Of Inspiration, pt. 1

A week or two after we first got here, I drove down to Oxford, Mississippi (an hour and a half south of Memphis) to see Citizen Architect http://citizenarchitectfilm.com/ at the local film festival. The film is a new documentary about Samuel Mockbee and Rural Studio. Oxford is the home of Old Miss (University of Mississippi) and William Faulkner (who is everywhere there the way Elvis is up here). It's a decidedly fun and funky little town centered around an antebellum main square (similar in layout to Sonoma for the Bay Area folks). Its a nice little center of bohemian culture in the rural south. I met a few nice folks- local architects and such who were very welcoming to the new guy from nor cal- at the sold out screening. Here's a pic of Oxford:

This blog entry, though, is not about Oxford. It's about what Mockbee and the Rural Studio were able to build, and more generally about seeking an answer to the question: What am I to do here?

I've been inspired by the Rural Studio since I encountered the books of their work at the office of GHA (where I had my little base camp up until just recently). And the question in my head was often: How were these students able to build such beautiful, healthy buildings in one of the poorest and dare I say decrepit counties in the states?

We usually think of great architecture associated with big $$$. Think of the recent wave of awe inspiring museums and the starchitects who design them. However, having worked mostly on small commissions, I can attest that clients on a budget often have to stick to the most conventional building practices. Yet the buildings of the Rural Studio turn that conception on it's head: here are the poorest of the poor enjoying architecture that at first glance makes one think of New York or LA.

I can't provide a full answer to the question of 'how', but having been in Memphis for a few weeks now, one idea is reinforced: the underpriveledged and poor are more open to breaking the yoke of traditional built form than all but the very most progressive middle class folks. The vast majority of the wealthier people here are head and heart invested in their vision of the status-quo, which seems to be aesthetically symbolized in the traditionalist form of their homes. (Yes, it's starker out here where one can wander around Memphis for hours and not see a single modern design, but thinking back to Berkeley- even there, tradition prevailed.)

Perhaps I'll compare the aesthetic qualities of homes in the Bay Area and Memphis in a future entry. Right now, I'd like to propose something more radical: can Rural Studio quality architecture be built in Memphis? If so, perhaps it could follow the same blueprint--in particular, perhaps it could be built in the poor neighborhoods..... Here's a map of my neighborhood, where I've been jogging lately:

You'll notice a railroad track running east-west (about a block south of our house), this track was built before the neighborhood was built up with homes. I know this because I go jogging across this track (mostly an at-grade crossing). Here's what I see on the North side of the tracks:

This North side is the historic Central Gardens neighborhood. The houses range from quaint bungalows to lavish mansions, but there is not one building that departs from the traditional form...this is because Central Gardens is a National Historic District and has strict form based guidelines for building. In fact, many (most?) of the nicer residential districts in the city appear to be designated "Historic".

Now here's the scene on the south side of the railroad tracks:

The south side is steeped in poverty and blight, homes are arranged chaotically. What happened?- no one cared? Everyone just built whatever they wanted to? Built with cash money they had fastidiously set aside over many years? Perhaps they were poor folks' shacks slowly replaced my (semi-)modern buildings as generations gave way and money trickled in? Wood buildings don't last very long in the south unless they are well built and maintained. Bottom line: many of these homes are obviously no longer suitable for occupancy. They need to be torn down...and geographically this is one of the choicest parts of the city (central, close to everything). So why not build something good there. Something beautiful. Healthy, efficient, durable. What would it take?