A concept is an overriding big idea, the thought behind the expression. Some
concept statements can be powerful guiding reasons why their projects stand out
in our memories. A few examples are Wright's Falling water and the previously
mentioned Sydney Opera House. In them both, the concepts resulted in the solutions
being crafted to express the idea. There are other concepts that result in less
powerful expressions. "We just want it to blend in with the neighborhood" can
be a concept statement. "We want to build it as cheaply as we can" might
be more of a direction than a concept. The best building programs will provide
the designers with rich visual clues for the client's image goals, such as a
nautilus shell on steroids or a collection of sails in the sunset. Even the briefest
programs can offer some guidance as to the intended look, feel, or form. The
decision makers in the design process then have reasons for making decisions
in one direction versus all others. Without guidance from the client, the designer
has more freedom to choose his or her own idea of what the building is to be.
We could talk about the importance of concept as the subject for a whole book,
but since this guide looks at the envelope, we will limit our focus to how the
concept can be carried out through the envelope in the process of design. |