Abstract
Carlos Jimenez's 'House and Studio' was self-designed to fully function as both a home and workplace. Since its establishment in 1983, the installation has been continuously updated for almost 30 years solely under the guidance of the owner's life occurrences and routine needs. The additions and alterations succeeding the building's erection were executed to incorporate small yet symbolic fragments of the resident's memories and life episodes. The particularity of the 'House and Studio' can be compared with other residential remodeling and expansion projects in regards to certain key aspects. These means of comparison include, but are not limited to, building strictly under the direction of a master plan of development vs. allowing natural adaptations that comply with the resident's needs, rapid development vs. gradual advancement, the ornamenting by exposing showy features vs. the enhancing by addition of modest natural components, sustainability vs. sustenance, systematic room divisions vs. ambiguous spatial organization, possession as a materialized asset vs. preservation as a recollection of memories, and finally the recognition as one example of signature architecture vs. the witnessing of a maturing animated shelter. The given propositions can be further explained with the comprehension of Erich Fromm's theory of the 'Having' mode and 'Being' mode, two mechanisms that categorize the essence of human life. The 'Having' mode is described by the human greed for wealth, power, and influence, whereas the 'Being' mode is comprised of compassion, joy, and productivity. Fromm's thesis applies to the general sense of human life, but the ideas can be narrowed to accommodate the architectural standpoint. In architecture, the 'Having' mode can be translated to be the conspicuous form-oriented and self-contained object. The 'Being' mode, on the other hand, is transposed as the more natural form, incorporating the needs of the owner before commercialization. The growth of Jimenez's 'House and Studio' can be perceived as an architectural suggestion to the overcoming of human indifference caused by fixation on the 'Having' mode.