
MIT's Building 20: a Masterpiece of Utility

Playgrounds over Paths
Today's standard design wisdom focuses on the design of linear paths. Sometimes they may branch, but they're ultimately a sequential set of steps towards a desired outcome.
Within complex systems, these paths often lack the flexibility to adapt to emergent conditions - users acting outside the "designed boundaries".
Instead of... See more
Today's standard design wisdom focuses on the design of linear paths. Sometimes they may branch, but they're ultimately a sequential set of steps towards a desired outcome.
Within complex systems, these paths often lack the flexibility to adapt to emergent conditions - users acting outside the "designed boundaries".
Instead of... See more
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It was then I realised architecture is not about creating structures that are aesthetically pleasing or merely functional: it’s about designing spaces that evoke emotion and resonate with the human spirit. The Farnsworth House may have been a triumph of modernist design, but it lacked the warmth and humanity architecture should embody.
Here's why MIT Building 20 could be considered an example of "Nakatomi Space" in real life:●Unconventional Design: Building 20 was a hastily constructed "temporary" structure during World War II, leading to a flexible and adaptable layout that differed from the more rigid designs of traditional academic buildings.1 ●Repurposing and Modification:... See more