The Positives, Negatives of Space and Design

I enjoyed a terrific article in today’s LA Times Real Estate section from Architect Arrol Gellner, who has 24 years experience in residential and commercial architecture.  In the architect’s viewpoint, both amateurs and architects routinely ignore the implications of positive and negative space– terms that are among the oldest and most basic concepts in design.  This includes approximating circular shapes, whether using architectural features, furniture arrangements or landscaping.

Prior to starting my own consulting business, I spent many years in a Robert A.M Stern-designed building in Burbank and I remember many colleagues would mention headaches, poor work flow, a lot of dust and spiders on overhangs and sharply-cornered walls and general space management issues in their work areas.  I myself spent almost a year in an office with a post literally in the middle of my small office, the Admin Manager could not move me.  Recently, I heard rumors that the company was going to gut the building and rebuild the interiors, but who knows if that will ever happen.

Read Gellner’s Inman News edgy-architectural viewpoint here.

John1sig_60

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Comments

One response to “The Positives, Negatives of Space and Design”

  1. philly scooter Avatar
    philly scooter

    very good points. Mr. Stern has created some very stiking corporate architecture, but many times the needs of a company destroy the vision of an architect. It is the responsibility of the architect to consider the inside uses, as much as ‘theming’ the strucutre to a corporate image. Hopefully Mr. Stern latest project in philadelphia, the Comcast Center, will do better than your experiences in Burbank! Keep up the good work!

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