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by Jonathan Cohen, AIA

The Internet is maturing, and as it does, so too are the ways that architects use it. In the mid and late 1990s, firms scrambled to set up Web sites and e-mail systems for their practices. Since then, architects have come to rely heavily on the Internet to communicate with clients near and far, to thumb through virtual product catalogs, to present their projects to the general public, and to perform myriad other tasks, including the very one envisioned by the Internet’s pioneers: building virtual communities.

In these days of far-flung project teams and interested parties spanning the gamut from clients to community activists, gaining consent on projects as they move forward could mean the difference between a lukewarm and an enthusiastic reception. For many practitioners, the Web is proving to be an excellent platform for communication of this sort. Architects and planners say that providing Web sites that solicit comments on proposed

projects has enabled them to create interested communities where none existed before. “More and more, citizens expect to have a say in public and private investment decisions that impact the public domain,” observes Berkeley-based urban designer Bruce Race, FAIA.

A university weighs in online

Projects for colleges and universities tend be particularly stakeholder-driven, with faculty, students, administrators, alumni, and highly articulate neighbors who are more than willing to make their opinions known. In such cases, the Web is indispensible for consolidating disparate and numerous opinions. In 1999, Simon Ruffle, an architect and researcher with the Martin Centre at the Cambridge University department of architecture in England, worked with colleagues Michael Trinder and the Martin Centre’s director Paul Richens to develop a Web-based bulletin board for collecting comments on the design of a new computer-science building. The impetus for creating it came from the faculty at Cambridge, who were loath to attend meetings but insisted on having a way to communicate with the architect.

Looney Ricks Kiss Architects of New Jersey posts renderings of proposed designs online to get feedback on the preferences of home buyers, even before developers begin to build.

Once the Web site went live, vigorous debate ensued over everything from bicycle parking to energy-efficiency. Researchers noted that the “finger plan” organization for the building proposed by the architects made circulation among the various labs difficult and suggested a courtyard plan instead. They also thought the private offices were too narrow, at 6.5 feet by 16.5 feet. A computer room originally located along a sunny southern facade was moved to the north to avoid problems with heat buildup.

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