There’s a building in Prague by the architect Frank Gehry that is affectionately known as “Fred and Ginger”.  The building appears as a pair of dancers in an impassioned embrace: the tailored elegance of Fred Astaire matched brilliantly with the fluid grace of Ginger Rogers.  Here, architecture captures the spirit of a delightful relationship in motion.

When harmony is achieved in buildings, things are in excellent relationship with one another, a sort of arcane balance is realized.  To be sure, serendipity plays its part, but harmony happens through inspiration and intent. Consider a room that is filled with daylight but doesn’t overheat or send glaring rays and isn’t too bright for comfort.

Like yin and yang, balance is sought: plenty, but not too much.

This is true for spatial relations, too.  A formal dining room should have some separation from the bustle in the kitchen.  Bedrooms should have privacy.  A bathroom should not open into the kitchen.  On the other hand, having a family dining area adjacent to the kitchen can stimulate interaction between the occupants: set the table, chop the veggies, check the pasta, smell the bread, have a glass of wine.

More esoterically, materials should have comfortable relationships, too.  Should a brick snuggle up to shag carpet?  Is it right for a stainless-steel toilet to be in the master bathroom? (maybe…)  Is stone happy with plastic edging?  Some of this is like a Saint Bernard/poodle mix.  Could it work?  Should it?

And then there are the relations of the people in a building.  Are they friends, families, co-workers, strangers, combatants, customers, clients, collaborators?  What about the future unknown occupants, should they be considered?

Finally, does the building enhance people’s experiences? When an environment recognizes its inhabitants, then special interactions might take on meaning and reinforce health, and productivity, and efficiency, and mutuality.

Find balance. Allow relationships to reinforce one another.  Help the whole be greater than the sum of the parts.