Big Enough? Architecture Exhibition held at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Canada now until July 8 features architecture firms Altius Architecture Inc., nkA and rzlbd who created new installations which explore the idea of what is big enough. In addition, artist Surendra Lawoti presents a photography installation. The Metrics or Memories? installation by nkA seeks to illustrate the potential qualitative returns should we choose to shift focus from the metrics of space to the optimization of spatial experience. More architects’ description after the break.
Big Enough? Asked in isolation, it would have us consider our living space only in quantitative terms devoid of any experiential qualities. But do we really experience space and form in static terms of floor area, length, width? Space is lived in, moved through; our experience is qualitative and dynamic. If our approach to space is focused on its dimensional aspects, are we truly optimizing what we build with the limited real estate available?
As we demand currency, efficiency and optimization of the objects and devices which support our daily lives, it seems only reasonable to question our attachment to traditional house forms with the primary objective of enveloping maximum area and thus shift our focus to the pursuit of relevant spatial solutions which negotiate the demands of dense urban settings and access to daylight, air, sky and views. In doing so, we may realize non-traditional house forms that exploit the inherent passive benefits of those free resources, create engaging connections between our indoor and private outdoor spaces and provide a variety of rich and meaningful experiences within our daily living environments.
