In the world of design and architecture, ‘Form follows function’ is a frequently used formula of modernism attributed to the architect Louis Sullivan. This maxim states that the design of an object or building should be based primarily on its function. We redefine the formula by incorporating the location. Because the context is always part of the solution. ‘Position’ has multiple meanings: as the localisation of a site and of an attitude. For each project, the question arises as to how to search for existing qualities and stories that make up the distinctiveness of a place. What impulses can these give? Is there love at second sight?
The current challenges – from the structural to the social level – require new approaches to residential and urban development. Building land is a valuable, communal resource and we have to ask ourselves how we can conserve resources when dealing with plots, public open space and the closing of gaps in the cityscape. How can architecture react appropriately to the urban context of a development that has grown over centuries? Where must the new take a subordinate role? How can it create a new identity at the same time? And can an ‘urban residual area’ become a place for the community?