IS IT TIMELESS?

under construction

Another kind, is one that Ahearn describes so well…”designed like it was always there”.

Not trendy, not just stunning, but, just there.

OK, then, lets approach this term another way.

WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF TIMELESS?

DESIGNING, LIKE IT WAS ALWAYS THERE...

TO LIVE FOREVER….

One kind of timeless, is to live forever.

Of course, PEOPLE know they cannot live forever.

But they do want their WORK to live forever…

This is one kind of TIMELESS…

“As an architect, you design for the present,
With an awareness of the past,
For a future…

Which is essentially …unknown.”
Norman Foster

trendy,
fads,
of a decade,
dated

________________________

It is easy to slip into one of these trends out of the excitement of novelty, change, joy…or just the reaction against there past…. something new, something fun, something wild and exciting….

MATERIALS

Sometimes dated comes from using new materials, .. the molded fiberglass of the Post war years, the use of more metal, the use of clear glass, then green glass…. the brutalism of cement.

COLORS

Sometimes dated comes from new colors… the grey kitchen, with white marble, the avocado appliances with yellow pots and pans.

TECHNOLOGY

Sometimes dated comes from new technology…..could Zahid have made twisting towers without a computer?.. measuring the angles, the precision, the endless models it takes to see it, adapt, test.

TEXTURES

Sometimes dated comes from textures …. wood, cement, stone, marble, tile, linoleum, formica.

WRITING ON TIMELESS-ness

SMELLS

Even smells in a house, can be dated… think of:
Patchouli oil,

Dr.Broners mint soap

Emeraude perfume

So…what is a timeless smell? …Baking bread, pies, cookies, cigars, Channel #5….

Many have written well thought out articles on TIMELESSness…

This for one by Yvonne Riggie, of YR Architecture + Design, sums up most of the facets of this topic.

New to me by Pravda Architecture of Miami.

And I totally agree with his effort to write on this ephemeral, gauzy, delicate subject…there is no one right answer. He included 3 of my main points (Avoid trends, Be flexible, Great design) and added 2 others…

Use honest, natural materials – new to me, I missed honest, naturel materials…but that would happen, when applying my thoughts on “using your senses” … the touch of stone and wood and fabrics…that magnetically make you touch them.
Integrate nature – I also did not list integrating Nature…but, I think that would fall under siting your house correctly for the land, stones and trees of the property.

So, how does dated happen?

Timeless, as described by James Crisp

Whenever we are asked to design any project, we approach it the same way the builders of my home did: Design it as though a family will live there forever.

The forever home starts with good design.

Our preference is to avoid whatever the current fad is going around and to design each home or addition in a timeless manner which will look as good in 25 years from now as it will in 125 years from now.

I can’t count all the 70’s and 80’s homes we have been asked to redo, sometimes from scratch.

In addition to timeless design details, we try to build out of materials that are as low maintenance and high quality as possible. We do keep in mind that there are tradeoffs between costs and quality and often ‘value engineer’ a project to accomplish the best project for the client’s budget.

We generally design so a home lives well, is bright and comfortable, and takes advantage of the site and the views.

Our clients often ask us to create the interiors in a more modern style which over time are expected to change.
James Crisp