The toilet chapter, for instance, traces how the 20th-century bathroom standard (white porcelain, flush mechanism, private stall) was a product of plumbing codes, not aesthetics. This has influenced a generation of architects to design from the “inside out.”
Before starting a sketch, analyze the local history of the elements you are using. How has the staircase evolved in the specific climate or culture of your project site? Embracing Smart Infrastructure rem koolhaas elements of architecture pdf work
Use the book’s extensive historical timelines to map out how a single material advancement (like plate glass) fundamentally altered the relationship between the inside and outside of a structure. The toilet chapter, for instance, traces how the
Koolhaas has a particular disdain for the corridor. In his analysis, the corridor is a mistake—a byproduct of 19th-century privacy needs that sliced up the fluid circulation of pre-Victorian homes. By understanding the political
By understanding the political, economic, and technological histories embedded in a wall, a staircase, or a toilet, designers can reclaim agency. They can resist the corporate standardization of the construction industry and design spaces that are culturally resonant, technologically critical, and profoundly human.
exhibit, which was the basis for this book.
To rethink how a "simple" balcony or fireplace can function.