Architecture is not for selected few but EVERYONE.

Not So Empty Nest (Anywhere in USA, Competition, Honorable Mention)

In response to the challenge of livability, adaptability, and affordability, the not so empty house must be a flexible house in its programmatic elements, orientation of each of those elements and its construction phasing. Therefore, our proposal consists of four building blocks that can be arranged according to the clients’ programmatic needs, oriented according to the shape and orientation of the site, and build in phases according to the clients’ financial ability and materials that reflect the genius loci of the site.

The four building blocks are living/dining area, sleeping area, studio/guest/home aid area and garage/storage area that is connected using outdoor/indoor circulation connections. The arrangement can be linear or clustered depending on the programmatic needs, the shape of the site and orientation. This allows each client to build in phases and add on as they need more space or to rent out spaces/areas not in used. This will allow them to maintain only a small portion of their house to provide additional income and to keep their house safe while traveling.

Since the shape and location of the site is unknown, the four blocks give flexibility each owner to fit the arrangement on their site. This also means they can customize the arrangement to suit their programmatic needs and preferences, making the block layout customized for them. In addition, exterior materials can be chosen based on the local climate, construction method as well as owners’ preference. Even the block basic shape can be adjusted to meet owner’s preference and local climate making the house able to weather and have long lasting life.

Windows and skylights are operable to create cross ventilation/natural ventilation for passive cooling and provided in every single space for natural light. In addition, the house incorporates radiant heating system that requires no ducting to reduce maintenance cost as well as energy cost. Other green strategies can be chosen to be incorporated based on owners’ budget and interests such as solar panel, recycled materials, local materials, rain harvesting etc.

We believe that these design strategies are the answers to universal design with regional response and personal touch of each owner as well as being green.

Siebert Remodel (Tacoma, Washington State, USA)

Highline College Campus Wayfinding Concept Study (Des Moines, Washington State, USA)

Bryant Montessori School (Tacoma, Washington State, USA)

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News

Architecture for Everyone is part of BCRA Design and Korsmo Construction Design-Build team to deliver the Lowell Elementary School replacement for Tacoma Public Schools.

Ko Wibowo presented Texture Materials for Children at Design for Early Learning Conference in Tacoma, Washington State on Monday, January 22, 2024.

Architecture for Everyone and Johnston Architects began designing the Sumner Library for the Pierce County Library System.

Architecture for Everyone was selected as one of the on-call architects for Seattle Colleges.

Architecture for Everyone was selected as one of four architects for the Child Care Capacity Initiative in Pierce County, Washington State.

Sibert Remodel is currently under construction and nearing completion.

Architecture for Everyone is part of TCF Architecture and Skanska Design-Build team to deliver Bryant Montessori School replacement for Tacoma Public Schools. Ground breaking ceremony was May 10, 2023.

Western Washington University Salish Sea Studio at Fairhaven College is now substantially completed. WWU will install acoustical treatments with the projected opening in May 2024.

Thoughts

Architecture is not for selected few but EVERYONE. The upper 1% can buy with their wealth, the bottom 5% are taken care of by the government. The challenge for each architect is to also serve the middle from the bottom 5% to the upper 1%. That is social justice in architecture.

If Disneyland is to Apple Macintosh in its integrated design, Las Vegas is to IBM PC in its open-source method. But both employ Robert Venturi’s “ugly and ordinary” design approach.

Creativity is to solve design problems, not to creatively force the realization of a heroic design ideal.

We expect our buildings to be flexible and adaptable but fail to recognize that we, humans, are the most adaptable creature. Architecture is heavy and static and, therefore, shall not be expected to be able to be changed too much without significant intervention.

London is historic, Paris is grand, and Basel is organized.

Recent protests on issues of race and inequalities were staged in public spaces: our streets, parks, plazas, bordered by our buildings. While tolerance is built by understanding each other through listening to others, done as individual human beings, the result is a democracy that takes place in public spaces. Our behavior in these spaces defines how successful democracy will be. Thus, the design and quality of these spaces, undoubtedly, influence our behavior. We learned about listening from Slim’s Table by Mitchell Duneier. We learned how we instinctively behave on the street when faced with a perceived danger in Street Etiquette and Street Wisdom by Elijah Anderson. We learned how buildings can contribute negatively to our streets in Fortress L.A. by Mike Davis. We learned how we can collectively contribute to segregation in Community Becomes Uncivilized by Richard Sennett. We learned how we prepare and deal with potential negative experiences on our streets in The Uses of Sidewalk by Jane Jacobs. Now it is time we care about our public spaces and apply what we have learned to design these spaces so democracy can flourish and spread out.

Between three east Asian traditional architecture of China, Korea, and Japan, the most ornate and decorative is Chinese, followed by Korea and Japan being the least. That is why Japanese architecture can accept and adopt the idea of modernism well, especially minimalism.

The greatest gift architects can give our clients is the added value of their design while they live in and the increased property value when they sell. The increased property value would be much more than the assessed value and beyond the fee they paid for. This could be one of the ways to close the wealth gap.