Architecture is connected to the earth. Too many buildings have an ambiguous relationship to the land. As long as we live on the Earth, we will be dealing with principals of gravity, atmosphere and the very richness of Earth’s surface. Virtually all adults, standing, are connected to the ground with their feet, their line of vision a mere 4 to 6 feet above it. This is the point of origin of our waking perception. Architecture must first be concerned with this zone – our feet in contact with the ground. The surface of the Earth is the canvas of the architect. The precise detail of this zone is ours as architects to affect. If we give away responsibility for these crucial areas of concern (to the landscape architect, to the interior designer), we then reduce and weaken our ability to be effective within our most intimate environment.
Tod Williams + Billie Tsien, “Relationship to the Earth,” c. 2000
