The Bavinger House: Art vs. Architecture Most architects care deeply about the quality of their building designs in whatever way they seek it. It’s a complex, elusive issue, and one that can involve many different levels of successive, even invisible, realities. On the surface can be found a building’s fundamental pragmatics—issues relating to the site, codes, user needs, cost, etc. from which almost all three-dimensional translation can be readily gleaned. At this level, design can sometimes seem relatively easy, with some misguided designers willing to believe that such is “all there is” to meaningful design. Deeper issues, those of a more symbolic, psychological, philosophical nature (the building’s user-process, its symbolic purpose, its appropriate presence within its context (nature, community etc.) can be as difficult to understand as they are to manifest. They often can demand a more sophisticated and determined approach from the designer. ...
