We have a few calls out for landscape architects (with few
calls back; hmmm...). Meanwhile, I’ve been thinking about what we would like
for the hardscape part of the landscape. Given the walls (the privacy wall out
front, the art wall inside, the inset wall on the front, and the north wall
that extends to the outdoors), I’m thinking walls should be a theme of sorts
for the landscape.
The walls described above remind me, however loosely, of the
site plan for the brick country house Mies van der Rohe designed in 1924. This
design is iconic in architectural circles because the plan, in and of itself,
is a work of abstract art. The walls are ”exploded” in the sense they don’t
connect to define space. Long walls drift away from the house giving the plan a
sense of infinity.
o Mies, you so neoplastic!
Those that know a hell of a lot more than I do suggest that
Mies’s brick country house was strongly influenced by the Dutch art movement
call de Stijl (pronounced duh stile [which sounds like something Snookie would
say…]), which means ”The Style” (and is also referred to as ”neoplasticism”).
The de Stiljers, active between 1917 and 1931, liked to reduce reality to
abstract representations of (often) unconnected vertical and horizontal lines,
rectangles and squares, and primary and non (black, gray, and white) colors.
The painter Piet Mondrian (color blocking!) is probably the most famous
neoplasticist (who later had a falling out with another founder of de Stijl [Theo van Doesburg] over the use of diagonal lines).
Mondrian. Neoplasticist. "Composition with Yellow" (1930)
Doesburg's version of neoplasticism: "Russian Dancing" (1918)
In 1924 Doesburg went diagonal (Elementarism). Mondrian was not amused.
The movement included several architects, including Gerrit
Rietveld, Robert van't Hoff, and J.J.P. Oud. Rietvold used de Stijl principles
to build the famous Rietveld Schröder House between 1923 and 1924 (apparently
the only house to employ all of de Stijl principles in structure).
Rietveld Schröder House
Mies continued to be influenced by neoplasticism, clearly evident at the Barcelona Pavilion.
Paper or neoplastic?
So how does this fit with our house? Again, think of those
walls (but let’s forget about that primary color bidness...). I’m thinking of
adding more disconnected walls following the grid of the house to define yard
space. I’m thinking about a shorter one at the head of the parking spot that
doesn’t start exactly at the corner (to keep it conceptually and visually
separated from the plane of the drive [and to keep the bride from taking it out
when backing out from the carport...]) that extends out from the end of the
paved parking spot. Another, even shorter one, could be oriented east-west,
lined up with the first story-window in the second story volume.
In the rear of the property, walls could be placed to provide
security, privacy, sound isolation, and circulation (pathways and where to go)
and define space.
Below is what I’ve come up with (cost considerations cast aside
for the moment: Solid walls are expensive!) with a (gentle) deconstruction (with selected house walls).
Now to find a neoplastic landscape architect!
Bonus blog post! Mondrian’s tenets of neoplasticism
- Coloration must be in the primary colors of red, blue and yellow or the noncolors of black, gray and white.
- Surfaces must rectangular planes or prisms.
- Aesthetic balance must be achieved and this is done through the use of opposition.
- Compositional elements must be straight lines or rectangular areas.
- Symmetry is to be avoided.
- Balance and rhythm are enhanced by relationships of proportion and location.
Bonus deep thought about neoplasticism!
If the kids down the block form a band heavily influence by the
Plasmatics, are they neoPlasmatics?
