Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/01/1998

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',Continued from Page Walpai; 0. 1200, Hopi l~L~torical and Cultural Context Our architectural heritage in the desert southwest is a rich one, emanating from the overlapping of three distinct cul- tures, each with their own settlement patterns and build-. lng traditions: the Native American, Spanish/Mexican, and Anglo. From Wupatki of the Sinagua, to Walpai and Orabi of the Hopi, and Casa Grande of the Hohokam, Native. American builders responded directly to their environment and culture. At San Xavier del Bac and Tumacacori the legacy of the Spanish missionaries and colonists is power- fully evident, while the neighborhoods and dwellings of later Mexican American immigrants in the mining and agricultural settlements of southern Arizona express built forms and patterns evolved from both Spanish and Native American antecedents. The earliest anglo settlers adapted their own building traditions to the environment and the cultures they encountered. The arrival of the railroad, in the 1880's, made possible the importation, not only of materials from the eastern United States, but also styles and stylists. Some architects, such as Mary Colter, Hern'y Trost, and Robert Evans, were able to combine elements of the architectural fashions of the day with those of more indigenous sources. The results were structures uniquely representative of their settings and time. Eisendrath House, Tempe; 1950, Robert Evans The proliferation of the automobile and the introduction of am-conditioning, combined with other technological advances, such as Structural steel framing and the eleva- tor, forever changed the way humans lived and settled in the desert southwest. Moreover, the attitude of many new arrivals was that the area was in need of the 6ulture and civilization that could only be realized through the importa- tion of building and plant materials. A trend that contin- ues today is the transitory nature of the rapidly increasing local population. Most adult residents have come here from somewhere else and many do not stay long enough to develop a sense of rootedness. The rise in popularity 'of th~ International, or Modern style of architecture reinforced uniformity and conformity, at the expense of regionally or. locally inspired design. At least one architect of this period, however, embraced tech- nology while addressing site-specific characteristics. Frank Lloyd Wright, at Tallesin West and many other locations in the Phoenix area, developed an architecture uniquely respon- sive to its function and place (so what ff his roofs leaked?). Bennie Gonzales successfully interpreted Spanish/Mexican and Native American-forms in his 1968 Scottsdale MUnicipal Complex. Current works by Judith Chaffee and Les Wallach of Tucson, Will' Bruder of New River, Eddie Jones of Phoenix and Anton Predock of Albuquerque, among others, draw on the varied and distinct influences of the region to create unique architectural expressions. Taliesin West, $cottsdale; 1956, Frank Lloyd Wright Scottsdale Municipa2 Complex; ~ 968, Bermie Gonzales 'Cz~e $64,000 Question At issue, then, is how can a commtmity elevate the quality of its built environment to a consistently high level and achieve a sense of place? Since 1970, Tempe has chosen (Continued to Page 5)