However, we’ve noticed that our clients really appreciate the level of thought we put into their projects, and the details that result from our considerations. Sadly, many architects never come to that understanding, and fewer still actually put it into practice. Simply knowing what good details are, what they do, and how they do it can elevate your understanding of architecture a thousand fold. Understanding the power of detail can open a whole world of richness, both of the natural, and the built! Simple, elegant, and essential detailing at its best.
They accept each other, but remain individual, they become a larger structure by their joining, but maintain an identity as themselves. They acknowledge each other, but remain independent. The two bones widen slightly at the ends, to create a place for the other to connect. Simply look at where two bones meet – such as the bones of the fingers, and you’ll see some of the simplest, yet most effective detailing. Our own skeletal structure is a great place to see that. We see those kind of details in nature all around us. The most elegant details are the ones that appear effortless, natural, and resolved. In fact, it’s more commonly observed the other way around. What many fail to realize is that details don’t need to be complicated to be effective. The details are the signature of the designer, and an easy way to see if they understand the principles of strong architectural solutions - the Big, the Medium and the Small. Look for where two or more materials, textures, or colors come together and you’re likely to find evidence of the designer – either in a thoughtfully detailed resolution, or (as is too often the case) in a jumbled mess that seems to lack purpose. Once you understand their role as the binding elements between larger parts it becomes easier to appreciate the details around you. That’s where good details come from, and why they’re important. This is most often evident where different materials, textures, or colors come together – steel to glass, wood to stone, floors to walls, etc.īetween the two there ought to be thoughtful connection, one of harmony, or strategic dissonance, such that the value of each is made greater by the adjacency of the other. I’ve found that a thoughtful architectural solution will have those three in balance, supporting each other, while also yielding one to the other where appropriate.ĭetails live in the Small, and they are the forces that bind together an architectural solution, giving separate things a way to communicate with each other. And the Small is where the parts of the medium come together, touch and interconnect to become the Big.Įach foundation point relies on the other two for purpose and meaning, and only when they are all brought together can one see how valuable each is. The Medium is made up of the constituent parts of the whole, the rooms, spaces, walls, planes, and voids that make the Big. The Big encompass the whole of the object, the entire building or architectural solution. I like to think that strong architectural solutions are built upon three foundational points - let’s call these the Big, the Medium, and the Small. This phenomenon is similar to architecture in the way that when you see a beautiful structure, you might think again, “Wow, that building feels really good to look at, I don’t know why, it just does.” We like to think that when an architect achieves this, it is because the materials, space, proportion and light all come together perfectly and are sealed with precise and sensible detail. Have you ever heard a piece of music and thought, Wow! This is amazing!” There is plenty of great compositions out there, so I’m sure this has happened to you at least once in your life, and when it does, it is usually impossible to understand why it sounds amazing, it just does.
Here’s Why Architectural Details Are Vital