The Concept of Timeless Architecture
If you've started researching for your upcoming project you might have heard the term "Timeless" design thrown about. It's a fairly common term that sounds more sophisticated than "good" design but unless you've truly studied design it can also come across as a bit vague and undescriptive. I thought I’d share a few core concepts I've been trying to articulate for myself, that you might find value in as well as you start trying to decipher what you deem to be "good" design.
What is Timeless Design
The dictionary definition of timeless is “not restricted to a particular time or date” which personally doesn’t mean much when technology and society is constantly changing. To me, there’s a feeling I get when I'm in a well-designed space that just feels "right." There is objectively no such thing as a perfect design, but I believe you can get pretty close when a space strikes the right balance between intended function, aesthetics, and context. I believe that starts to get to the heart of what Timelessness is in the context of quality design. It’s design that resonates deeply with basic human needs, desires, and histories which aren’t as susceptible to changes. So let's break that down into something practical:
1) Functionality
At its most basic level, a home exists to serve a multitude of functions vital to living such cooking, eating, cleaning, relaxing, sleeping, and bathing. Every one of these functions requires a certain set of tools in order to be carried out in an efficient and enjoyable manner. For example, if your kitchen doesn't have enough counter space, cooking will feel like a chore. If your dishwasher isn't placed next to your sink, you're going to drip water across the floor to load it up. When designing a space, you can improve function simply by understanding the core requirements of a task and arranging the necessary tools and spaces in the proper sequence to enable one to execute the task effortlessly.
Let’s consider a busy family living in an area with wet or snowy winters. A functional entry sequence might include a mudroom “choke point” adjacent to the garage such that the Mom can direct the kids to take off muddy shoes, dump backpacks, and wash up before making their way into the primary living spaces.
Another simple example might be the design of a small area for some occasional work from home. If your work involves taking phone calls, a basic requirement for your space might be that it has doors so you can get some privacy from the rest of the noisy house. But maybe you actually hate getting sucked into work at home. In that case, your ideal home office setup might just be a simple countertop in a hallway such that you’re actively discouraged from spending lots of time at the laptop.
I believe for anything to even be considered Timeless, its functions should address our personal needs and intended goals above all else.
2) Simplicity
Akin to being functional, I believe a Timeless design is characterized by one that eliminates the necessary in order to allow the space to function as effortlessly as possible. For something to be effortless, it needs to be simple and intuitive which is often easier said than done.
The most common example of Simplicity that we all are familiar with are Apple products. With the exact same User Interface that my toddler taught herself to use, I can develop complex automations to control the Smart features of my house (amongst many other things). They removed all unnecessary buttons and developed a gesture-based system that mimics the most natural and fundamental movements our fingers can make. That's a masterclass of User Interface design.
Regarding architecture, we want to strive for that same type of intuitive Simplicity. We strip the unnecessary ornamentation and trendy features that don't contribute to the overall function of the home. Before we start your project, we’ll discuss and analyze in depth how you’d like to live:
Do you just cook for yourself or do you frequently host parties? Who’s the primary cook? Are they at the design meetings?
Do you like to exercise at home in private or do you go out to a gym? Do you do yoga or do you lift weights? What space requirements does your equipment need?
Is your bedroom an end of night retreat where you unwind or do you simply go there to sleep? Do you watch TV in bed? Do you enjoy a glass of tea before bed each night?
Each of these questions forms the basis for how you like to live your life. We can use the answers to these questions to inform how a space should be equipped and laid out such that they become more intuitive and enjoyable for the ways you like to use them. In sharp contrast to large, generic tract homes that overly prioritize basic room count, we will include the features necessary to maximize the function of each space such that your home operates as effortlessly as you operate an iPhone.
3) Quality, Lasting Materials
Selecting high-quality, durable materials not only contribute to the visual appeal of a space but also ensure the longevity and resilience of the design. Timeless design often favors materials known for their durability, sustainability, and ability to gracefully weather the passage of years. I believe there is beauty in seeing how natural woods, stones, and metals slowly change overtime. A Timeless design expects and embraces the changing attributes of these materials rather than selecting a material that needs to be thrown away and replaced as it starts to wear.
The materials we select are one of the most direct contributors to whether a design feels high-quality as they quite literally make up the spaces we occupy: We can tangibly reach out and have a physical interaction with a countertop, door handle, or wall. If we're seeking to create a feeling of timelessness, selecting quality materials is the foundation of our design narrative.
4) Honest Use of Materials
A home's narrative unfolds most clearly when the selected materials are true to their inherent characteristics. Honest use of materials means embracing the traditional use of a material as well as celebrating its imperfections. They add subtle depth and character to the design.
Consider working with stone: Stone blocks are one of the most primitive types of structural materials as you essentially just stack them. They provide a heavy, grounded feeling to a design and want to be set against ground. A dishonest use of Stone would be to apply a manufactured stone veneer to a cantilevered steel structure. Stone doesn't inherently want to be in this configuration and we'd have to rely on modern building techniques to pull this off. It might be dramatic and there might be instances where we'd want to achieve this aesthetic, but I would be hesitant to call it Timeless simply because it defies the traditional uses of stone.
A compelling design provides a narrative where every material is used for a purpose that meaningfully contributes to the overall story of the home.
5) Context Aware
Context awareness in design involves a deep understanding of the local environment—both natural and built. It's about crafting a home that seamlessly integrates with its surroundings, whether nestled in an urban landscape or perched amidst nature. It responds to the climate, topography, and the cultural nuances of the area.
This might manifest as epic windows framing an expansive view or be as simple as matching the same height of adjacent homes in the neighborhood. It might be a home being configured to follow a sloping hill. Frank Lloyd Wright famously built the fireplace of his FallingWater residence directly on boulders left in place on the site.
The goal of considering context is to create a design that simply feels right in whatever area it's located in.
My hope is that points above have provided a clear and approachable definition to what constitutes Timeless design. Although it is still fairly subjective and design specific, it gives you some criteria from which to gauge how someone approaches their design process. My hope is that when you read a news article stating "vibrant colors are so in", you'll take a second to consider why they are making that claim and whether that will be a pass in a flash or be something more timeless.
