Timothy Gaus, AIA, Inc.

Architecture & P lanning www.tgaia.com

940 Centre Circle, Suite 2012 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Phone 407-862-5141 Fax 407-862-6808

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Contextual Architecture
In 1987, I designed a newspaper office building in a Florida coastal community. Shortly after completion, this project received a Grand Award for Civic Beautification, and my reaction was surprisingly ambivalent. I was thrilled that my work had been recognized, but I did not feel that this project had stretched our firms design capabilities. The design was tasteful, but not as innovative as a progressive young architect might desire. My client, The New York Times, desired a strong, yet traditional, community presence. We created a graceful edifice with a rhythm of inset, arched windows fronting 2 roadways. The main entry was defined, of course, by a monumental arch. We dedicated significant project resources to landscaping, including sculpted berms, large boulders, and formal flagpoles. We floodlighted the building and flagpoles from the ground, and achieved the friendly, glowing presence the owner desired. The newspaper connected with the community. Fifteen years ago, I had some difficulty understanding why such a predictable design could receive the communitys highest award. Today, I understand better how the building fits its place. It was the right thing, at the right place, at the right time. Contextual Architecture has been an industry buzzword for the last 3 decades. In the hands of designers bent on leaving their personal mark, contextual design means that symbolic forms and icons are borrowed from the past, and re-arranged in striking new compositions. The goal may be outstanding architecture, but the end is often an architecture that stands out redefines and competes with the community fabric. Occasionally, this is appropriate. Some buildings must become the center of their own universe but not every project. More often, buildings need to be good family members. Architects, the parental guardians, must understand that not every child will grow up to become President. When the architectural fabric of the community is well defined, contextual design should be like quietly hanging one more portrait in the family gallery. Contextual design does not require that forms and icons are borrowed from history books. New architectural forms are necessary and inevitable, as in a vital gene pool. The manner in which original forms are introduced their scale and presentation - determines whether the architecture is intended to stand out or stand in. Skilled designers can accomplish either. Contextual sensitivity requires an appreciation of the cultural resources of the community. With a dose of humility and discipline, the architect can do the right thing, at the right place, at the right time. It should not be surprising, when this goal is accomplished, that the community applauds.

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