Responding to Context

Significant architecture must be a response to the context in which it finds itself. Each of the two sites, Clemson's Jaycee Park and Pendleton's Hundred's site, already possess a history that is defined by the way in which humans have encountered and used them. The ambiance of each is credited to this interactivity while each can also be viewed in the broader context of its surroundings. The way in which each site situates itself in these communities, in both location and use, is a product of this interactivity. As designers, we have the ability, and more often than not, the responsibility to manipulate this ambiance. To first become intimately familiar with what the place is will inform our architectural approach to allow us to make delicate and decisive moves towards a design that ultimately serves the people. In the Clemson site, the design should serve, not only by protecting against chosen elements of the natural world, but should inform the public of the importance of sustainability and where Clemson can tap into this global awareness. In Pendleton, the history of a place that is cherished by many, will be memorialized with respect.
In this particular instance we, the Stewardship South Studio students, have the privilege as Clemson residents to be a layer of the immediate fabric that constitutes the context of the Clemson Pavilion. It is beneficial to experience first hand the environment on which we will graft our creation. There are influences, that are becoming apparent, which accompany a design build process that have been able to be overlooked in previous studio work. Within the chronological confines of this semester, by which decisiveness is crucial, there will be a product. At some point, we will be forced to make. I shouldn't use the word force because, I know, we are all eager to build what we design, but it is a new experience to result in an absolute rather than leaving possibilities for infinite change as in studio work. What we do here WILL impact this community, for better or worse, and we will be responsible for that impact. We are held accountable by the city, its leaders, its citizens, the university, our peers, and most importantly to ourselves. It is a delicate balance that lies within personal benefit through learning and the practicality as it is viewed by the users of the space. I want to make something that Clemson will be proud of. Something that is worth writing about, but I want it to be worth writing about because the people who it affects are enlightened by its existence.