Emerging ideas

The designer sits at the drafting table or computer screen scratching his or her head, until all of a sudden out of the dark emerges the perfect solution to a given problem. Or the same designer goes out for coffee and sees a truck go by, which starts a sequence of images that suddenly become the flash of an idea. The old story of the falling apple with Newton sitting under the tree! Eureka!

Sometimes ideas and design solutions do come about in these ways, but usually there’s a more complex, circular kind of thinking first. In architecture this often involves a lot of brainstorming with various participants – usually more complex projects involve more people. In home design this process can involve not only the owners and architect but also an engineer or technician designing the structure as well as the suppliers of windows, siding, and even pre-fab or poured concrete walls. Discussing things ahead of time is a very powerful tool not only in coordinating but, most importantly, in generating ideas – synthesizing everyone’s input like an orchestra coming together to play.

In the last few decades, many new technologies have emerged and become widely available to help in the creative process. I’m thinking mainly of computer-generated drawings and 3-d modeling, which are great tools. However, the best or most creative ideas in design don’t necessarily emerge because of the tools we’re using. When it comes to developing ideas, it’s often more a question of heart, of seeing the world with an open mind, and listening closely to others in order to synthesize everyone’s input. Frank Gehry, one of the best-known architects working today – and the one whose ideas and forms really break out of the box – uses old-fashioned models instead of computer drawings to develop his concepts.

Usually it’s easiest to start with the general concept, doing very rough sketches which gradually get more detailed. If the overall concept still needs work, there’s no use spending time developing it with a lot of detail. A rough sketch can show the location of the rooms and their relationship – say, kitchen on the east side, garage on the north side, bedrooms on the upper floor with windows towards the view. The volumes get put together like a sculpture that fits into the contours of the land. Eventually things get more and more precise until it’s time to make working drawings and get down to details like the colour for the windows, built-in cabinetry and the style of interior doors.

On a given building project, there are as many ways ideas can emerge as there are architects, builders, and owners – and their emergence is always a fascinating process.

Johanne Béland
450-538-0605