CONTEXT AND BUILDING

Context in architecture has always been a core element that influence an object. Context is the epitomy of a site, the irremovable parts of the site, physical or non physical. It encovers the subject of climatic, cultural, economical, political and environmental in site context, all of whom human lives revolve on and about. Context is still a relevant concept and term in today’s architecture because it determines the success of the building design. It becomes more meaningful when design according to site context.

What is the role of context in architecture today? I believe that it should provides a cultural and social extension and continuity of the community’s daily life and produces an impact without imposition. Context predominantly in environment, social and economic.

Artist Residency & Cultural Center In Senegal
Toshiko Mori

It offers artist residencies alongside a diverse range of programs that will provide the people of Sinthian and the surrounding region with the opportunity to discover new forms of creativity and cultivate their skills. A venue for markets, education, performances and meetings, the centre will be a hub for the local community and a place where the resident artists can have a truly meaningful experience of Sinthian society.

This is a project about connection and linkage. Between two distinct points, persons, places, or perspectives. Context help create spaces in purpose of interaction of the public, forming connections that run through us, by providing public spaces in according to the public needs. At the heart of the building, a square around which runs a shady gallery, perfect for sun protection, is designed to be multi-functional in use – a town hall for markets, forums, or concerts. The artists here did not have the place to express their art but now they have this center, a place where they could really develop their knowledge.

The sustainable building efforts are truly exemplary. Context in architecture affects the materials and construction method used. The building is constructed using local materials and local builders have shared their sophisticated knowledge of working with bamboo, brick, and thatch. Mori rendered those materials into a contemporary geometric design that complements its surrounding flat landscape.

Climatic considerations figure prominently in the building’s form and specify the orientation of the studios and covered gallery areas. They came out with this diagonal spaced-brick walls keeping the dust and rain out but also allowing light and airflow through the building interior. The customary pitched roof is inverted and will be capable of collecting collects and retains rainwater, creating a viable source for the majority of these new agricultural projects during the eight-month dry season.

Mori’s designs demonstrate a thoughtful sensitivity to detail and involve extensive research into the site conditions and surrounding context. She did not simply import something foreign because the local community would not feel they owned it or that it was their own space. The success of its atypical plurality proves why architecture should not be considered tertiary privileges, but instead rights of all people.

In nutshell, the design process should not only fulfill the designer’s desires but must take into account the surrounding contexts locally and globally. Response to surrounding contexts is very important because it determines the success of a buildings’ design. In response to these contexts will create communication channels between buildings and people around. Sometimes people will appreciate the architecture, if designers appreciate their cultural and aesthetic values. I believe this is the success goal of designing.