After class, Jerry and I had a conversation about designing architecture out of words and writing words that describe architecture. We conjectured if this is possible at all.

Designing a space from the words of a novel is difficult because each reader personally interprets the text. When an architect stamps a set of construction documents, he or she is against the idea of physical interpretation. The prodigious set of documents shout "This is how I will look!" Can an architect stamp construction documents for a novel by outlining every step, shadow, and clothing article? Would it say"This is exactly how each scene takes place!"? Maybe, but one risks losing the meaning of the scene with a blitzkrieg of details more dizzying than excessive shaky cam.

Now the opposite: what if we write a building. I couldn't fathom any examples until I stumbled upon a section diagram for the Seattle Public Library by The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). This winning design proposal uses text to present the building (for those interested, the project is articulately explained on this website). OMA have other projects that incorporate typography to label building programs, but this one is especially appropriate. Unfortunately, this diagram fails to describe the feeling one has when walking through the space. Either that is interpretive, or architects are not writing well enough.