We get what we deserve. If we expect nothing, we get nothing. If we demand nothing, we receive nothing. But before we can demand anything, we have to know, at least to some degree, what it is we want.
The focus of this note is space creation and how to get to something great. Like any other thing that is worth doing, it is hard work. It takes time, interest and effort to get there. We cannot be passive, but active and aware of our surrounding. It calls for quiet observation. When we pass from one moment to another, we want to be aware of our environment and what is going on inside us. How am I changing and what do I think is causing it? What is my relationship with what is around me?
There is a relationship that we have with our built world whether we are aware of it or not. And it may not be that much different from our daily personal interactions.
In order to maintain a civil society, we are expected to treat others well - including, and perhaps especially, strangers. Conversely, we should expect to be treated appropriately, also. This should go for more than just our daily personal interactions. It is the base state of affairs, the lowest of expectations. When things are really going well, we are strongly connected to one another. We learn from the one we are engaged with. They can learn from us. We feel fulfilled, because we know that we are growing, changing for the better.
We should demand the same respect from and relationship with our built environment. And we don't often get it, largely because we do not demand it. We don't even expect it. The focus of the design should be on your experience and not about the conceit of the architect or the power of the client. Too often we are thrown into environments that are meant to serve someone else other than ourselves. If we are exposed continuously to such abuse, we run the risk of shutting down, if only to protect ourselves. The assaults, and that is what they are, come with everyday life and often times cannot be avoided. But there should be a balance. Our interaction with build world depends upon our attitude and what we bring to it. We should not be passive but instead, active and aware of how our surroundings is effecting us.
You need to be enticed if you wish to be properly engaged with your surroundings. You should be beguiled as if you were listening to great music. You should be brought in, manipulated and nurtured. It should be in a way that expands your understanding of yourself and others around you. You would demand this of any other art form. So why not architecture? Why not of the city that you live in? Why not during all those moments, along the highway, dwelling with friends, or going on daily chores, or any other moment when you are placed within the public realm?
Wherever you go, expect your environment to be exceptional. It should respond to your needs, not the other way around. Every moment you pass through a space that has been designed by someone else, they should be giving you moments where you are in the limelight.
We should expect excellence.