I had a great conversation with an architect friend a few weeks back, and we talked a lot about the idea of architecture and infrastructure creatively solving big problems. That was a really fun thing to think about, and you've done a good job of reminding me that this is a huge component of any solution to a systemic problem: innovative solutions in the realm of planning on a large scale.
This was so interesting, Julie. Janus equivalent threshold gods are in many cultures and in southern India, there is a tradition of women decorating the threshold space with mandalas at dawn and dusk as a welcome- this involves both threshold spaces and times! Thank you for yet another perspective.
Haven’t read anything beyond Buckminster Fuller’s quote and name yet, I just had to stop to comment and say AAAHHHHHHH. Because 1) that name. I mean, come on. 2) His thoughts on bathrooms are like the Medieval mystics thoughts on Jesus: flowery, saccharine, and approaching the erotic. 3) His Dymaxion bathroom is <deep breath> really something.
Great stuff here. I loved learning about the etymological ambiguity of “threshold.”
To return to ol’ Bucky for a second, I’m reminded of this quote from him that I came across back in March:
“When working on a problem, I never think about beauty; I think only of how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know that it is wrong.”
Going forward, whatever solutions we concoct for the problems you bring up, I think his is a good insight.
Well, you went and cited my *other* touchstone Bucky quote! And it’s one I haven’t thought of in a while, so many thanks for the reminder. Yes, his life story is fascinating -- including the episode where he walked into the ocean at a low point in life but was “called back” to do the work he’s now known for. Excuse me while I go look up Dymaxion’s bathroom. 😂
Okay, my teaching colleague just told me that our mutual colleague / friend tells it this way: floors used to be dirt, so they covered them with threshings to keep the dust down. They placed a block of wood in the doorway to keep the threshing from scattering away. Hence, “thresh” + “hold”. It’s a good story at least.
Great read!
I had never heard the quote you shared at the start - it’s so good!
I’m also a big fan of Priya’s work.
And I also really enjoyed how you applied the concept of thresholds to your piece. Thanks
Thank you for reading. Glad you enjoyed it.
Fuller was just so damn smart.
I had a great conversation with an architect friend a few weeks back, and we talked a lot about the idea of architecture and infrastructure creatively solving big problems. That was a really fun thing to think about, and you've done a good job of reminding me that this is a huge component of any solution to a systemic problem: innovative solutions in the realm of planning on a large scale.
This was so interesting, Julie. Janus equivalent threshold gods are in many cultures and in southern India, there is a tradition of women decorating the threshold space with mandalas at dawn and dusk as a welcome- this involves both threshold spaces and times! Thank you for yet another perspective.
Oooooo! That’s wonderful! I love seeing the synergies between cultures around these phenomena.
Haven’t read anything beyond Buckminster Fuller’s quote and name yet, I just had to stop to comment and say AAAHHHHHHH. Because 1) that name. I mean, come on. 2) His thoughts on bathrooms are like the Medieval mystics thoughts on Jesus: flowery, saccharine, and approaching the erotic. 3) His Dymaxion bathroom is <deep breath> really something.
Okay. I’m going to actually read your piece now.
Great stuff here. I loved learning about the etymological ambiguity of “threshold.”
To return to ol’ Bucky for a second, I’m reminded of this quote from him that I came across back in March:
“When working on a problem, I never think about beauty; I think only of how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know that it is wrong.”
Going forward, whatever solutions we concoct for the problems you bring up, I think his is a good insight.
Well, you went and cited my *other* touchstone Bucky quote! And it’s one I haven’t thought of in a while, so many thanks for the reminder. Yes, his life story is fascinating -- including the episode where he walked into the ocean at a low point in life but was “called back” to do the work he’s now known for. Excuse me while I go look up Dymaxion’s bathroom. 😂
My other touchstone Bucky quote is something like, “The house is just a decorated nozzle on the end of a sewer.”
Dude was a trip and a half.
WHAAAATTTT?!?!?! That’s priceless!! He was so ridiculously quotable.
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/dymaxionhouse/the-dymaxion-bathroom/ “The Phelps Dodge Corporation was to produce the bathrooms but they were met with resistance from plumbers fearful of losing their jobs and so the bathrooms were never produced.” 😂🤔
Okay, my teaching colleague just told me that our mutual colleague / friend tells it this way: floors used to be dirt, so they covered them with threshings to keep the dust down. They placed a block of wood in the doorway to keep the threshing from scattering away. Hence, “thresh” + “hold”. It’s a good story at least.
Inanna is my spirit animal!!!! 😁