Justin, 9/11

I'm grateful for the up-close lesson on the new rules of architecture in Orlando. Although I've meant to appreciate the architecture in different cities I visit, I've been limited in what I see. As any light audience would be for any of the arts, I usually saw structures for what they were as a whole. Though I would still consider myself very much uninformed, at least I have things to look for.
One aspect of the building process that I started thinking about was the approachability of the structure. Standing out in front of the courthouse, we obviously didn't feel welcome. It's a long lonely walk from the street, through the courtyard, up the stairs and into the intimidating doors. They're certainly not inviting people in off the street just to take a look around. The same was true for the Bank of America building. Although it wasn't as ominous as the courthouse, it was guarded by the "pillars" that surrounded the courthouse, which also separated the building from the street. I wouldn't call the building intimidating, but I felt a sense of "if you don't have business here, don't come around." The distance from the street to the door is definitely a sign as to whether you feel welcome or not. You can see it at the apartment complexes also. Some of my friends live at The Grande, which is a little further south of where we were. The entrance to the complex is pushed well back off of the street, but the office for prospective tenants is right on the sidewalk. The obvious function is to invite people in that weren't necessarily headed there, as well as make it comfortable for the people that were. Simple things like that made the architectural process seem overwhelming in trying to reach a balance between fashion and function.