Design activity starts with words

In the forthcoming mixed use, retail-cum-residential design project, someone asked me what does "Sky House" mean? Is it another new project? Before I try to explain, let's explore one simple but important concept. "You can design whatever it is, only after you have described whatever it is....." As suggested, language and design are heavily related, and you will need your verbal description to come up with the physical design of form and function. If I ask you to design a house, obviously you know what to do, because everyone has one's idea of a house. If I ask you to design an apartment, you will probably know what to do. So what about a single residential unit on top of a retail premise? Should I call it an apartment? No, of course. It is only one unit. Therefore I need to invent a name for the residential. As discussed during studio, it needs to be a house, with garden, entrance foyer, grand stairwell, library and study rooms, formal dinning room, entertainment room as well as servant quarter and kitchen, plus bedrooms and ensuites. So how should I call this. A house on top of retail? As a result, let's invent something to describe it. "Sky House" becomes the idea of your design. In this case, words precede forms; and designing with words become part of the design process. Therefore, you can be as creative to words as to design. By adding "Sky" in front of the "House", I am describing some specific characteristics which are not just a house landing on the ground, but something more. Please use your imagination in design as well as in words. Soon you will realize writers on art and design are in fact, word designers.   T