By Faith Talamantez
Tucked between UC Santa Barbara’s art department building and its university student center, the Art Design and Architecture Museum provides many in the campus community an oasis of peace during the hectic test-taking season.
This fall, the museum is displaying work by Helena Arahuete, an artist and architect who aims to create work that collaborates with its surrounding environment in order to reimagine current construction practices that often pave over nature.
Titled, “From Within: The Architecture of Helena Arahuete,” the exhibit explores the ways that architecture interacts with the environment and how buildings can be modeled on natural elements like water, and made organic.
A model and photographs of “The Glass House,” designed by Helena Arahuete in the exhibit “From Within: The Architecture of Helena Arahuete,” at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum.
Arahuete was born in Belgium, but was raised in Argentina, where she eventually studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires. In 1971, she came to Los Angeles to partner with popular architect John Launter on a house in Acapulco. There she established herself as an architect. After Lautner’s death, Arahuete created her own firm and continued to work using organic principles of building inspired by her time in college in Buenos Aires.
Photos of the interior decor of homes in Los Angeles that were designed by Helena Arahuete, displayed on wooden frames.
Silvia Perea, curator of the Architecture and Design Collection, says Araheute’s work highlights the potential for architecture to construct more sustainable and aesthetically captivating environments.
“The most exciting facet, for me, has been the opportunity to collaborate closely with Helena Arahuete and gain first-hand insights into her remarkable legacy and philosophy,” Perea wrote in a recent email interview. “With regards to ‘From Within: The Architecture of Helena Arahuete’, my aspiration is that it serve as a beacon of optimism.”
The exhibit includes a collection of hand-made blueprints and models of the homes that Arahuete has designed. Photographs and videos throughout the exhibit show those Arahuete designs that have been built, including what’s known as the “Glass House,” a home for a couple in Fairfield, California. In 2005, Architectural Digest featured the home, which aimed to give its residents, nature lovers John and Marilyn Roscoe, a wide view of the world around them. Other houses that Arahuete built also draw inspiration from the landscape in which they are set.
The models and images are displayed via wooden frames, giving the exhibit a feel similar to that of a construction site in America. The effect mirrors the type of architecture Americans are used to, as they view the art.
Wooden frames and scaffolding were used to display Helena Arahuete’s work, in order to elicit a construction-like environment.
UCSB is regarded as a leader among universities in climate consciousness, with 43 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for buildings on campus — more than any other college in the nation. For the AD&A Museum, the current exhibit allies with that focus, revealing more innovative ideas for ways to design buildings on campus.
Curator Perea said she hopes that the exhibit inspires students to participate in efforts to improve how architecture interacts with nature, whether it be on campus or beyond.
“I would love to see the work we do as the catalyst for the educational growth of students beyond their regulated curriculum,” Perea wrote. “I am particularly eager for students, notably those identifying as female or belonging to minority groups, to find inspiration in Arahuete’s five-decade-long professional journey and to consider pursuing a career in architecture if that aligns with their aspirations.”
The AD&A museum is free of charge to students, and is open throughout the school year. Perea encourages students to stop by and check out the current show.“Whether you are a first time visitor or returning, our aim is to inspire you and engage you. We are eager to welcome you,” she said.
“From Within: The Architecture of Helena Arahuete” is on display until December 17th.
Faith Talamantez is a third year UCSB student majoring in Writing and Literature. She is a Web and Social Media intern for the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts.