airtime

Since spring is almost upon us--and the gardens need tending, lawns mowing, hedges trimming--it is a good time to dwell on the impermanence of architectural creations. It is not simply that buildings have short lifespans in a robust society, it is that the endpoint of design is the minimization of structure. A good, modern building is mostly air. Walls, roofs, and floors conspire to define a volume such that humans can conduct a variety of affairs safe from weather and meat-eating creatures. More volume equals better design.