Design beyond Sites. Investigating Architectural and Urban Design Nonlocal Effects.

The effects of architectural and urban projects extend beyond their localization. The anthropic modification of the spatial environment produces echoes in terms of urban rules, technical requirements, cultural shifts, and behaviours that travel beyond the place in which the modification occurs. The effects of the Equitable Building on the 1916 New York City Zoning Resolution or the role of the Seagram Building in shaping the rules of the next Zoning Resolution (1961) are just some examples. This article aims at exploring the relationship between projects and rules as a way of better understanding the effects of architectural and urban design on urban form, not only related to the project site. The article investigates four case studies of contemporary urban transformation that provide insights on the relationship between the local dimension and the wider effects of design. Findings show how, while projects are generally considered the result of a defined system of rules, juridical and design dimensions influence each other in a circular relationship. Moreover, while the effects of built and unbuilt projects are part of the outcomes of design, they are hardly considered part of the design process. The article discusses how, and through which tools, could these non-local effects of design be recognized. More generally, the article shows that is possible to consider localized design as a means of representing and addressing general and comprehensive issues with effects in the field of urban morphology.