(continued from front flap) ARCHITECTURE / URBAN PLANNING he houses we inhabit, the cities surrounding our houses, even the their region, and their relationship to T clothes we wear—all are shelters we the sun, creating, in Knowles’ words, erect against the elements. But they “a haven for our souls, our minds, are also manifestations of ancient rit- and our spirits.” advance praise ritual house uals, developed in response to Ritual House takes its rightful place nature’s rhythms. among those classic works that “Ritual House is easily placed among the most important books in Knowles Modern culture has separated us become touchstones for the culture. architecture in the past 100 years.” from those rhythms and traditions. Knowles’ central theme may be sea- —Don Watson, architect Now, Ritual House reawakens us to sonally adaptive architecture, but his our lost natural heritage. ultimate aim is to describe a better “Knowles reminds us that we can connect to the temporal rhythms of Drawing on Nature's Rhythms place for us all, one where the build- nature and weather in profound and sustainable ways, through the The celebrated architect, Ralph ings we inhabit link us to a particular very shelters we create to counter the elements.” Knowles, professor emeritus at place, enrich our built environment, for Architecture and Urban Design USC’s School of Architecture, has —Bruce Lindsey, head of the School of Architecture, and add true meaning to our lives. crafted an inspirational message for Auburn University and co-director of The Rural Studio architects, designers, planners, and anyone seeking to reconnect to the “My influences are many and varied, but during my years as a student, | natural world through the built envi- Ralph Knowles may have been the most important. Only recently have ritual house ronment. He deals with the intrica- I come to understand that he was 50 years ahead of his time ...I am cies, showing what can be learned as grateful that he continues to contribute to our built environment we watch a shadow, a wall, a stair- through his intelligent analysis and synthesis of contemporary issues case, or a door as it responds to the in architecture.” natural cycles of heat, light, and wind. —Thom Mayne, founder and principal of Morphosis and He also deals on large-scale levels, 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate analyzing methods of sheltering that range from Gothic cathedrals to con- “Knowles was one of the first architectural thinkers to introduce mod- temporary Los Angeles. His most ern architects to the sun. Now, in Ritual House, he shows us how to far-reaching ideas describe how restore dignity, meaning, and sensibility to the design of homes and tomorrow’s mega-cities can be communities—by paying attention to the qualities of nature that are shaped through solar access zoning essential for human well being and survival.” to ensure that everyone enjoys sun- light and warmth. As a professor, researcher, and policy —Sim Van der Ryn, Emeritus Professor of Architecture, and design consultant, Ralph L. University of California, Berkeley As energy usage increases, costs Knowles has had a long and illustri- soar, and resources diminish, under- ous career in architecture. He is cur- standing how the natural elements rently a professor emeritus at USC, affect our lives is more vital than ever. and his many books and papers, High-energy systems have cut us off ISBN 1-59726-050-9 including Sun; Wind; Water and Sun from nature, but we can reconnect Rhythm Form have received interna- through buildings and cities that honor tional acclaim. Ralph L.Knowles ecological balance and common-sense Washington • Covelo • London solutions while limiting expenses and Jacket design: John Costa, New Orleans www.islandpress.org 9 781597 260503 Jacket photo: Rappahannock residence, Laurel Mills, All Island Press books are printed on recycled, acid-free paper. energy waste. By engaging rhythmic Virginia, by McInturff Architects, 2001; photograph nature in our designs, we can create courtesy of Julia Heine/McInturff Architects. Author photo: Mary Knowles shelters that are unique to their climate, (continued on back flap) About Island Press Island Press is the only nonprofit organization in the United States whose principal purpose is the publication of books on environmental issues and natural resource management. We provide solutions-oriented information to professionals, public officials, business and community leaders, and concerned citizens who are shaping responses to environ- mental problems. In 2006, Island Press celebrates its twenty-second anniversary as the leading provider of timely and practical books that take a multidiscipli- nary approach to critical environmental concerns. Our growing list of titles reflects our commitment to bringing the best of an expanding body of literature to the environmental community throughout North America and the world. Support for Island Press is provided by the Agua Fund, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kendeda Sustainability Fund of the Tides Foundation, Forrest C. Lattner Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Marisla Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Winslow Foundation, and other generous donors. The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of these foundations. Ritual House Ritual House Drawing on Nature’s Rhythms for Architecture and Urban Design Ralph L. Knowles Washington • Covelo • London Copyright © 2006 Ralph L. Knowles All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Ave., Suite 300, NW, Washington, DC 20009. Island Press is a trademark of The Center for Resource Economics. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data. Knowles, Ralph L. Ritual house : drawing on nature’s rhythms for architecture and urban design / Ralph Knowles.—1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 1-59726-050-9 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn 1-59726-051-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Architecture—Human factors. 2. Architecture—Environmental aspects. 3. Architecture and solar radiation. 4. Solar energy. 5. City planning. I. Title. na2542.4.k66 2006 720'.47—dc22 2005020629 British Cataloguing-in-Publication data available. Printed on recycled, acid-free paper Design by David Bullen Design Manufactured in the United States of America 10987654321 To MER Contents Foreword xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xix 1 Sheltering 2 2 Migration 22 3 Transformation 42 4 Metabolism 60 5 Sheltering the Soul 74 6 Settings and Rituals 88 7 Boundaries and Choices 110 8 The Solar Envelope 126 9 The Interstitium 152 10 The New Architecture of the Sun 174 Notes 179 Bibliography 185 Index 193 Foreword From his early writings about solar geometry—the physics of sun and earth—Ralph Knowles has become increas- ingly interested in the cultural response, the rituals and built arti- facts that respond to the sun. It is not only the trace of the shadow cast, it is the flux of life that responds, whether the movement of the Anasazi Indians in and around the pueblos to take advantage of daily and seasonal sun or activities of modern living. Life on earth follows the sun as it arches across our skies in predictable ways. Knowles’ early books were about that geometry. The range of human responses is richer, more unpredictable, and inspiring. This book is about that poetry. Although this book is about the sun, buildings, and cities, Knowles has not given us a text about solar design. Look to earlier books for those texts. This book is based on astute observation and reflection, and is thus far wiser. It relates incidents and anecdotes, and is thus more interesting. I recall a lecture that Ralph Knowles gave before an audience of architecture students, faculty, and professionals. He was showing illustrations of Acoma Pueblo and his studies that indicated solar xi angles that could possibly explain what was in the mind of the builders of these ancient cities. Knowles stood in front of the lec- ture podium, deliberately placing his feet and facing the hall. He asked us to imagine that he was facing south at the center of a sun- dial or solar clock. With arms raised and pointing in opposite directions to left and right (due east and west), he said that on two days of the year, the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, “the sun rises here [waving his left hand] and sets here [waving the right hand], no matter where we are standing at any position in the northern hemisphere.” He then stretched his arms back and explained that, depending on our exact latitude, this might be where the sun rises and sets in summer and then moving his arms forward, where it might rise and set in winter. He then explained how the altitude of the sun depends on latitude, tracing the arc of the sun with his arms as we might see it in winter (low in the sky) and in summer (high in the sky). The lecture was in an auditorium with fixed seating. But more than half of the audience was placing their arms and hands in sim- ilar positions, as everyone relaxed, laughed, and at the same time, became familiar with the elemental lessons of solar geometry. They were finally able to “get it.” A complex topic was made easy to visualize and to internalize as part our own physical awareness. With this introduction, Knowles went through a series of studies of sun angles and architecture, always relating it back to the first elemental exercise of seasonal and daily sun position that we were able to understand.