On Architecture - John Dalton (1961) / Elizabeth Musgrave (Houses 102)

eljeiffel House - Alexandria (Sat 26 Sep 2015)

John Dalton on Architecture:

for us, life in the sun is a reality, and we who build in the sunlight sense the joy of space and light. It is our delight. The magic of shade and shadow capture our senses and direct us towards our purpose, which is to dispense comfort and happiness through useful form

via Sun and Shadow House by Elizabeth Musgrave.

Been lucky enough to have had an Architect and Builder who knows what this means. I live in the result of that intent and purpose, and I still can't believe it.

On Architecture - Doug Anderson / The Guide (Mon 07 Sep 2015)

Dr Chau Wing Building - UTS / Ultimo (Wed 02 Sep 2015)

Doug Anderson on Architecture:

architecture is public art which, eyesore or triumph of taste and beauty, affects the lives of all. Unlike a painting in a gallery, the public doesn't get to choose whether or not to look at it.

via Show of the Week: Getting Frank Gehr by Doug Anderson.

On The Archive - John Gollings / Sian Johnson (Wed 09 Jul 2015)

Tree - Chippendale (Thu 09 Jun 2015)

John Gollings on the Archive:

I’ve got a pretty big archive of the last 30 or 40 years which will be historically valuable to future people. That’s something I’m proud of.

via Gollings on architecture and the image by Sian Johnson.

On Architecture and Photography - Alona Pardo and Elias Redstone / Sean O'Hagan (Mon 22 Sep 2014)

Untitled - Big Ben (*) / London (Sun 14 Sep 2014)
Alona Pardo (*) and Elias Redstone (*) writes on Architecture (*) and Photography (*):

Since the earliest days of photography, architecture has been the medium’s most willing accomplice.

via Constructing Worlds at the Barbican review – how photography fell in love with architecture (*) by Sean O'Hagan (*).

On Perception - Size and Space - Makoto Tanijiri / Dwell (Sun 07 Aug 2012)

Floor Plans - Alexandria (Wed 24 Oct 2012)
Japanese Architect Makoto Tanijiri (*) talks about the standard dimensions and relative proportions of architectural elements (*):

People experience a space to be much bigger if they cannot figure out the exact size of it.

via House in Fukawa (*). Seems obvious once it is said and you take a look at the Fukawa House (*)

Alexandria Concept Model - Kerry McGrath (*) - Alexandria (May 2012)

On Grand Designs - Kevin McCleod / The Australian (Sat 12 May 2012)

Just Sketching - Me Pretending to be an Architect - Concept #102
On Grand Designs (*) - Kevin McCleod / The Australian (Sat 12 May 2012) ..

I think the strength of the show lies in its lyrical qualities: building your own home is one of the last big adventures you can go on.

Spent a lot of time mucking around to understand the space, it's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints. Looking forward to seeing what Kerry (*) can do with it (*).

On being an Architect - Peter Maddison (Thu 28 Apr 2012)

Sydney Skyline - Kings Cross (Tue 27 Jul 2004)
On being an Architect (*) - Peter Maddison (Thu 26 Apr 2012) ..

Architecture is so broad and everyone expects you to be perfect in everything. The big secret is we're not. We're only human.

Getting Started

Jenny and Geoff - Paris (Thu 25 Aug 2005)

Need to start again with something. Why not a quote from Gustave Eiffel which started it all for me back in the early 1990's:

Must it be assumed that because we are engineers beauty is not our concern, and that while we make our constructions robust and durable we do not also strive to make them elegant?

Is it not true that the genuine conditions of strength always comply with the secret conditions of harmony?

The first principle of architectural esthetics is that the essential lines of a monument must be determined by a perfect adaptation to its purpose.

Gustave Eiffel, 1887 - From his response in Le Tempsto a petition by members of the literary and artistic Establishment protesting his project of elevating a tower of iron in Paris.