Abstract
While clearly distinct professional fields defined by their respective disciplinary parameters, law and architecture are intertwined in profound, if imperceptible, ways. Law creates an invisible web of restriction that affects architectural practice, most obviously through legal liability, contractual relationships and E and O insurance. More importantly, legal requirements affect the physical outcome of architectural effort in ways that render its influence greater than more evident factors like design philosophy, style, cost parameters or site restrictions. This paper, based upon an extensive international research program exploring the disciplinary boundaries between two major professions, examines the impact of the legal interface with design at three levels. The first assesses the most fundamental role of role of law in shaping the fundamental architectural form, the house, while the second takes a wider perspective by exploring the impact of law at a composite scale, including building typologies (skyscraper design) and recognized styles (Georgian). The third level looks more broadly at the role of law in determining the overall layout and character of the whole urban environment, examining such cities as Paris, London and New York and their development within the respective legal frameworks that shaped them.
Presenters
Robert GreenstreetProfessor and Dean Emeritus, Architecture, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Law, Architecture, Environment
