Although architecture and urbanism can boast some amazing results, the distinction between the two can mean that the border area gets neglected. And it is that twilight zone between architecture and urbanism that defines much of the eventual quality of what is built. It pays to enter this somewhat vague no man's land and throw it open to enquiry.
Since 1991, when we took part in the Europan 2 competition, FARO has consistently stressed the relationship between the building and the plot, between dwelling, office or school type and its setting. Building and plot are two sides of the same coin: every building deserves the plot that suits it and, conversely, every plot is only brought out to full effect by the type of building that belongs there. FARO seeks to achieve a characteristic and at times exceptional identity in every new environment we are commissioned to design. Alongside the many studies, we have also built in this border area during the past 16 years, in plot layouts ranging from rural through suburban to intensely urban.