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Palladio’s Children
Based on many years of personal observation, Habraken’s important new book
critically examines the role of the architect as a professional descendent of Palladio,
and as an heir to his architectural legacy.
Seven innovative and carefully crafted essays explore the widening ideological
schism between today’s architects,whose core values,identity and education remain
rooted in the Renaissance legacy of creating artful “masterpieces,”and the practical
demands on a profession whichacts within an evolving,ubiquitous and autonomous
built environment or “field.”
Clearly written yet expressing complex evolving ideas, this extended argument
opens a newforum of debate across design theory,professional practice and academic
issues. Moving the subject on from a historical perspective, Habraken shows how
architects are increasingly involved in the design of everyday buildings.This must
lead to a reassessment of architects’identities,values and education,and the contri-
bution of the architect in the shaping of the built environment.
N. J. Habraken, Professor Emeritus, Department of Architecture, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) has enjoyed a worldwide following for four decades.
He is the author of a half dozen books,the subject of two recent ones and his recent
publication of The Structure of the Ordinary (MIT 1998) was widely reviewed interna-
tionally.As founding director of the SAR Research Institute and founding chair of the
Department of Architecture and Urban Design at Eindhoven Technical University,his
research and writing led to the founding of the Open Building Movement.
Jonathan Teicherhas edited two previous books by John Habraken.He is a practicing
architect and holds an M.Arch.from MIT and two degrees in comparative literature
from Washington University.He lectures in architecture and has co-authored a Spon
Press title with Stephen Kendall, Residential Open Building, which is related to
Habraken’s work.
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Seven essays on everyday environment and the architect
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Palladio’s Children
N. J. HABRAKEN EDITED BY JONATHAN TEICHER
LONDON • NEW YORK
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First published 2005 by Taylor & Francis
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Taylor and Francis
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY10016
Taylor & Francis is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
© 2005 N. J. Habraken
All images © N. J. Habraken unless otherwise stated
Designed and typeset by Sutchinda Rangsi Thompson
Typeset in Didot
Printed and bound in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Habraken, N. J.
Palladio’s children : essays on everyday environment and the
architect / N.J. Habraken ; edited by Jonathan Teicher.— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-35784-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-415-35791-8 (hardback : alk.
paper) 1. Architecture and society. 2. Architecture—Aesthetics. 3. Palladio, Andrea,
1508-1580—Influence. I. Teicher, Jonathan. II. Title.
NA2543.S6H33 2005
720’.1’03—dc22
2005009518
ISBN 0-415-35784-5 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-35791-8 (pbk)
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For Julie and Wouter
With thanks to Jonathan for encouragement and patience
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Credits
“Towards An Architecture of the Field,” first appeared in an earlier version in “Cultivating the
Field: About an Attitude When Making Architecture,” a Graduation Day Address presented
at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. © N. John Habraken and the Center for
Research, Development and Design in Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Town
Planning, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 1993.
The Preface and “About Fields” were previously excerpted in an earlier version in “John
Habraken: Palladio’s Children,” Folio 06, Singapore: Department of Architecture, School of
Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, 2005.
Illustrations
Except as noted, photographs and drawings are by the author.
1.5 is based on an illustration in Camillo Semenzato’s The Rotonda of Andrea Palladio.
1.6 Allan T. Kohl/Art Images for College Teaching. Reprinted with permission.
2.2+ 4.4 KLM Aerocarto NL. Reprinted with permission.
2.4 is based on measured drawings by Paolo Maretto et al.
2.5 Oliver Radford, reprinted courtesy of the photographer.
3.1 from the collection of the Harvard-Yenching Library, Harvard University. Reprinted with
permission.
3.3 Base map courtesy of the Association Sauvegarde de la Medina, Tunis. Reprinted
with permission.
3.5 Drawing by Sir Leonard Woolley et al, courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania
Museum. Reprinted with Permission.
3.6+ 3.7 by J. L. Teicher. Reprinted courtesy of the photographer.
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Contents
Preface ix
ONE Palladio’s children 1
TWO Leaving the field 31
THREE About fields 55
FOUR Encounters with the field 83
FIVE Back in the field again 105
SIX Ways of working 129
SEVEN About an attitude in making architecture 157
Towards an architecture of the field 181
Notes 184
Select bibliography 195
Index 201
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0.1 Country House for Giorgio Cornara
Façade from plate XXXVI of the second book of The Four Books on Architectureby Andrea Palladio.
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Preface
Across the centuries,despite dramatic changes in artistic and stylis-
tic preferences, we, as architects, still recognize ourselves in the
image of Palladio.
Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), born Andrea di Piero, brought
forth from the Veneto during the Renaissance a bold new authori-
tative architecture,free from the medieval constraints of Venice and
uncompromising.He published his œuvrein his own lifetime,and
began a worldwide movement that bears his name.Palladian style
no longer guides the profession,but much of what architects do –
and how we do it – continues to emulate this undisputed master.
We share another heritage as well,the heritage of master builders
acting within living, growing, ubiquitous and autonomous built
environment:what we refer to as “the field.”Fields comprise built
landscapes and the people that inhabit them. For thousands of
years,fields have taken root,grown,come into bloom and evolved,
sustaining themselves without need of architects or planners.
The architect was traditionally occupied with the monumental
palace, villa or church. Yet during the past century, architects
became fully immersed in the entirety of the field.This signaled
a fundamental and unprecedented shift.The demands of the every-
day environment are vastly different from what is required to
create the extraordinary.Nevertheless,the profession’s self-image,
publications and ways of working still cling to its roots in monu-
mental architecture. ~ IX~
Description:The profession of Architects is no longer that of the omnipotent beneficent; in fact it never has been, except in the reflections of our inflated egos. Habraken reminds us of this in this book, and makes a sincere appeal for architects to wake up to the reality that our profession is but a part of.
