Since their inception, libraries have been a foundation for all disciplines of thought, the physical bricks of institutional and cultural knowledge. Architecture cannot be disentangled from philosophy and scholarship, the molding of the built environment is inherently conceptually laden. As expressed in “Architecture as an Art of Understanding,” societal desires require architectural solutions – a response to inquiry (Mizia 2014, 81-83). CAZA’s design process is therefore centered around our creative bank, our library, as a philosophical guide. Our many iterations of architectural designs and urban plans are informed by references. Pulling from our reservoir of images, we base each project in a foundation of intention. With every additional project, our library of references grows, our ever-expanding nexus of creativity.
At CAZA, ingenuity is encouraged, each project an opportunity. Not only do we draw from our library, but we peer beyond the traditional boundaries of design. We do not restrict ourselves to rigid boxes that stifle organic thinking. Much like our parametric geometries, we extrapolate singular thoughts into webs of ideas. Innovation is informed by constant sources of inspiration, so we remain proactive in seeking them out. Both digitally and physically, the office is encased by books on architectural theory and publication pages of recent installations. The office hums of sifting through pages of our catalog and equally from investigating avenues decorated by novel ideas.
This inspiration not only propels our projects, but also our public-facing work. Drawing from CAZA’s expansive library, published books emerged, such as The Metabolism of Settlement Coexistences and CAZA: 2011 – 2015. Our creative records similarly inspire our series of White Papers, researched-based commentaries on architecture. Upcoming works rooted in our reservoir are papers on the integration of data centers and urban design as well as stormwater runoff. The former is motivated by grappling with the nuances of technological integration into the built environment and the latter from our coastal projects that are rooted in ecological consciousness. Thus, we continuously assemble a foundation of references that inspires each project.
Bibliography:
Mizia, Małgorzata. “Architecture as an Art of Understanding.” The Polish Review 59, no. 4 (2014): 81–92. https://doi.org/10.5406/polishreview.59.4.0081.
