Learning from the past

Learning from the past:

How traditional Scandinavian design influences one Minnesota architect

Erin Anderson

Architects have, and always will be confronted with the problem of what role should history play in contemporary architecture, if any. Architects struggle with many complex issues in each building project they undertake, and it is often hard to discern which issues are most pressing, let alone deciding how a building will relate to the history of the site, culture, and architecture as a whole. According to David Salmela, “The three most crucial issues of architecture today are not about design direction but rather preservation and sensitive use of the natural environment, the preservation and sensitive use of our existing built environment, and the sensitivity of design within the context of the first two.” David Salmela is the principal of a small architecture firm in Duluth, Minnesota has taken a stance through his design on this very topic of history, tradition, and the role it has in architecture today.

Looking to the past can give an architect insight on where to begin tackling the issues that accompany a design project. What design solutions have worked well in the past? What solutions were unsuccessful? How can these solutions be applied in architectural design and practice today? How has the context of design changed today as opposed to fifty, one hundred, or two hundred years ago? What can be gleaned from the past and incorporated in a relevant way into architecture today? Salmela|Architect is a small architecture firm in Duluth, Minnesota whose practice is based upon this very attitude towards architecture, history, and design. The work done by David Salmela combines contemporary design thinking and aesthetics with traditional Scandinavian ideals and methods, reflecting the local history and genealogy of both Salmela and his native state of Minnesota.

Salmela uses three major connections to link his architectural practice today to the history and context of building in Minnesota, where the traditional building techniques and styles were brought to the region by various Scandinavian settlers. Salmela’s investigation of form, material, and performance in traditional Scandinavian architecture has allowed him to design relevant buildings that are both contemporary and traditional in their nature, while responding critically and thoughtfully to the existing built and natural environments.

FORM

The form of a building is perhaps the most formal gesture that one can make in the physical environment. The form of a building is often where the designer takes a stance on design, and is able to express it at the large scale. Salmela maintains simplicity in the development of his building forms, and as Tom Fisher notes, he often “gives a nod to history, but with the wink of an eye.” As an architect that practices in a small geographical area, Salmela utilizes a narrow range of forms in his design. Most of his buildings recall either the “simple gable-roofed forms of Scandinavian vernacular, or the plain, flat-roofed forms of modern architects who have worked at the geographical margins, such as Alvar Aalto.” This simplicity of form can be seen in his project at Brandenburg’s Ravenwood Studio, a collection of small buildings that consist of a main house, studio, and other accessory buildings. The roof forms dominate the visual landscape and are reminiscent of a Scandinavian village lost in the northwoods of Minnesota. Salmela has taken these familiar gabled roofs and pushed their utility further, using their historical relevance to the project while uniquely expressing them in a contemporary way. For example, the roof of the studio telescopes out and over the edge of the building to provide cover to the entry of the building. He also repeats and staggers the traditional gable rooflines in various locations to create and inform the hierarchy of space that is contained beneath them. In order to differentiate the roof forms on a secondary level, Salmela uses a variety of materials, some traditional roofing materials, and others not, to express the different portions of the house. In this way, his forms draw upon familiarity without replicating history.

Brandenburg Ravenwood Studio

MATERIALS

Historically, the materials used in a building project were often reflective of what was geographically available in the region, and what building technologies were customary for that specific location and time period. Wood was the predominant building material throughout much of Scandinavia as the area is heavily forested. The forested landscape and even the climate of Northern Minnesota are much like that of Scandinavian countries, and is perhaps why the state was heavily settled by Norwegians, Finns, and Swedes. Wood is not only used as a construction material for the structure and cladding of homes in Minnesota, and specifically the residential projects of David Salmela, but it is also used extensively as a finish. Wood floors, ceilings, and even walls are not uncommon to see in the interior of Salmela’s work, adding a level of warmth and natural beauty to each of his projects. The manner in which Salmela is able to compose not only the material palette, but also the pattern created by the wood as a building material elevates the humble material to a higher level of complexity and design in each of his projects. Salmela approaches wood in each of his projects differently, both inside and out. On the exterior of the building, he typically takes one of two approaches, by either leaving the wood in a relatively natural state, unstained or unpainted, or by incorporating the use of color quite liberally. Interestingly enough, and contrary to what one might believe offhand, it seems that the use of color has deeper roots in Scandinavian tradition, recalling the brightly painted barns and homes found throughout the region. In the Scott Kerze Sauna, the vertical board siding alternates between boards stained red, and boards that have been left unstained. This addition of color, while somewhat reminiscent of a circus tent, does not seem out of place on the lakeshore in Northern Minnesota. The pattern created by this alternation gives the appearance of depth to the flat wall; the red boards seem to leap forward towards the viewer, and the unstained boards step back. Through his careful manipulation and consideration of materials, as in the Kerze Sauna, Salmela is able to use traditional building materials in new and unique ways.

Kerze Sauna

PERFORMANCE

If there is one thing that is on the minds of architects and designers more today than in the recent past, it is sustainability and building performance. This is, however, by no means a new topic in building science and traditional building methods. Before the advent of air conditioning and other mechanical systems to control the indoor environment, buildings had to perform passively in the natural environment in order to maintain some semblance of comfort for the inhabitants of the space. Methods that have worked historically to heat, cool, light, and ventilate a building passively are now being resurrected as a response to global climate concerns and a push for sustainability. While heating and cooling a building passively can prove to be difficult in the harsh climates of both Scandinavian countries and Minnesota, Salmela has designed the Webster Residence in northern Minnesota in such a way that it responds to the weather while still affording protection and comfort for its inhabitants. The Webster house does not advertise an environmental agenda, but instead shows how architecture can more thoughtfully interact with the weather and surrounding natural environment, knowing when to resist the elements, and when to respond. Thomas Fisher writes about the Webster house and its connection to tradition:

Vernacular architecture, especially in cold climates, reflects that understanding [of climate and weather]; traditional Scandinavian log houses, for instance, had layers of space both inside and in the yard, whose use changed with the seasons. In the Webster house, Salmela shows how we can usefully learn from the past without mimicking its forms. By understanding the principles that generated those forms, we can achieve the same goals in a more modern way. He also demonstrates here that we can live sustainably, in even the most extreme weather, by layering space, graduating temperatures, and adjusting uses.

It is clear that these simple strategies are as relevant today as they were years ago when they were originally implemented. It is important that traditional and vernacular strategies are not forgotten, or ignored as being out of date. It is evident in David Salmela’s work that these same strategies can be employed in contemporary architecture.

Webster Residence

As architects are inundated with new building materials, methods, and technologies that encourage forward looking thought, it is important that they not forget to also look back, to traditional and vernacular techniques that have proven to be successful in the past. Through the work of David Salmela and Salmela|Architect, the value of this knowledge can clearly be seen. Salmela is able to successfully use and learn from traditional Scandinavian designs and translate them into relevant and engaging architecture that reflects his role as a contemporary designer. His understanding of form, materials, and performance - and the context in which they reside, both historically and contemporarily - contributes to the richness and success of his architecture. David Salmela has undoubtedly taken a stance on the role history should play in contemporary architectural practice today, and it can be seen that architecture and design can benefit greatly from the understanding of history and tradition.

Sources:

Fisher, Thomas. Salmela|Architect. University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis, 2005.