Taperman articles

The Post Modern era in Architecture is associated with the 1960s. During the 60s the conflict between The Establishment and individual identity and self expression affected architecture as it did nearly all things. The break from the established rules of architecture was most evident in public structures and housing for the affluent. The change to architecture in moderate housing was less related to style than to how it melded with, and was impacted by, the surrounding environment. City planning also became essential due to burgeoning population growth.

During the 60s, individual concepts and the desire to express change and informality created disparity between theory and practice in architecture. Architects of the 60s developed a network of communication that allowed exchange of information and ideas outside of academic boundaries. This new breed of architects proposed that architecture was more than the creation of isolated structures but that it required social and environmental considerations as well. Use of space age technology, real and envisioned, coupled with the new concepts of complex architecture, led the way toward environmentally and ecologically focused design.

The 70s were eventful, often chaotic, years. The unpopular Viet Nam War caused social, political and economic distress. The social impact of the energy crisis and the economic recession that followed created fundamental changes in attitude. Globally, the style of major architecture projects in the 70s was experimental and unconventional. Individualism and extremism prevailed. Architecture in American housing was more conventional, but reflected change related to the times.

With the return of Viet Nam veterans and the availability of VA mortgages, young families were in the market for housing. At the same time, the social changes of the 70s intensified the exodus from cities to suburbs and rural settings. Although the architecture of new homes of the 70s changed little externally, internal design reflected the latest technology. Increased energy costs and awareness of the need for energy conservation advanced the use of energy efficient products and development of alternate sources, such as solar and wind.

A new direction for architecture in the 70s was the trend toward restoration and rehabilitation of existing buildings. Consumer preference to renovate old structures, rather than build new ones, increased demand for architecture plans for the restoration of old houses, barns, deserted schoolhouses etc. Warehouses and old factories were being converted to apartments, restaurants and shopping malls. Desire for revival and reintegration created a new trend in the common architecture of the decade.

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