A Word or Three on Simplicity

 

“Simple,” as a word on its own, is neither good nor bad. You can simply take a walk, or find out that this week’s crossword was “totally simple,” or that putting together a model kit was “simplicity itself.”  

 

The negative connotations of the word come into play the moment that the idea of effort is applied to something that’s simple.

 

For some reason the idea of something that is simple being something that also takes a great deal of skill and knowledge seems to be a difficult idea to grasp. This is not only problematic in our industry, but it limits one’s ideas of beauty and negates some things that take a tremendous amount of skill.

 

Now, as a challenge to that mode of thinking, take a gander at this…

 

This line drawing of a cat was made of black ink on a white background. It uses 13 lines to convey not only the shape of a cat but the cat’s carriage and demeanor. The composition is exceptionally simple. Now, in your own time, grab a piece of paper and a pencil and copy it without tracing. Take as long as you need.

 

While we are on the subject, and you’re fiddling with the cat, look at this house…

 

 

This is a simple line drawing that everyone has made at least once in elementary school. But, if you bring that drawing into the third dimension, applying our love of clean lines and a dash of Nordic contemporary style you get this:

 

That, right there, is the beauty of simplicity. Just as the most reliable machines have the fewest moving parts, the most reliable homes are the ones that follow the simplest rules of construction.

 

The homes we designed for the Going Street Commons project follow this rule of simplicity. We design all of our homes so that they possess a timeless beauty; because, while fads and fancies will come and go, the clean lines and sure construction of our homes will stay attractive for decades to come.

 

Stay tuned for part II and III of this mini-series on simplicity as we explore how--like a well written song--simplicity can be both incredibly beautiful and full of depth (and in this case; energy efficiency, too).