What is Architecture in Menlo Park?

Greetings architecture enthusiasts! I am writing today to kick-off an architectural and lifestyle topics commentary for Menlo Park. In the weeks to come you will find the following elements discussed here:

History of Architecture and Institutions in Menlo

So many diverse styles and types of buildings contribute our local architectural scene! We have got a Romanesque Revival monastery, French Empire chateaus, High Modern International-style office buildings, and Spanish Colonials, wow! You practically need a history degree to sort it all out. 

Well, I doubt I will be able to provide definitive and unequivocal explanations of Menlo Park’s architectural heritage, but I might try! And hopefully you will chime in with your own thoughts and helpful insights.

Quest for the 21st Century House

There is a science to construction and buildings. If you know how to measure it, then you can collect data, you can measure performance. In short, I am a construction science geek! Hopefully, I will succeed in getting you excited about the Indy 500 of house construction. Houses are fine-tuned, engineered and designed products that we consume or purchase. And this week, a really exciting example of high-performance housing is debuting right here in Menlo Park.

Local homebuilder Clarum Homes is hosting an open house, June 4-5 to tour their precedent setting high performance, energy-efficient home that they designed and constructed in West Menlo. The design concept for this house is based on an approach known as passive house. A passive house is a very well insulated house that needs very little heating (or cooling) from conventional furnaces. This house is a rocket ship of energy efficiency compared to the average code-compliant construction permitted today. Go check it out!

What is architectural in a home?

Can you recite a couple of different definitions for architecture?  One of the classics is from the Ancient Roman citizen, architect and writer, Vitruvius who said that architecture equalled the combination of integrity (as in earthquake-proof), functionality and beauty. I am translating from the original Latin here, which was firmitas, utilitas, venustas; any Latin experts out there?  

Reyner Banham, one of my professors in art history at UCSC, told us about another definition from the 20th century: “architecture is sculpture large enough to walk around inside of.” To me, the essential thing is creativity: are you daring enough to build something on this earth that might last longer than your own lifetime in attempt to say something important about what you value or some inspiration you had, some vision of the eternal human spirit? That’s what I am talking about!

Living more simply

Enough is enough folks!! Do you and any of your neighbors feel that our American lifestyle is an out-of-control juggernaut of consumption and decadence? Let’s re-use some stuff and become better stewards of our precious planetary home. Let’s find some creative ways to be different kinds of Americans, where using "the best materials" does not necessarily mean gobbling up all the good stuff in world before anyone else gets a chance to take it! Let’s try growing an organic vegetable garden. Can you say, “I love compost?”