William Turnbull, a founding member of MLTW and a noted architect, whose
original contribution to the original edition was limited to the drawings. The
epilogue adds nothing new and probably could’ve been left out; The original
edition withstands the test of time and needs no help.
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