»space«

Hall gets around to define what culture is stating that definitions are just models. Models are actually to be understood in the broad sense: parents are models for the young, mechanical models might explain the construction of a machine, grammar and the system of writing are models of language, ...
"The purpose of the model is to enable the user to do a better job in handling the enormous complexity of life. By using models, we see and test how things work and can even predict how things will go in the future." (p. 13)
Models are based on drawbacks: man's explanation of nature actually tells much more about man than about nature, the model or explanation just expresses how he sees the world. Accordingly, it is impossible for an anthropologist to define the things that make up culture. Every model about culture would just reflect the specific culture from which it originates.
Therefore, instead of developing generalized models he introduced two specific cultural models: language and time.

He quotes Saphir who says that "[L]anguage is much like a mathematical system which previsages all possible experience in accordance with certain accepted formal limitations.... [C]ategories such as number, gender, case, tense, mode, voice, 'aspect' and a host of others... are not so much discovered in experience as imposed upon it." (p.15) He gives an example of Navajo kids who in school had to learn how to express themselves in English and failed because the language didn't offer them the words they needed for articulating their experiences.
At this point I was thinking of the Inuit whose language offers them 10 or more words for the color white while we have only one. I always saw the language to reflect the daily experience while Hall introduces the idea of a language-model vice-versa: it sure reflects experience but it limits experience as well. (While at the same time it has to be questioned if language equals experience...)
While it sounds as if this as nothing to do with expatriates encountering different cultures it has to be remembered that language is one of the most obvious parts of communication and that it is the very use of words that shape how the other person is perceived. (I'll work on this later: perceived level of language treated as indicator for intelligence, English -> action-orientated, not only the right words but the right use, better have a professional translator, ...)

Another big concern of Hall lies in the modelling of time. He differentiates into monochromic- and polychromic time. Monochromic refers to time as linear, "segmented like a road or a ribbon extending forward into the future and backward to the past. It is also tangible; they speak of it as being saved, spent, wasted, lost, made up, accelerated, slowed down, crawling, and running out. [...] M-time scheduling is used as a classification system that orders life." (p.19) M-time people do one thing at a time, acknowledging the most time to the most important things, ... This means that life gets divided into units. This way time is shaping perception just as much as language is: I only perceive those things I put my attention, too.
Hall puts up a nice connection to space. Only upon the time arriving in the office, I am perceived as to be working. The fact that I might have been sitting at home or might have discussed the problem with friends at night, is not acknowledged as work. This becomes obvious in P-time-cultures. In those cultures, following Hall, everybody is always involved with everybody else. Time and space reveal many more layers which interrelate with each other. Work might not only be about sitting in the office but about being outside and making things happen.

Hall ends this chapter emphazing that models are learned. Language and its used are learned. Time is learned. Our perception of space is learned. Models are not existential in nature but cultural agreements. The problem is that they are felt to be natural.

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Further to chapter two

My visit at Walther König also showed me the beautiful double volume The Wirtz Gardens about the amazing work of the belgian landscape architect Jaques Wirtz.

While browsing through my old files and drawings I came across some early drawings of my diploma project, dated 29. June 2007. What a fun time it was, looking back now, after 2 years. What fun it was to have the time to draw by hand! How the project turned out can be seen here.

Since a while now I'm thinking about this: A life on the water! There is a strong boat traveling tradition, if you can say it, in my family, no matter if it's sailing or canoe trekking or rowing. I quite spend some time of my life actually on the water or near the water. During my studies I got involved by Prof. Stamm-Teske, who lived some time of his life on a barge, used to travel and work at the same place. He now runs the MSS Batelier, a boat for students to live and work during study trips.

After coming to Stockholm I got confronted with the myth of Ralph Erskine, the british-swedish architect, who unfortunately died in 2005. He came over from the UK with an old barge which he used as his office in the harbour of Stockholm. Read the story in an issue of the AD from 1977. The image below shows his office in 1958.



And finaly some months ago I lived along the sweet Acton Lock in London's rough east. Saw, heard and smelled every day the boats passing by on Regents Canal. And it made me happy every day to see those people on their unique restored narrowboats. Their life seemed to me as decelerated as the speed of their boats. Unforgotten actually, the smell of fresh started diesel engines in my nose that came through the open window from the lock, while I was showering upstairs. What a good morning kiss!



During my easter trip to Copenhagen we strolled along the canal in Christianshavn and admired some of the large house boats. I remember Marianne, my boss during my internship in her little landscape office, who moved meanwhile to her barge right next to the royal opera house. What freedom you will feel every day, while smelling the fresh sea and listening to the seagulls. Along the canals in Copenhagen you can see a lot of inspiring ateliers and flats on boats, swinging in the waves.



Also the guys of the belgian NU architectuuratelier must have thought the same and draw this nice interior for an old barge.



The interiors of tiny narrowboats and restored barges always present an unique and optimized space to live, work and sleep. Whereas the interior of yachts has to deal with the same parameters it usualy shows off with a certain amount of luxury. British minimalist John Pawson managed to fit his reduced interiors inside the 2006 built B60. The result is more than respectable.



Well, this topic, I guess, will establish the basis for some more dreams in future! Berlin provides with its network of natural and artificial waterways like Havel, Wannsee and Spree the basis for a leisure, which is worth to think about it. The first step probably would be the exams for the sport boat license, right?

While browsing in the inspiring picture book Minimum by John Pawson in order to find some references for the landscape design of the project I'm working on right now - I came across this briliant graphical storage composition of the italian interior and furniture designer AG Fronzoni.

What a peaceful weekend escape: Between all the building busines in Dresden I attended the baptism of my girls niece in Born, on the peninsula Darß in the baltic sea. That means I am almost 5 hours closer to sweden than in Dresden. But that's not the point, it's more about nice weather, sea breeze, beaches, wind and waves. Magnificent!

Here I would like to work! No windows, plenty of air, books and trees! Peter Gluck designed this little library for his wife Carol. Some 10,000 books are stored in the lower part while the upper level is a work space. Nice!

I recently read an article about the world's toughest winter marathon race: Yukon Arctic. I don't want to comment on the sense nor the content of this race, but most of the thoughts I've read by one of the attendees reminded me a lot of my extrem winter hikes in northern sweden and norway.

It's almost seven years ago since I've been with a tent and snowshoes out there...but I have to admit that it never cut my anticipation of doing it again, sometime. The image above has been taken in the Sarek.

Yesterday I've just passed the headquarter of The Economist magazine at St. James's Piccadilly, designed by Alison and Peter Smithson, 1959-1964. It's quite a nice setting of the building volumes in relation to the plaza, which they frame. The plaza is elevated by approx. one floor, in order to connect the two towers below. This allows the plaza more privacy in its urban setting.

Today I've been with Nick on a last minute exhibtion visit at the RIBA to see the 1:1 model of Le Corbusier's Cabanon, which he built for himself and his wife at the Cote d'Azur. It's amazing how small a project can be without missing any depth and sense. It's basically a small box, a furniture made to live in. It's easy to imagine that this place is made to work in calmness and to draw new inspiration. Further images and drawings of the little hut could be downloaded here. Enjoy!