Intentional Design…

If you have been reading about my personal home project for a while, you have probably read the posts on LEED-H, Energy Star, energy efficiency, insulation and lots of other energy related discussions.  While I continue to think high efficiency should be built into any project, I also believe that intentional design is sorely lacking in many projects that have been constructed in recent times.  So, in the future, I am going to try doing a better job of integrating this idea into my blog posts.  Look up “intentional design” and I don’t think it will come up on any Google or Wiki search – not that the idea is new – I just do not know how else to categorize the idea.  But the ideology, at its core, is to understand how the people living, working and existing inside the structure, respond to the architecture surrounding them.  Too often, the major focus of architecture transforms into grandeur, expensive materials and beautiful spaces…  I have certainly had, and enjoyed, that experience (being awed by the architecture of a space I visit) but I am not sure that these ideas should dominate the project goals of what is being constructed.

(Please note this is not a photo from one of our projects)  How many 2 story great rooms have  you seen in homes today?  And how many people actually use these spaces?  Not many, I promise you, since the scale of the space is proportionally in conflict with what most people find comfortable.  Impressive?  Maybe…  although usually not, and generally just a waste of square footage since you don’t use them on a daily basis.  This is just an example of how Intentional Design can look at how you actually live, consider what you find comfortable and what fits your life…  not just what the trends of the day say you should design, build or include in your project.

Thus, I believe, the idea of “Intentional Design” should start showing up in projects in the form of every day life…  and making that life easier.  Is life here in the USA that hard?  No, I think not and current world events would only further prove that we are a blessed/fortunate/prosperous people (depending on your world view).  However, I do believe that simple things can make every day life easier and more enjoyable.  Something as simple as making sure window placement allows a mother to look out on the yard to see the kids playing outside.  Or, it can be the mechanical details in the design, such as ensuring that the kitchen area is properly laid out for the lifestyle of the client that will be occupying the space.

Sound easy?  It sure does but consider where you work, live or play.  I bet there are dozens of things that you would change about each of those spaces if given the opportunity.  And while Intentional Design will not solve all design issues, thinking about them, considering solutions for them and discussing them during the design development phases of the project will ensure that the proper consideration is given.  I will attempt to point out examples of this in my own home and as I continue to post on this blog.  However, the bigger issue here is that if you have a project of your own, now or in the future, make sure you link up with a good contractor or designer to consider these issues of intentional design for yourself.

Ok, done with the discussion on design theory – and on to real world examples.  Promise.  More updates soon.