Architecture Now!

ARTICLE ONE: SMALL

In a series of short articles, we decided to look at the pandemic and architecture through four different lenses: Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. The topics range from what our office can do to help homeowners on a practical level, all the way to a macro view of larger considerations. With the shelter-in-place order, we’ve all had time to reflect on this busy modern life of ours. It is surreal at times simply trying to figure out how to be. There are myriad experiences, feelings and anxieties arising for us all. What will the future hold, when will this “end”, what will be “normal”? What does this mean for me and my family’s life? What will the future be like for our kids, what kind of world are we going to leave them?

As architects, while we don’t have answers to these larger questions, they do inform our work and there are some observations and glimmers of positivity that shine through the uncertainty. One irony of the pandemic is that it provides us with what so many of us have clamored for in our lives: More time to be self reflective, more time with our families and more time to discover what it feels like to settle in our homes.

We’ve all discovered new ways of relating to our homes, ourselves, our families and the community.

  • You notice the “mess” much more readily when you are around it 24/7. That stuff on the shelf that I haven’t touched in months. When your belongings are out of place, you notice it more and it doesn’t quite feel right. Do I really need that stuff?
  • The stuff you do have and want is disorganized.
  • You’re cooking more.
  • You’re cleaning more, seemingly on the hour, every hour.
  • You’re interacting with your spouses and kids more: “Oh…you’re STILL here!?” Kidding aside, there is a need for places for privacy.
  • Work is being transformed. Suddenly a new home office needs to be configured and organized with some modicum of privacy. An obvious dilemma: how to find privacy while working while simultaneously meeting your children’s needs.
  • The past few decades have seen an uptick in more open space within the home. The “great room” has become popular where the lines between kitchen, dining and living are blurred. The desire for family members to congregate in communal spaces is natural but now there is a desire for privacy and quiet spaces as kids and adults share days together. As architects we can help create multi purpose spaces that can shift functions over the course of the day depending on the need.

We help homeowners repurpose and make efficient use of space that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, whether it be taking advantage of an attic space or an unused large crawl space. As 361 Architecture evolves in these times, we still hold true to the original tenets of our philosophy: to create warm, modern and sustainable spaces for our clients. We have always found that it’s important to move beyond the picturesque to create architecture that not only looks good but feels good.

To learn more about how we can help transform your home in these times, check us out at 361architecture.com.

Daniel Weaver, Uli Zinnkann and Luis Garcia