Stories Architecture Can Tell
The word “architecture” is often misunderstood as being synonymous with only the visual appearance of a building, but this perception represents a great disservice to both architects and architecture around the world. Architecture tells a much richer and more complex story – and it is the architect who must accept the responsibility of telling it. The way a building fits as an element within a broader built environment becomes a story the whole community wants to hear.
We know that every building, no matter how big or small, requires some level of consensus and approval, be it from the city’s planning department, the city’s building department, city council, or the surrounding community and its elected official (or a combination of these). It is helpful to bear in mind that this group represents an audience that requires explanations and justifications. Like every audience, this one comes with a variety of perspectives, differing interests and sometimes conflicting motivations. A story in this context – a narrative of words and images – can be used not just to instruct an audience about a subject, the building, but to engage them. The story is what wins over the audience.
The act of storytelling has recently gained a lot of attention in a variety of disciplines, including architecture, where it is especially important since the complexity of the subject matter may be difficult to understand. Because storytelling is a universally recognized method of expression, a story, with a clearly stated narrative and objective, can present complex information in a more accessible way to an audience. Telling a good story becomes essential when understanding may lead to community acceptance, and the ultimate success of the project.
To understand how storytelling can be an effective tool when proposing a building, we first look at how stories are constructed and understood. Most stories are made up of similar elements, with a beginning, a middle and an end. Using this simple structure, the story of a building can be a way to successfully gain the understanding and support needed for its successful realization. When a building project attempting to achieve this support is presented by simply relating the facts, rather than engaging the audience through storytelling, that success is not assured.
Tell a better story.
To do this, it is helpful to identify the parts of a story and their parallels in a building project. A story has four main parts: setting, plot development, climax and resolution. For a building project, the setting introduces the characters and context, the plot identifies the needs to be satisfied, presents the possible difficulties in doing so, and describes the many design iterations through which the conflict is resolved. The climax may be said to occur when the final design is completed and all conflicts are resolved. When presenting a building proposal story, the final drawings and the commencement of construction is the critical point of the process.
But in the story of a building, it’s only when the construction is completed that all issues are (hopefully) truly resolved and all needs have been met. The final resolution occurs when the building is comfortably occupied and used for its intended purposes. Only then is there evidence that the design is successful.
The setting of the story establishes the characters involved: not just the owner/architect and their team, but also possibly the neighbours and the community, the planning department staff and the local councillor and more broadly, the city council itself. The members of this entire cast have different roles to play and often need unique consideration. Be aware of all the characters, their concerns, and more importantly, their aspirations and needs. When a project addresses all the characters’ desires while explaining its internal needs, then true engagement can take place. Early conflicts may arise so it may help if the needs are presented as shared goals of the project.
Equally, the context is not exclusive to the site of the proposal. It encompasses the neighbouring sites (and their contents) as well as the broader city environment of which this development intends to become a part – rather than standing apart. Demonstrating that the site is part of a rich cultural history, unique to the community and identifying those elements that illustrate the authenticity of the project in its context will help your audience relate to it and acknowledge its potential value.
Next is the plot of the project, which provides the detail and analysis to respond to the various needs identified above. To paint a complete picture, it is important to provide the details of how big it is, what it’s made of and what needs it fulfills, clearly and with due consideration of all characters and context. It is with these details that the design takes centre stage, allowing the architect to describe and explain the many choices that were made. Some needs may be met initially but now new conflicts may be identified. It is rare that a proposal will perfectly satisfy all potential issues, recognized or not, in its initial manifestation. The resolution of these issues and conflicts takes place when the design is completed but may often continue during the construction phase. The grand climax occurs, as it should, when the building is completed and ready for occupancy.
So, tell a better story, one that prioritizes all the characters equally and places them in the complete setting, and it becomes easier to explain how the proposed solution faces the conflicts and resolves them, instead of simply relating facts. You will find that by engaging your audience through the storytelling experience that consensus may be more easily achieved, the audience can be engaged and the ultimate approval can be gained. The story is about your audience now, not the building project.
By focusing on the story, the architect can answer some of the important questions. How will this project provide a safe, welcoming and happy home for its future residents/occupants/users? How will it be sensitive to, and mitigate any negative impacts to neighbouring properties? How will this project enhance and positively contribute to the larger story: the life of the street and community, both visually (through aesthetics) and with opportunities for engagement? How will it help set a high standard and exert a positive influence on the story of the future: the health and growth of the city and the planet through reduction to the heat island effect (landscaping and tree canopy), control of storm water, reduction of greenhouse gases through sustainable design techniques, low energy use, new energy production? Essentially, how does the project give back? When the architect begins to answer these questions, the project becomes part of a larger and more important story.
By telling a better story, the architect can help make the resolution of conflict everyone’s ultimate desire, steering away from the traps of more individualistic concerns like return on investment and other near-sighted and short-term objectives. By using a narrative to clearly explain the complexities of the project and focusing on the broader picture, the proposal can identify the ways the project can create positive outcomes for everyone, long into the future.
Instead of presenting a project as a singular image fighting only for its own self-interests, try telling a story about a project that is sensitive to its context, that benefits others and turns your audience into engaged participants rather than mistrusting observers. This will help guide them towards understanding and believing in its goals. Perhaps even sharing in your desire for its success.
As the building story draws to an end, people begin using the building in ways that fulfill its intended purpose. But this is only the start of a much longer story: the lifespan of the building and the ways it affects the life and the development of its neighbourhood and its community.