FosterPartners Social Ends Technical Means社交结束技术手段.pdfVIP

Social Ends, Technical Means This essay is an updated version of an article first published in Architectural Design, 9-10 in 1977. When the Willis Faber and Dumas building was first published most magazines at the time began and ended their coverage of the building with pictures of curved glass walls and high technology. Whilst one should not underestimate the importance of such technical means, for me they have never been ends in themselves. The ends are always social — generated by people rather than the hardware of buildings. However, the relationship between ends and means is a vital part of our approach. Together with my known association with Buckminster Fuller, any study of the practice’s earlier work, from 1963 onwards (without which it would have been impossible to contemplate this design) should make clear our position on adopting what we believe to be appropriate technologies in achieving social goals. In a fundamental sense the building is really about people and their place of work. Socially, of course, this is a moving target. Herman Kahn, American futurologist of the Hudson Institute, once made the point that those office buildings that failed to anticipate what he saw as inevitable social changes would simply become obsolete if they did not respond by raising standards and providing a high proportion of amenities. In his view, these were not philanthropic gestures, just the hard cutting edges of changing real estate values. My own experience bears this out. It is perhaps worth a reminder of the concept — the parti — of the Willis Faber building. Essentially, two office floors — for around 1300 people — are elevated and sandwiched between amenity and support areas above and below them. The ground level comprises a concourse, swimming pool, coffee bar, gymnasium, crèche (since changed), mechanical and electrical plant, computer suite and internal truck- loading docks. The roof level comprises a glass restaurant pavi