Why cars and architecture…where do I begin? Well, I have to say that these two topics are passions of mine. Watching drag racing, car cleaning, and custom build videos has always piqued my interest and curiosity. Practicing architecture, I get to work in the field and see a space come together from the foundation up. Throughout my life, I have always seen cars and architecture as separate with no true connection to one other. That was until I began digging around and going to architecture history classes. I slowly began seeing how the car influences the way space is thought of.

Let’s start with Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential architects of the modern era. Wright wanted people to see nature and go back to the land. So, one would think he was an anti-car guy, but this was not the case! He saw the car as the way back to the land. He went so far as to design the Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium which features a spiral ramp for cars to ascend into and descend out of a building to imitate the feeling of climbing a mountain.

Switching to another influential architect, Le Corbusier saw the car as a method to bring people into the city. He famously designed La Ville Radieuse (Radiant City) with giant superhighways and underground parking lots — which he centered most of his design decisions around.

Now that I have my own car, I have begun to realize the influence they have on design. Architects and engineers create garages for homes, fast food windows for drive throughs, and cities shaped by the need for roads and parking.

I wonder, how will infrastructure and building design be changed when the next evolution of the car is complete (gas to electric)? One change, I imagine, will be travel across the US. Will your trip be planned around points of interest or finding charging stations?

I hope to see architects and engineers leading the innovation needed to support the infrastructure required for electric cars to become common place. I believe both industries can help one other create a smoother transition from gas to electric.

Cars & Architecture

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