Form Follows Function

In 1896 Louis Sullivan posited that for all structures in the universe the way that they look is directly dependent on their function, a theory that is now shortened to "Form Follows Function". As an architect Sullivan applied his theory to his own version of his space. But reflecting 150 years later his theory cuts across many other theories and can be seen in operation of how our universe looks, to our own solar system, to our cities and our towns, our houses, and even our parks, sports fields and playspaces. It all scales downwards. In all things form follows function. It looks the way that it looks because it needs to look that way to deliver on its function.

This concept is part of a presentation that I gave at Sydney Build last year, where I reflected on the provision of recreation infrastructure, and its impacts on our society.

I recently saw a question posed "What is Place". My mind went back to this presentation and my answer is simple, Space is Function. Everything that we see around us is the direct result of its function, or if it helps, its purpose. But I don't like using the term purpose, because it has been appropriated by some to have a spiritual connotation, and it certainly is not that.

And when I say everything, I mean everything. You need to put your evolutionary lens on to fully understand. When we say space we are often referring to what is called The Built Space i.e. buildings, highways, bridges. But when we talk about form following function, we are also talking about non-built space such as natural systems, such as our parks and our coastal areas, our forests and bushlands. Our built spaces are our most obvious example of function driving form, but it also applies to our playspaces, our sports fields, our swimming pools, our park trails.

So how does this affect how we plan for and provide our recreation services, through both infrastructure and programs. Well, firstly its important to understand that there should be a function for everything that we do. Sometimes we call this function an outcome, for example, our overarching outcome for our industry is delivering community outcomes i.e. health and wellbeing outcomes. And so those outcomes are our function.

So when we build something its overarching function is community outcomes. If its a new amenity building for a sports field then the function of this space is not necessarily for people to get changed in, that can be called an output. But its function is attracting more people to that space, to gain societal outcomes.

You can see where I am going with this thought. We work in many different fields in our industry, from horticulture, to recreation planning, to parks, to maintenance. But we need to know that we are delivering on a function.

Often we can change or rework a function, this is probably one of our greatest achievements as a species, being able to repurpose the function of a space. I see this all around us. Something that served a function in the past is reworked to provide a different function. The Paddington Reservoir Gardens on Oxford St in Sydney are a good example. What used to be a structure for the storage of water during the 1800's is now repurposed as a park.

In fact our industry is the champion of repurposing, or re-functioning. Most of the land that we deal with is land that has another primary function, such as flood control, or even biodiversity protection, and we use it for a minor function, such as sport, or recreation. We are champions of re-functioning.

And so the next time that you are involved in a new project or planning a new program, or developing a new management plan, don't forget that we are engineers, creating new spaces, with new functions, for outstanding community outcomes.