How To Think Like An Architect: Improving Design

Santa Barbara Architect Barry Berkus demonstrates how he would remodel a space in order to improve the design. He illustrates this process through a series of quick drawings and diagrams, along with detailed explanations of the current conditions, and client needs.
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[@jinchuuriki58]

i just wanna sit down with this guy for a whole day, and let him teach me bunch of stuff.

[@Alan_Blossom]

I'm totally sitting next to you aswell.

[@Lightsparks12]

Lol can I join you guys?

[@davidgeorge357]

He died three years ago

[@Scottflix]

@@davidgeorge357 That actually ran through my mind seeing that this video was 6 years ago. I wish that he had made more videos for us to learn from.

[@builderspluscustomhomesand2146]

Yall better have a shit ton of money, you asking for a ton of time and knowledge to be spent and shared lol... only thing is, he passed away some time ago

[@shelaghwong4211]

“because one of the most important things in the world is the dining table”

[@atomicsmith]

I agree with a lot of what you did there, EXCEPT removing that wall. creating a sense of delayed entry with glimpses into the main space is one of the best ways to build drama. Also, no one ever truly relaxes while in full view of the front door. It has something to do with an instinct about possible threats entering suddenly.

[@rheasaini2914]

I understand the idea you are trying to convey but I also feel like dramatic spaces would be client specific, and to add to that I strongly support keeping spaces around the main entry way clear is safer when considering theft and other possible threats since there's a clear view of the only main passage. coming from someone who's extra scared of psycopaths and boogymen in the closet :)

[@atomicsmith]

@@rheasaini2914 So much is dependent on context that it is impossible to have one rule on this subject. I think it’s important to point out that what I’m talking about is a feeling or instinct rather than ACTUAL danger. Our perception of spaces is guided primarily by our instinct, at a level much deeper than most people are in touch with. That’s the level that real architecture happens and not the rational level.

[@anakarine5577]

i agree with you so much! it depends a lot on the context and the client's needs. Personally, i love that wall, i think it makes the space much more interesting. Everything open i find it boring and just way too exposed, but of course, it can be an amazing solution for, for exemple, a vacation house where everyone will be gathering around

[@karenagen6757]

@@anakarine5577 It does depend on the client's needs. If the client wants a modern design, with increased natural light, the wall has to go. The orientation of the building..is the entrance front-facing? etc. etc. Where I live, most homes have the veranda as the place of engagement between the two societies, the external and private. Then there a always a glass door straight into the living room. 😂 With a culture of architecture like this when I enter my friend's house with the exact wall-facing entry, it is not welcoming or should I say it feels more like an office entry. My solution is of course to go back to the old-fashioned vestibule and courtyard entries. There are also ways to break up a continuous space, by using texture, patterns, and colour so it would not be boring. Walls are not needed

[@try2justbe]

Why don't they teach this stuff at architecture schools?

[@viva9303]

try2justbe So true

[@Paulo-zr5zo]

In ivy league schools like harvard they do have this course also available free on edx. Most arch. schools don't teach it reason is most educational system is controlled by countries government so the government control the content of what future workers would learn to conform to their plans.

[@BlueeeBanisters]

@@Paulo-zr5zo OMG thanks for the information!!!!!!! 💕💕💕💕💕

[@3bdoomoe924]

@@Paulo-zr5zo Thank you, much appreciated

[@staehighvevo1836]

It‘s actually what u learn. Especially u learn by analysing and improving floor Plans.

[@BarryBerkus]

@Houseplanman We use trace paper or vellum to overlay our drawings. Thanks for your comment!

[@hail2127]

my dream is to be an architect but unfortunately i wasn't but my heart is attach to this passion i always grand to see an architects like u sir.

[@douniadina7952]

Why not

[@builderspluscustomhomesand2146]

@@douniadina7952 I will join in on this because I'm the exact same way... because FOR ME, money for one. I've always had the passion to design and actually carry the architect title... But I don't have $75,000 a semester to afford this. As a contractor with these abilities already attached, I still utilize these abilities. My clients know I'm not a titled architect but know what i bring as if I am one. My collaboration with titled archs and engineers saves costs on design because i can provide and clients approve and yes through CAD and/or sketching. Still gives me equal opportunity in this industry. WOrking a portfolio now but why not.. because I'm almost 40, I'm running out of time and besides, I'm in Texas, unless you are doing industrial and commercial, residential homes people typically look for pre-made drafts or sketch up. Not me, I have a professional app that I can do this... Point being is I continue to provide my knowledge and not knock the ones with the degree, in the end, it's all design and concept. being a GC gives me the advantage because I still know the engineering portions. When I don't, i ask another. We ALL have a part in this world. Sorry for the extended comment. I just love what i do and this market.

[@jerowersonst2465]

@@builderspluscustomhomesand2146 I pay 200 € a month for a semester of architecture, just move to europe

[@sianacampbell3028]

Love his take on the significance of the dining room table.

[@nibelkamadera]

@BarryBerkus, I just discovered these videos of your design process and I must say that I am amazed on how useful your advices turn out to be. I'm an architect student and from now on, a #1 fan of your work. Kudos!

[@dabaers91]

You sir, are brilliant! Love that you refer to the building as a chamber! Giving people a sense that they aren't trapped in the chamber by immediately offering them light!

[@rio20d]

design is a very subjective thing, I am an architect as well, and I dont mind to have a wall as you open the entry door, it gives a sense of privacy to the people who lives inside. You dont want people on the street look at you while you are in the kitchen or eating.

[@nafsimohamed2392]

***** I was going to say the same thing, it will mainly depend on the client's mindset, whether they want to completely be open to the guests who come in or whether they want to filter in the people who comes to see their personal space where they are the most comfortable.

[@asifraza-td6nu]

+rio20d i agree your opinion....bt mostly we fallow client mindset then design the spaces....

[@lupinearsenalALT]

+rio20d Agreed. Not an architect but from a consumer point of view, I feel like it's a bit odd to walk in and be greeted with a table of people.

[@user-mp4cz5yu8o]

agree with you

[@caspar6135]

I like the idea of keeping that wall yet still diving the space in the way he suggested, to create a private entry point for the buildings and an area of compression which expands out into this communal family space

[@ObeyHipHop]

I love this, I am just realizing how much I want to be an architect. Im going to be starting off with my design engineering associates and mechanical engineering associates..

[@almostremembered]

Update?

[@BiruKoritozu]

I am an architecture student and I wish you to be my professor. Thank you sir! I am to learn ore from you right now :)))

[@mjlast6702]

me too.. :D

[@sevcankara607]

He died before you wrote it

[@BretDrager]

Barry - As an architect, I am very impressed with your sensitive design process. Thanks for helping clients understand what we do.

[@Wee162]

Unfortunately, open plans have their drawbacks, too. There are advantages to separations of rooms / functions. Personally, I dislike seeing all the way through a house at the entry because it makes me feel exposed. I much prefer a barrier at the entry - not all those who enter are guests we want to welcome into the rest of our home. I’d prefer to choose who gets to see the rest of my home.

[@itsforsab7]

Amazing thought process. Simple but extremely meaningful 🔥

[@elizabethpopiel7187]

Hi Barry....I am using these videos in the Scenic Design classes I teach in my Theatre Arts program. Excellent principles that carry in to ALL design. THANK YOU! (nice production values too! You get the the point quickly and simply! ...and your "TED" talk!! wow

[@entertaintech4374]

I know he passed away, but I still subscribed anyway in solidarity with other aspiring designers.

[@AncientHigh]

I'm an design student , just sitting on my chair and looking on youtube for my homework which is for next day , some things helped me a lot like this one , thank you . -bad english btw.

[@wintbe]

As a building design student, I find your videos very inspirational. Thank you!

[@mhdarchitect790]

watch my video about design concept kzbin.info/www/bejne/aofUmWmajJ6HfJY

[@OneWorld4us]

I´m not an architect, I´m learning the meaning of architectural art and design by working with architects on photorrealistic rendering... and I found your job and expression so beautifull ... pure art. thank´s on sharing this little vids. Hope you could share a little bit more.

[@DontTestTheX]

Mr Berkus I agree with you that open plan living is fantastic...light and space etc....(I have also designed and built such spaces), however they come at a big price. The advantage of walls is that they hold the house up. Perhaps move the entrance instead?...

[@samihaafrin6983]

I wish we had more of his videos. Really helpful. I need to learn 😭😭

[@kalubaification]

working on a villa right now,and your videos have been a great help,especially liked the tips on light, views and social activity...keep them coming..

[@kingkogna]

Please provide more videos. You are helping. I keep watching them to be inspired.

[@superserval2669]

Barry Berkus died in late 2012

[@Jason52597]

Very inspiring. How you design really defines yourself as a person.

[@j6449663]

I wish he had done a hundred of these videos . R.I.P. .

[@ChristianRamazani-p7v]

thank you Barry Berkus

[@Akumeitakai]

Please continue to share your wisdom with us!

[@Ziggycon]

i have always dreamed of being an architect and wanted to make a difference on the world and how we live. but i have always been worried i would never have enough ideas to make it as an architect. watching your videos has inspired me and opened my eyes to so many new things. thank you.

[@yanickborg9197]

There are many factors that architects take into consideration which shape the design of buildings. Such factors include the brief, climate, materiality, structure, aesthetics, and the function or program of the building. There are many more factors not listed here, but these are some basic ones. In no particular order, a design process consists of (but usually begins with) research, moves into sketch design, further into design development, and then into documentation.

[@Cris43196]

Thank you for your videos and for sharing your way of live the design process. It's very helpful and motivating. Cris

[@martinsantos3781]

I've learned a lot. Thanks Architect Berkus

[@adelynherman6684]

I adore you Sir.I love the design improvement.

[@hannajanebenedicto3073]

i love the way you explained it sir

[@deezynar]

@sob80sup81 Yes, some individuals and some cultures would not like to have a stranger at the front door be able to see everything and everybody in the house. I like a foyer that is screened from the living areas myself. However, I strongly believe the foyer should have a great view to the outside. It may be a view of mountains, the city below, or just a well designed garden, but there needs to be something nice for the visitor to look at while they wait.

[@dinohun]

You are amazing, you are a guide and a inspiration, you really help as to open our mines and create, to use everything as a help as a expirience as a oportunity thanks so much

[@praketsawant4346]

I am being brought to tears

[@Nok-KhaVlogs]

@LuSwGr Otherwise an open space with glass on the opposite wall looks cool. It gives you a feeling openness and large space.

[@kenjiaf984]

this is very inspirising, the view was amazing

[@grisalho36]

I'm Architect from Brazil, very good architecture is nothing more spaces organize and integrate human nature.

[@LandMCherryGirl]

I'm learning! tooo mucho watching you... i learn in the right way that i always do it, i loveeee your videos... grettings from mexico

[@un-enlightened]

inspiring. all your videos. architect student from brazil.

[@andrewislike]

interesting, always thought the entrance should be slightly covered from the living space. Doesn't it harm the intimacy of the space exposing it like that ?

[@D2theShizzle]

@donde2k Although CAD is important, I agree. Beauty comes from the hand.

[@pauldow1648]

What you started with was formal segmented compartalized sensibility. What is more tribal sharing aware naturally flowing is your proposal. ☺

[@sob80sup81]

Interesting approach, although some people like to have a certain boundary to limit visitor/guest from seeing the overall of the house. What is your view of having a foyer as a separation?

[@Andy40004]

@BarryBerkus your videos are verry beautifull and helpfull for me beacuse im at the art highschool where im learning architecture! i hope someday ill become a good architecture :)

[@juanjosechinchilla5412]

amazing videos i can hear you talk all day

[@husammuhanad2548]

less words , much experience .

[@babiiblueboi]

oh gosh this is so amazing and inspirarional. Thank you so much.

[@lyanarizal._]

This man is literally einstein of design

[@josepedrovaz6143]

This is the meaning of architecture! The space, the sensations and the living. Not the foto for the magazines...

[@federicacernuto6918]

I agree with a lot of things you say and I see your thought process. But I also find it a little old school, I mean, the idea of a table being the most important part of the house and the place where all the social interaction happens to me sounds somewhat outdated. We dont even have a dinner table.

[@SatinPanther]

I love his tutorial!!!

[@Stratophony]

the beauty of "old school" designing... and why schools should still encourage a master of this hand-to-pencil-to-paper process of designing; before drowning us (students) with an endless amounts of computer programs. I love revit, dont get me wrong.... but carrying around different colored sharpies and a roll of trace paper can still outweigh even the most advance and helpful computer software in many cases.

[@marwaismael6362]

I wanna be like you one day

[@TheTtaahhii]

Love this guy

[@26dacloudsurfer003]

I agree, inf fact, I don't see that front wall too bad as long as it's not too close.

[@Ekat15]

need to watch later

[@MCQ07nG]

Thanks for sharing this!!!!

[@chriss7196]

R.I.P.

[@elitzatz]

that's what architecture is all about!

[@rjlausartDesign]

My inspiration....

[@Riyaaaadi]

I ditched my friends on Skype to watch all your videos.

[@wolfieswifty13]

my professor got pissed when i placed the dining room in front of the entrance even though it was placed strategically because "you just don't do that"...

[@bestmedever]

+Wolfie Swifty ur prof is stupid somehow

[@2ndAveScents]

Sitting down to eat right next to the front door is an odd feeling. It's a great idea, but in practice isn't comfortable. It's all subjective though, everyone has to remember that being a good architect is about expressing the ideas and preferences of your client in a way that interacts with them and evokes an emotional response. Architecture is about space and it's use. Form and function should be equal. I personally don't believe sight lines should take priority over comfort, and also that in this case there would be a healthy compromise. Maybe the distance from the door is sufficient here, but I usually enjoy a nice foyer that can separate the entry from the living space without closing it off completely...maybe because I'm Korean and we take our shoes off at the door :)

[@thepokekid01]

How do you adapt to changing times? For example, I imagine at one point in time the design of the home with the wall and the closed off kitchen was a good idea, but here you explain the idea and method so simply that it seems obviously bad. However, who is to say that 30-50 years from now things can change again and how homes are processed and thought is radically different. Is there any way to adapt to that kind of thought, or is that just what everyone wants to know (or something individual)?

[@dabaers91]

There are other methods to block the entrance from the action while still letting them see what is going on in and beyond the space.

[@sanatkalbim]

Perfect

[@user-il6ke6dl3q]

so inspiring

[@anrxtee]

10 10 Excelente punto de vista, entrar y ser recibido por el sol y la actividad de la familia

[@valeriacerpasalas2330]

OMG always whe I design I used this kind of traslucid paper, I don´t know the name exactly in English and I make this abstract forms that I only understand, for making relations between space, and forming a distribution for each project, As a result, when my mum saw all my stuffs says to me that I need a lot to improve my drawing but it wasn´t bad at all. Architecture is not only good looking drawings, is good ideas and mostly of them come from the weirdest drawings.

[@13janvi]

Valeria Cerpa Salas I think you were using a gateway paper.

[@13janvi]

Architecture is about abstraction. Abstraction leads to different forms and spaces which is very essential to develop a plan .

[@Ironfist2297]

Hi Barry, I'm 15 years old and suddenly decided I want to become an architect. I just wanted to ask, what subjects should I take? And what pens, ink, paper etc do you use? Thank you for uploading, this has helped me so much.

[@abdullahhamra3836]

Did you really became an arch??

[@user-fc2mz4tc3g]

Thanks.. شكرا 🌼🌼

[@aziz0567]

i think the wall makes the place more privacy , and this is good?

[@LuSwGr]

I think i game of walls, each time you pass by wall you discover something else, a diferent view, a diferent orientation, a diferent space. This proposal it seems really "open" without any surprises and discoverys.

[@MrChanhon]

I'm an architecture student, I have one question. How do we improve the spatial quality of the building?

[@fnx5317]

I know this video is old but i had to comment this; I like the idea of opening the house it gives feeling of large space specially in small houses, but some cultures like (Arabs) in the past they used this wall in front of the entrance door to provide more privacy to the house in case of the door open and some of them still use the same idea.

[@TheEtherny]

Yeah, he's brilliant but I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable eating while people come by and the first thing they see is me while I'm eating.

[@recardoandrade448]

yeah your right..

[@tinhinenemezghiche6572]

Exactly.

[@ARCHIBELL]

yeah you got a point

[@bunnniel]

+Denics but he did put a wall

[@TheEtherny]

Daniel Platon He did NOT, he himself said "don't be stopped by a wall" 1:49

[@samluon3547]

Damn hes so good!

[@ejecutor98]

And the stairs? Or is a house with only a plant and without rooms? The stairs are very important

[@monilshah1014]

The video is older than my love for architecture.

[@MegaSpeedy67]

I love your videos im only 14 and i have chosen to become an architect. I just wanted to ask what markers do you use in your videos? i have never seen them before.

[@datkiddcali]

@BarryBerkus im in high school i love houses have a passion for them would love to work with them like you do but im not good at drawing and im not good at math so where do i start

[@Shantash18]

grate video it open my mine

[@Houseplanman]

I love your process of layering over previous drawings! What kind of transparent paper do you use?

[@mhdarchitect790]

watch my video about design concept kzbin.info/www/bejne/aofUmWmajJ6HfJY

[@rocotrueworld4710]

que paso? porque no siguio subiendo videos?

[@wagnerm920]

thanksss

[@bradnixon569]

i would like to see him use a t-square and triangles and do a drawing .

[@3ioOoSh1]

vrrrrry nice and usefull

[@maccastro8892]

You cannot apply that design in every Country..it depends on their culture.. But it's a great idea..

[@riyazfidai]

sir what about the living room tgat u removed from the previous sheet in video

[@samiabbas18]

I like it

[@Alan_Blossom]

Thank you!... ;)

[@SasukeNukenin]

"One of the most important things in the world is a dining table"

[@myblackbothers]

Sensei

[@90loneeagle]

mr, Barry do you use any mylar paper? sir how does painting skills help in architecture?

[@abroadthings]

Good

[@myroncole460]

Great

[@_sparrowhawk]

Fucking genius

[@johnnysmith1845]

I love his passion and the simplicity of explanation. But i dont like the idea of exposing the whole house from the main entrance, it lessens the privacy and also that the corners of the house are the prime locations because it receives the most natural ventilation, sunlight, and vista, so dining and living room fits perfectly on those corners.

[@johnsnowwww]

The living room is a public area, I don't know why you want privacy there that's what private quarters are for

[@nafsimohamed2392]

Ron Jeremy Living room is a space where you share time with your entire family, but may not entertain other guests as much. Anyhow it will be different, for person to person. When a unfamiliar guest comes for the first time an individual wouldn't be comfortable in opening his/her door to that guest where they would get an entire view of the house. It will raise issues of both privacy and security.