Tending Building

To tend a building is to design in consonance with inevitable change — and to understand this change as a desirable expression of material properties, site dynamics, inter-species coexistence, and the behavior of buildings and their contexts over time.

When Buildings Heal: Shifting from Repair to Tending

In architecture, the concept of "repair" has traditionally meant restoring a building or its components to their original state. But what if there's a better way? This article proposes an alternative approach: "tending."

While fixing a broken window or restoring a faded facade might seem necessary, these actions often prioritise the past over the future. They can also lock us into a cycle of constant maintenance. Tending, on the other hand, acknowledges the inevitable changes buildings undergo and seeks to guide them towards beneficial futures.

The Case of the Salk Institute

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, designed by Louis Kahn, provides a compelling example. The institute's teak windows were initially intended to weather naturally to a silver-gray color. However, the client preferred their original, uniform, orange-brown appearance. This preference led to aggressive cleaning methods that ultimately damaged the wood.

Beyond Aesthetics: Material Histories and Ecological Realities

A deeper look reveals a more complex story. The teak itself originated in Southeast Asia, transported across vast distances to a coastal California environment. The black discoloration that appeared wasn't a defect; it was a natural response to the local climate and the presence of eucalyptus trees, introduced earlier by colonists.

Tending Towards the Future

Instead of fighting these natural tendencies, tending would involve understanding the materials, their history, and how they interact with the environment. In the case of the Salk Institute, this might have meant accepting the natural variations in the teak's color or specifying a different type of wood more suited to the coastal location.

Beyond Repair: A New Design Ethic

Tending offers a new design ethic. It encourages architects to consider the long-term implications of their choices and to design buildings that can gracefully adapt to change. This approach requires a deeper understanding of materials, ecology, and the complex web of factors that influence a building's lifespan.

The Benefits of Tending

Tending isn't just about aesthetics; it's about sustainability. By working with natural processes instead of against them, we can create buildings that require less maintenance and have a lower environmental impact. Tending also fosters a more respectful relationship with the natural world, acknowledging our place within a larger ecological system.

Conclusion: A Broken World Demands New Thinking

Our current world faces many challenges, and architecture is no exception. Tending offers a new way of thinking about design, one that embraces change and works in harmony with nature. By embracing this approach, we can create buildings that are not only beautiful but also resilient and sustainable for generations to come.