Bringing Back Emotion and Intimacy in Architecture | Adrian Bica | TEDxRyersonU

In his talk, Adrian argues that the world we are designing lacks meaning and as a result, we’re unable to connect with the world around us. The buildings we enter every day are unable to evoke the emotions they once did. Adrian aims to shed light on this issue, so that once acknowledged, we can together rebuild the lost relationship between humans and architecture.
Think back to the last time you were completely immersed in an experience. Whatever the moment was, it managed to capture you. Buildings can operate in the same way, according to Adrian Bica. Over the course of his architectural education, he’s noticed that buildings have lost the emotional attraction that was once there. Now, in the last year of his Masters of Architecture, Adrian believes the relationship between people and architecture has diminished, and that the loss of intimacy has fueled a wave of stale and technological buildings. Buildings like the Colosseum are an example of structures that Adrian says invoke an emotional attachment. Instead of becoming technological tools in modern society, Adrian advocates the idea of how our overall attitude towards buildings can change our emotional experience with them. This change, says Adrian, is more obvious than we think.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@HH-he4pw]

If architects just thinking about efficiency, function and cost, then this profession can easily replaced by an AI or some calculating computers that work according to the inputed needs data

[@piyushg2217]

Thank you so much , I'm now able to understand my self better , what was exactly going wrong with me when I found architecture was just not being true to me and how I can fall in love with it more and more every time

[@vinayseth1114]

A well-articulated presentation!

[@saraa7117]

Nowadays i see building rise up like they have no feeling or relationship to the land and people. The more crazy shape the better architecture and i dont like it as an architect student.

[@ljc9520]

This is really good. I am a fresh 5th year student who is still looking for a thesis topic but what has poked my interest is the problem with regards to the stripping off of the humanity of architecture. I'm really interested in the connection of architecture to people but since to this generation and time, buildings and structures have becoming more of utilitarian... But I am still at lost of everything, please if someone could help me a little bit, it would mean so much. Thank you. :)

[@tabeertariq2074]

Hey Lloyd I’m a fifth year architecture student too. And I chose empathic architecture as my thesis topic. Do you have any ideas where I could get a grip on these topics

[@daanjansen7327]

there is this thing called the WELL principles.. maybe that is a start

[@muskduh]

Thanks for the lecture

[@tic2264]

sounds good but how to transform an object to emotional? is there any example?

[@fionaanderson5796]

It's often in objects that are either very textural or have a connection to nature/have natural variation, the sort of things that make you want to reach out and stroke them. Take carvings in wood or stone, fabrics such as velvet, silk, leather, building materials like timber, rammed earth, straw bale, cob, even off form concrete *can* be beautiful when it shows the grain of it's timber forms. A floor or door knob might have a patina from years of use that makes you imagine the other people who have used it.

[@Dev1nci]

This presentation is largely in response to modernism so basically most of the good architecture today is addressing what he’s talk about already.

[@daanjansen7327]

maybe look at the raum plan of Loos. where spaces are designed in the way you would feel the most comfortable depending on the use and expectation of the room.

[@lorenzosoro453]

With decoration, like the old styles. Even a simple old house is good. Is human

[@rs-zm3bl]

when you compare a 400 years old cathedral with an apartment building from the 1960 well, then you haven’t learned much in your studies … there is a loss in culture, not only in architecture, it would be interesting to hear why and what we could do about it … try in another tex … but please in a better way, otherwise let it be!

[@matijazorko5705]

Even though I feel the same way about most of contemporary architecture this talk is flat out "populist" because it misses to mention very important nuances and lies hiding lack of knowledge of the speaker. To the speaker: If You want to theorize about architecture you should really feel the architecture you are accusing of lacking any feels. Once again, I understand the urge to revolt against "grids" but You should be more responsible about it.

[@giuseppenativo2123]

Post modern residential buildings as jails? I don't really love, generally, the buildings of that period but i find this similitude as an exaggeration. Plus i don't feel like you can't compare a nice, contemporary and common building to saint Peter in Rome. Just the tipology doesn't match at all as well my little apartment can't be compared, by an architectural point of view to a barn on the woods. It doesn't match. As my last thought, defining contemporary architecture and the practice as a bar code, translate the idea that standardization had been a very bad thing. This is not true. The standard is at the core of the idea that permitted to the masses to have a new modern house. So, if we want to say that we need again real spaces and real emotions, i agree but honestly i can't say that everything has been done after the post WWII is wrong, with a few exceptions. History is made by decisions, actions, events, problems not just a catalogue of facades or typologies or nice ideas. I think this talking, that i appreciate for the courage is still far from the truth, making things too easy or too complicated or just good and bad. I wish to watch a second speech from the same person.

[@stormingfox8360]

Modernism is blah. He could have shown much more then just a few slides, but he conveyed the jist of it. While a cathedral, Temple, Opera, building is not the same as a dwelling. It is just as large as, or shorter than a large apartment complex. Except one is an eyesore, and the other sparks emotion and thought. We should cease to make such usurious spaces anymore to begin with.

[@thalissacarvalho4109]

@@stormingfox8360 modernism was necessary. it had its shortcomings of course, and did feel mechanical, but when thousands of people had their homes destroyed by the war, the focus is to create functional, simple and reproducible solutions to allow these people to have their own homes again as soon as possible - not focus on pretty visuals and intricate façades. we must not take things out of their respective contexts. architecture is an everchanging practice that heavily depends on the social scenario that it's being developed in to create solutions that can address the most urgent necessities at each time. now, we're in the 21st century and of course our necessities are very different and the modernist philosophy is now obsolete. it served its purpose, left behind important lessons on what works and what doesn't, and the architectural community moves on. always seeking improvement. let's not make unfair comparisons here.

[@bboyafro1]

Ideal form has no history and no use for it is ultimate. Beauty is not relative to historic context. Beauty only has varying degrees and different kinds of aesthetic which can then be criticised in terms of good and bad taste.

[@Dev1nci]

2:30 casually compares the Paris Opera House to an apartment block 😂 This would have been a great presentation 30 years ago. Okay his closing statement explains his argument. He’s asking for better architecture from people outside of public architectural spheres. Makes sense I guess. However it’s largely cost restrictions that control this.

[@stormingfox8360]

then lets do something about that.

[@ImaginaryMdA]

The issue of narrative in public spaces: who gets to tell the story?

[@seeingmullions]

What do you mean by this?

[@planecrashcorner7283]

Good lord, he talked so slowly I litterally had to play this at x2 speed

[@stormingfox8360]

He did just as well as I would do, clearly he is passionate about what he is talking about, and few are saying the same. Be nice.

[@nynsid]

For me it's fine, English is not my native language and when someone speaks in a coherent, slow and relaxed way you can really understand it very well.

[@kayem3824]

What?