The Unexpected Views of the LOST Slow House [Diller+Scofidio]

Welcome to the Slow House, Diller and Scofidio’s (now Diller, Scofidio and Renfro) first building commission for Long Island, in NY. The crescent-shaped slug doppelganger was a pivotal design for the firm - and architecture at large - when it was first revealed in 1990. However, the building was never built, living only through its extensive catalog of models and drawings. In this video, the Slow House is digitally reconstructed, analyzed and explored to discover unique elements lurking in its design that can only be revealed through a first-person experience. From delayed million-dollar views, to CCTV feeds of the water, to dozens of operable plywood doors and shades, the house is truly a machine for viewing. And now, you can view it for yourself.
*Clarification* There's a moment toward the beginning that sounds like I'm saying the predictions are 'pathetic' but I'm actually saying prophetic, meaning accurately predicting the future. It's almost the opposite....
_Link to Explore_
api2.enscape3d.com/v1/view/b3...
_Chapters_
00:00 Introduction
01:49 Timeline
04:33 Analysis
06:24 3D Modeling
07:06 Exploration
09:29 Conclusion
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_About the Channel_
Architecture with Stewart is a KZbin journey exploring architecture’s deep and enduring stories in all their bewildering glory. Weekly videos and occasional live events breakdown a wide range of topics related to the built environment in order to increase their general understanding and advocate their importance in shaping the world we inhabit.
_About Me_
Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.
_Contact_
FOLLOW me on instagram: @stewart_hicks & @designwithco
Design With Company: designwith.co
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture: arch.uic.edu/
Funky Junky by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@stewarthicks]

What are your thoughts about the Slow House? Is it different than you thought or what you expected?

[@tyeteams7928]

How you run a practice, teach at university, and your video production... brilliant!

[@DimiShimi]

I would love it if you tackled maintain-ability (and live-ability) from the point of view of owners/inhabitants. Many of the buildings you show look like nightmares to actually deal with. How do you clean it? How do you repair it? How do you move furniture into it? How do you update the Kitchen? Can you update the layout for when your family changes? So far you have only touched on this stuff in the leaking video. As a practical person, I feel like that stuff should be front and center for educating architects. At the end of the day, people are supposed to live in there, right? Or is it supposed to be an art-installation/investment? If so, won't the value degrade if the building decomposes? Also there were (many) projects *cough* Corbusier *cough* where the architect failed miserably to make space actually livable. Looking at these failures in detail could be a lot of fun.

[@sdavis2488]

Slug House. Probably even nicknamed that by the architects. I see the design elements in so many existing structures, particularly the large viewing window where it stops and another structure in another part of the world was built. Usually squared or more rectangular but the other half or at least a missing section. Thanks for the extra effort on the CAD work. Top notch.

[@andytruett9955]

Why hasn’t it been built? This home would have 100 contracts on it just by announcing it will be built.

[@sana-cm7oc]

Waste of resources.

[@freerkderuiter8822]

This brings back some memories indeed. I was familiair with the plans and the house pretty much is as I remembered. For me the strong points of this house always have been the entrance with the choice to go left or right and the fact that the public area is upstairs and private areas downstairs. I never was on par with the whole CCTV thing and the feelers, or antennas, or whatever you want to call those. Gimmicky to these eyes, even then. I want to end on a positive note and that would be the way the bedrooms are lit.

[@kevinmhadley]

The lighting in the bedroom seems interesting at first glance but, to me, it would be gloomy at best and dangerous at any time. It reminds me of a prison cell.

[@dominicon3591]

I was in a very theory-focused graduate studio where each student got assigned a seminal architectural work to analyse as a precedent, and one of us lucky ducks got the Slow House. One of the insights that student had was that the fact that a little toy car is included in the Slow House physical model, suggests that Diller+Scofidio intended the concept of mediated views to extend beyond the walls of the house to the journey and approach - you go from looking through a car windscreen to looking through the curved passage of the house to looking at the scenic view through a CCTV lens - and I think that might explain why the front door swings upward, because it's intended to evoke a garage door. So even if you can't actually drive into the house, it makes the approach by car part of the architectural experience. Do you reckon that's a reasonable interpretation?

[@mixedspleens]

Thanks so much for highlighting such an interesting house! This is a house that makes me think of the intersection of art and practicality. Which I guess is appropriate given the background of the architects. Had it been built, would you as the occupant leave the CCTV on all the time? Or would it be more of a party trick? The visual openness under the counter is very interesting but I'd most chances drop a used coffee filter or something through the gap to the hallway below. All architecture obviously creates interplay with the occupants, and some architecture and architects are more opinionated about how the space is to be used. This is an example where architect and client would have to have an aligned vision and intent for the structure to really work as a dwelling.

[@stewarthicks]

Great points

[@Josh-yr7gd]

Clever design based on a unique narrative. Unveiling the space to something more grandiose is great. However, I wonder if the story would be lost on its visitors. The entrance is claustrophobic and forces you to make a decision. There's no room to decompress. Imagine coming back home while carrying a load of groceries. You'll eventually always have to climb those stairs. The concept of a "slow" approach is fine when in leisure, but after a long day of work, it's about how "fast" can I drop everything, take a shower, get into comfy clothes and plop myself down somewhere and forget about the world!

[@counterclockwisepuppetry4581]

I look forward to these videos all week, they're just so well produced and informative, thank you Stuart Hicks.

[@animeaos]

really appreciate the quality and consistency of your vids. keep it up!

[@epapazian]

Something your model was able to show that I never understood from the images of the project was the implied vanishing point created by the diagonals in the curtain wall structure at the window wall, how they continue the curving lines of wall-to-ceiling all the way to the horizon. It flattens the view in a similar way to the cctv. Fascinating! Thank you for this.

[@stewarthicks]

Great observation!!!

[@e46Kyle]

Great catch! I never noticed that before. When you stop at the top of the stairs the alignment would be perfect.

[@ltlbuddha]

I also thought the design looked like a slug and I absolutely do not like the eye stalks. I'm not sure it is the imagery they evoke or because they are, in my view, too prominent with not enough purpose for the prominence. I like the design as a viewing experience, although I do think the entrance is unnecessarily claustrophobic. But I think it has issues as an actual living space. The very wasted space of the entrance is an issue, of course, but it is in the layout that it stumbles most. Especially in the private quarters. To me, it feels institutional. A hallway with offices/patient rooms/cells rather than a family's living space. Admittedly, I have a bias against homes that appear to to be designed to exhibit a family rather than as places for them to actually live and interact. I appreciate designs that manage to convey both, but this one veers to far towards the latter to me. Regarding the CCTV. It would be interesting to see what could be done with modern, massive LED screens such as are used in film and adverts. They could be used to expand the feeling of space, especially in areas where openings are not practical, possible or wanted.

[@JasperJanssen]

You seem ver biased towards this “family” thing. Lots of households these days only consist of one person and their guests.

[@ltlbuddha]

@@JasperJanssen Houses, especially those with multiple bedrooms and common spaces, ARE designed for families. The homes discussed on this channel will, more often than not, be in class levels where typical house design considerations are weighted differently, of course. Doesn't change the dynamic. Custom houses, like this, are often designed with actual families or projected sizes of families and this house is design is one typically made for 4 people. Not on person and a guest. As a side note. the housing bubble in a number of countries means that single occupants of homes are on the decline in these particular days.

[@Mungumbii]

These videos are bloody fantastic! Really appreciate the huge amount of effort they must take

[@stewarthicks]

Thank you!

[@jiaxinzhao5269]

I am so glad someone made a model of the slow house. The idea of using architecture as a view port reminds me of the idea of "interactive building" . I was about to model one for myself and I stumbled upon this video haha. But I guess I will still model one for myself and study it through diagrams. Respect from SCI-Arc~~

[@hgaveras]

Nice video! I built the model with the glass sliding sections for Liz and Ric in 1989-90. They were my faculty at Cooper at the time. Great team and people.

[@stewarthicks]

Awesome!

[@jennytommos9703]

That's so cool! I hope you got paid for your model making work.

[@hgaveras]

@@jennytommos9703 Thank you :) Absolutely! They were always very generous and respectful with me. I've had the pleasure of working with them on a few more models over the years.

[@davidocean5185]

Amazing content! I really wish you were my architecture professor back in the day.

[@shokoladniybegemot]

So excited to be able to walk through this incredible project! Used to drool over those models and drawings all through uni, their aesthetic is just so seductive, still gives me the tingles.. Its weird though that in a house that focusses on the final view its rather obstructed by the heavy window framing and multiple doors.

[@urbancolab]

I too remember being so inspired with the model techniques especially the sliced planes representing the sectional experience.

[@poloo92]

Excellent insight 👍👍.... Modeling un-built projects today is actually super pertinent for the architecture culture as with a real-time render engine and a vr headset you really can explore those projects/building in a 1:1 scale .... Tought about the idea of a un-built virtual collection but never took the time to model anything tho..... If you haven't tried vr yet , as an architect i STRONGLY recommand it , plus Enscape as a Vr mode ... But perhaps you already have a another video about it..

[@mikehenson819]

I appreciate your efforts in bringing objects of architecture to people like myself. I enjoy your presentations and perspective on them. I like this house, but don't think I'd care to live in it. But I find it sad that it was never completed. I think it would have been quite interesting to visit and actually experience. Thanks to your modeling, I can see that the house is indeed a machine designed to manipulate ones sense of sight through movement. Very interesting indeed. Thanks 👍

[@lizcademy4809]

I draw a distinction between architecture and what I call art-itecture. Architecture first and foremost produces a functional structure. Homes are designed to superbly perform household functions, offices are excellent workspaces. They may be attractive or striking, but the function comes first. Art-itecture is an artistic exploration, as interpreted in a building. The artistic idea is of prime importance, function comes second - or sometimes, not at all. The Slow House is definitely art-itecture.

[@aes53]

Great one Stewart. I’m struck a little bit that if we consider this an art/performance piece it is the reverse of some of Matt’s-Clark’s deconstructed buildings from a couple of decades before. The main difference, of course, is that I could see living in the Slow House, not so much once of Matt’s-Clarke’s sliced up houses.

[@stewarthicks]

I think one difference to me is that Matta Clark's performances had more to do with the object and its dismantling. Whereas DS+R's performance is more about the occupant/humans. So, the Slow House is more livable because sometimes you're actively participating in the performance and other times not. The Brasserie for instance was equally performative but it was also a perfectly great restaurant.

[@aes53]

@@stewarthicks absolutely, Matta Clark was creating an art piece with, I think, little thought of human interaction past that of the observer. I ended up learning a bit about him in Andy Grundberg's new book "When Photography Became Art". Grundberg knew him when they were both students at Cornell and Grundberg took the perspective that an integral part of his performances was taking photos of them. Your videos get me into free-associating, sometimes usefully sometimes not so much. Thanks again for the great video. I look forward to Thursdays.

[@holymosey]

That's one incredible house! Thanks for rendering it. Ps: yes to spending time in that house with you! 😅

[@alexm9148]

The slow house seems like an interesting art project. After all architecture is (also) an art. Doesn’t seem like a place to live in. Long walks to go from a place to another, strange shapes, luck of openings, luck of consent to make it practical in general… I can very much see why it wasn’t built.

[@Fabregas4CR7]

Hi Stewart great video as usual. Just started 3rd-year Architecture this week. I was wondering if you had any favorite architectural podcasts or audio books?

[@turtledruid464]

They really weren't lying when they said an architect's dream is an engineer's nightmare.

[@SmartiesSniffer]

Some days, like today, I’m blown away I never learned about these houses in my studio’s

[@antonincuvelier6417]

When architecture merges with the optical phenomenon. Great title °_°

[@JosiahDavidCarroll]

Those bedrooms are actually quite interesting if one should need to build below grade.

[@kevcal7]

Fascinating! I'd live there

[@VagabondMorrison]

I love all your videos, but these walkthroughs are why I keep coming back :) soooooo good!

[@stewarthicks]

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying them!

[@willquam1211]

Super cool

[@garethgriffiths1674]

The house was designed in 1991, and I can't help but notice significant formal similarities between it and a building designed the following year, Steven Holl's Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki (built 1998), the building as viewing machine and so on, albeit Holl was able to offer a separate philosophical narrative tied to Merleau-Ponty's idea of the Chiasmatic.

[@stewarthicks]

Interesting observation

[@abrar2863]

Great❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@OrangeRauy]

A very interesting concept of a house. A have to say that I'm sometimes a bit skeptical of the "long term habitability" of such houses that are deliberately set up as a kind of performance act. How much would a house like that actually serve in "everyday living" when you're not just travelling from the entrance to the viewing window for the first time? WIth Diller/Scofidio's artistical approach to architecture, that might not ultimately be the prupose of the house, but afterall it IS still a house. But after watching your video I do think the Slow House is also structured rather neatly and you certainly could live in it.

[@Darrida]

High level information. Remind me famous Domus magazine.

[@GhostedStories]

"Looks like a slug!" 7:55 I was about to say that 😅

[@maxvanbalgooy]

I’m intrigued by what the architects were attempting to achieve. It builds upon ideas from other designers, such as Andrew Jackson Downing, on addressing both the view of and the view from the building; procession, as seen in Johnson’s Glass House (which he modeled on the Acropolis); compression and release, as seen in Wright; and even the most basic tent (second floor) vs cave (bedrooms). Is it the melding of these ideas which made this house pathbreaking? Was it this complexity that made it so difficult to design and build?

[@franzsapka]

Brilliant use of "house" music around 1:49 :)

[@jonathanmuller5328]

The interest in sequential sightlines integrated with spatial compression/expansion is very effective. The house as 'object/slug' results in an aloof relationship with ground/ site for me though. As is architecture's norm, access for anyone except the stair climbing fit is ignored. The plan form just asks for a ramp.. maybe that element(s) could have mediated between inside/outside space?

[@bernardwind1633]

My Fav house!!

[@tyeteams7928]

Enjoy your videos. Please keep them coming. The subject is however, in my opinion is little more performance art piece hiding behind the foundation's of architecture. If one Owens water front one does not bastardize the viewing of it at all p

[@m.b.4884]

Stewart, is that your voice doing the "Narcos" movie? You have a beautiful voice!

[@robertslinger3811]

A minor comment - I believe the external stair from the balcony to grade was planned to be much steeper than how you have modelled it - more like a ladder/stair as found on a boat - at least according to the large D+S model

[@stewarthicks]

Hmm, it appears to be a discrepancy between the model and the plans. I believe the stair was measured off the plan...

[@poopsiexpants]

Omg let's build it!!

[@adrianzhang1706]

Could you make a video all about windows?

[@jcfranco231]

Can you discuss "inside jokes"? DS+R's use of the slug; Gehry's use of "Mourners from the Tomb of Philip the Bold" to generate form; OMA stealing CCTV from Eisenman who was just trying to make a phallic symbol, etc, etc. Hard to know what to make of architects who lecture on their "very serious" design process when often it's the contrary.

[@stewarthicks]

I guess I'm not sure why this would discredit architects? Just because there might be unusual associations that motivate an aspect of a design doesn't negate the value of something entirely. Do you feel like you're being duped?

[@NoConsequenc3]

Fun is serious business.

[@UltravioletNomad]

While I find the open gap between the floors really cool, I'm left wondering where the heck you'd put things like a stove/range, dishwasher, or refrigerator.

[@stewarthicks]

Probably in the cabinets behind?

[@UltravioletNomad]

@@stewarthicks See Im also having trouble judging the scale of everything, but if theres room that'd make sense.

[@MrTandtrollet]

The only channel where the first thing I do it give it a thumbs up cause you know it's gonna be great! X-D

[@stewarthicks]

That’s so sweet! Glad you trust me!

[@robertbradshaw1880]

What is the best architecture competition to enter?

[@chefearther7288]

I think 1990s deconstructivism are very directly informed. I try to explore something new. you might like it ^^. Enjoy Incredibism.

[@mattkaplan7047]

5:39 Is it supposed to be closed circuit* surveillance camera? Or does the house come with a stenographer to describe your actions XD

[@stewarthicks]

Lol what did I say? I can't remember

[@mattkaplan7047]

"The house comes with a closed caption surveillance camera"

[@stewarthicks]

Hahaha! Maybe Alexa can do that for us...

[@katschaccc]

Great house too bad it never got build. I would love to live in there I would just have a different front door.😅

[@Ty-vk8pb]

Why do you use Enscape instead of Lumion?

[@stewarthicks]

A myriad of factors, but mostly for how it integrates within Rhino. Why do you think Lumion would be better? I'm always interested in learning more...

[@Ty-vk8pb]

@@stewarthicks I've only used Enscape (and vray for nice stuff) and was asked the same question from a friend, who's an architect. Judging from what I hear online Enscape has an edge on interior renders while Lumion is better for exteriors, but I don't know any fellow students who use the former. Just wanted to see what your thoughts were

[@stewarthicks]

I'm not really using it to its potential. But It's easy for me to match photos with the views within Rhino. I also like not have another app, just working within Rhino and then also being able to share the link so easily...

[@ozloop69]

This reminds me of a French bulldog lying down

[@czarsean1]

I used to work in a building they designed, ICA Boston

[@ohjumpa]

Nothing is as disillusioning as the promises made not so long ago. They are too new and yet out of date

[@johndonahue4777]

I would rather camp in the yard under an old canoe than creep around in this horrid blind wrecked spaceship.

[@winterwatson6811]

if anyone is feeling jealous of a ‘’million dollar view’ in the hamptons, just know that the camera doesn’t capture the humidity, the mosquitos, or the occasional raft of rotting sargassum

[@winterwatson6811]

oops! quote gore 😅

[@michaelgreenslade7260]

I’m sorry but it looks like a garden slug with the antenna

[@Donquijote007]

Hello, I would like to know what houses you can recommend me to study as a reference, maybe 3 or 4? Thank you so much for your time!

[@DerekMantei]

I would rock the hell outta that slug, slug fest!

[@TheXfishbone]

You need to use Unreal 5

[@aaron2709]

Reminds me of Marina Abramović and Ulay... profound and silly.

[@SaiSantoshMARU]

S..........................L.................................O..............................W

[@swoondrones]

What app are you using to draw the 3Ds? Do you ever approach the architects for their 3Ds instead of you drawing them? The design is way too overdone.

[@rememberingmiami]

I'm not an architect so my view is pedestrian. Fist, curbed walls. You can't hang anything on them. Any art, photos, wall hangings, forget it. The walls will have to go bare. So there goes your chance of making this space a nest. Second, stairs to the public places. People are lazy. As soon as they come inside, they will forgo up the stairs and will continue on straight into the bedrooms. Third, the bedrooms are set according to the skylights. Again, you can't make it your space. Putting a bed in another place won't do, you have to put it where it was originally designed and you can't deviate from that, just like in prison. Why wasn't it built? Ran out of funds? Or was it just too complicated to build, as you had problems making this virtual model. Is there something in architecture as in biology, survival of the fittest philosophy. If something is just not feasible can it be built.

[@johnfife3062]

Meh. More sound than fury.

[@capcitymatt]

Not my cup of tea

[@yasup9442]

The slow house kinda sucks ngl