Why Modernism And Why Now?

Why are we seeing such a resurgence in modern architecture across the country, particularly in high-end resort communities like the Hamptons?

The movement, which really started in the late 1980s, represents a conglomeration of factions spawned from many “isms,” such as futurism, constructivism, expressionism, international style modernism, deconstructivism and new modernism, etc. Taken collectively, this mosaic reflects an editing of ossified ideas that don’t go beyond their own self-referential framework.

Consequently, by resting on the creative laurels of the past, the future is being thwarted by the prospect of modernism’s reincarnation as a purely historical movement. There may be, however, more to the current version of modernism than meets the eye.

Of course, with the current economic situation there are parallels to the Great Depression. Hemlines nudged up last year but now they’re going below the knee again, a potential economic indicator that the tide is leaning toward a recession. Building typologies are being reexamined and pared down for functionality, utility, clarity and economy. Removing excess and clutter, downsizing and streamlining—both philosophically and emotionally—fit with the new modernist aesthetic.

But what about the zeitgeist? The notion of stylism is being popularized by the media in television shows like “Mad Men” and the coming “Pam Am.” In fashion, the retro-chic modernism of designers like Tom Ford, Armani, Prada and Donna Karen, is propelled and showcased by advertisers, according to Bridgehampton-based architect Preston T. Phillips.

He also noted that “The East End has always been a proving ground for emerging architecture and to repeat or copy a style, and often poorly, was not my idea of architecture ... But at some point one realizes it’s time to join the 20th century.”

Mr. Phillips observed that the growing desire for modernist homes also represents a generational shift.

“The recent interest in everything mid-century is also an influence of great import,” he said. “The new generation of homeowners wants to be a reflection of the time in which they live, not their parents or grandparents, unless of course one has inherited a fabulous shingle-style home. In that case, pull up a rocker on the porch and enjoy the view from the verandah.”

In the publication arena, advertising interests have been driving the editorial content of architectural journals and shelter magazines for years. Advertisements, for example, depicting green products beget articles on green design, etc.

The concept of sustainability, associated with progressive thinking, is very popular with younger people, even though they have no conception of what triggered modernism in the first place. The younger set still wants to show off its wealth, but without adornments since heavy ornamentation is now considered both politically incorrect if not downright gauche.

For Water Mill-based architect Bill Chaleff, modernism symbolizes a forward-thinking movement, which respects the environment while providing both economic and intrinsic value.

Texas-based artist and environmental designer Pablo Solomon, who works throughout the Southwest, looks to modernism as “a statement of faith in the future.”

“In tough times, some retreat to ideas and designs of the past,” he said. “However, the creative and intellectual leaders tend to present solutions that press to the future, that in areas such as the Hamptons, there are many people who want their homes to reflect their faith in our ability to build a better future.”

New movements throughout the history of architecture have come about through technological advancements. The development of long-span steel gave us the skyscraper and flush curtain walls but it also allowed for large expanses of glass in the modern residence as well. Today’s architects are focused on solving the problems of the environment created by antiquated regulations and technologies.

Oil and gas are not renewable sources of energy so there is great demand for alternative sources of renewable energy. Fresh water is a valuable commodity and care has to be taken with respect to keeping resources potable and plentiful in addition to maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

The lay public and government officials look to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings, established by the United States Green Building Council, as an accepted standard even though they are consensus-based, overseen and confirmed by third party certification at an extra cost to the client or builder.

These regulations are forever changing and fluid but they exist in a universe without recognizable standards. They are neither codified within a national building code nor deemed fit to be part of the licensure track for architects by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. What LEEDs does not do is take into account a standard of care.

In ignorance, the public and politicians have latched onto LEEDs as if it’s a panacea for responsible design. The problem here is really the perception that LEEDs certification is simply a groovy buzzword prize—the flavor of the moment with an assumed Good Housekeeping-type Seal of Approval.

The infliction of LEEDs on the reinvention of a new modernism that’s seriously trying to address the current problems through both logical and scientific methods can only set back the gains of a fledgling movement. If real faith in the future can be expressed in an architecture that relates to the here and now, time and place in a cultural, intelligent, contextual, responsible way then it behooves everyone to refrain from doing what is most comfortable—placing labels and categorizing the moment, as if that awareness is enough to satisfy the modernistic tendencies.