Place for a Cup

Cindy and I were just enjoying a great cup of coffee this afternoon at one of Austin's best trailers, Patika. Today being the best weather we've had in months, the whole sensory experience of breeze, light, and textures reminded me how profound a sense of place can be. From the tent-like solar shade canopy above to the surprising soft feel of the perforated metal tables to the texture and colors of the fortuitously messaged walldog, the result is a place where you just want to BE. And it is specifically, indelibly Austin...oh, did I mention the macchiato? (they're sourcing beans from Cuvee)


Anyway, it got me thinking and I remembered Kenneth Frampton long ago outlined 'Attitudes of Critical Regionalism' in Modern Architecture: A Critical History, which could apply well as basic criteria for how Austin architecture should maintain its unique sense of place. Here are my favorites:


- Favors the small rather than the big plan
- Architecture as tectonic rather than scenographic
- Treats openings as delicate transitional zones of response to site, climate, light
- Emphasizes tactile over visual
- Cultivates a contemporary place-oriented culture


I like the emphasis on making and the handmade instead of an image-based graphic approach.