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Louis I Kahn- Model of Thought
By J. Leaver

School of Architecture,
University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana

Abstract
People the world over have been inspired by Louis Kahn's thoughts and architecture. His mental images carry an air of poetry that come from a realm where the unlocking of the subconscious arises to the world of being. Kahn's perspective provides insight into certain aspects and questions that form a vital role in the search for the essence of architecture. It is the pregnancy of Kahn's thoughts that gives rise to something within people who come into contact with them. The understanding of the dynamics, power, and structure of these thoughts forms the substance of this investigation. As a model of creativity of a master architect this paper will demonstrate an approach in which architects unlock their problems, creativity and vision. No model of an architects thought exists which is sufficiently defined to be an aid to creativity, theory development or the potential creation of an expert system.

Keywords
Form; Order; design; model of thought; silence; light; realm of awareness

Introduction
It will be a difficult task to present a model of a thought process as intricate, sensitive and complex as Louis I. Kahn's, but this attempt is not to lessen, compare, or pretend to have captured all the qualities of his thoughts or life, but it is to aid in the search for creative“beginnings” to stimulate ones mind and heart in the search for“truth”.

The initial meanderings of the mind proposed a thought model as a structure of thoughts woven together developing into an integrated whole. In studying the perceptions of Louis Kahn there was a realization that there appears to be an implied connection between a thought model and a model of intuition. Kahn's thoughts were to enlighten the intuition, which seems integrally tied with his strong sense of human feelings. There may be a clear distinction between thoughts and feelings, but at some level they seem to be interconnected with each other. The intentions of the model are to produce inspiration, insight and awareness. The goal of this model is more than an assistance to the discovery of a novel idea, although that is a glimmer of the outcome. However, it is in the uncovering of the collective unknown, that has the potential to become a principle of architecture. This realm lies beyond just architectural vocabulary, from a formal, shape giving perspective. This model is actually a stimulation of a search process which leads to intuition and creativity. The model represents the weaving together of Kahn's thoughts to aid in the search for the unmeasurable qualities of life. Thus uncovering a structure to aid in the understanding about the nature of design and the discovery of a deep feeling about expression.

Thought Model-General
A model of man's thought is pictured as a mental landscape that exhibits significant complexity that borders on the undefinable. This model abstracts several basic aspects; the framework or structure of thoughts (thought types and patterns), the focus of thoughts from the minds eye, the realm of awareness, mental stimulation and thoughts themselves. The nature or fundamental quality of the model is spirit, in the process of being materialized. With the purpose of the model being the seeking of truth or knowledge, the mind is in the process of moving from the realm of the known (presence) into the unknown (existence). By focusing its energy; stimulated by various causes; and penetrating the barriers of the realms of awareness into the world of the unknown, the mind gives birth to thoughts, the basic element of the model.

What are thoughts? A stimulation, a feeling, a vibration, a sensation within the mind that gives rise to an idea/s. Thoughts are the vehicle that recover perceptions from the realm of the unknown. They are actually spirit clothed in form. Within the context of this model thoughts appear to have a component of feeling making “thought/ feeling”. Thoughts can be seen to fall into the following realms the world of presence, the known, and the world of existence, the unknown. Within the domain of the known they can be divided into the realms of abstract (timeless) and concrete (in time). Thoughts are hidden and when triggered by various stimuli; they appear, each thought acting as a door onto a new reality.

There exists a realm of consciousness that is imbedded in mans being that gives rise to these stimulations. Thought forms appear in this realm of the unconscious, when man focuses his attention in a direction within his mental framework they emerge in full clarity. The realms of awareness interact with the focus of the minds eye, the greater sense of awareness, the greater the vision and sensitivity. As one becomes more relaxed with oneself, which is a natural internal state, one becomes closer to an inner state of being. One is able to see the reflection of the outside world with more clarity. The vision of the inner world becomes a clearer reflection of the outer world. Thoughts and principles of the creation come to light. The states of being or awareness that are transcended provide a mapping of the process, which is non-linear, intuitive and heavily center in feelings.

Layering, connecting, or patterning of thought provide a framework though which the mind looks at, perceives and understands the world. This can be described by placing a fundamental layer, overlaid by a layer and another on top of it, and another on top of it, etc., not necessarily hierarchical, but in a structure that one clarifies his world. This structure is not static, but in a constant state of change. The framework or structure is formulated by the patterns of thoughts based on life experiences, beliefs, values, customs, etc. The focus of the minds eye determines where the energy and stimulation of the thoughts will be concentrated. It is the focus, through the framework, that provides the direction that determines much of the type of thoughts that will be forthcoming whether architectural, philosophical, etc. This framework as suggested, forms an ordering function, although, it can also be seen as veils to creativity. These veils effect the realm of awareness by blocking the penetration of the mind into the unknown. Certain discoveries about the order of the thoughts emerge by realigning the patterns of thought and therefore establishing a new perspective. The realm of awareness must be purified of veils for one to be able to reflect clearly on the reality of things.

The search for“truth” brings about mental stimulation in which thought/feelings and questions become primary vehicles. The methods of reasoning, meditation, contemplation, etc. are techniques used in this process. Thoughts can stimulate other thoughts, however thoughts that uncover the unknown carry a broader significance. A question asked about a thought opens a door into the penetration into the basis of something, which helps bring out its essential quality. Consistency of ones thought structure determines the overall integrity and harmony of the system, and its inconsistency stimulates questions. As the layering or connection concept is developing, the questions of wholeness and integrity begin to interact, and therefore provide a fertile environment for stimulation. The integration of the thoughts into a coherent whole form an integral part of the search process.

The structure of the world is filtered though the framework that one has constructed. The goal of the model is to arrive at the clarity of the phenomena being searched for. The mind required for the search, should be free from preconception, rigidity, complacency, etc. One must keep the vision open to obtain a greater awareness of the possible. The ideal structure is freedom of the mind to respond to the inherent realities of things not an external interpretation, but an inner sense of the realization of what “it”” really is. This can come about by “silence” on the part of the listener.

KAHN'S THOUGHT MODEL
The aspects of the model including focus, framework, stimulation, realms of awareness which include their veils and thoughts in general will be illustrated in Kahn's thinking.
Kahn's broad focus is the spirit of architecture, in which he searches for its essential qualities. The focus of Kahn's thought contains the “joy and wonder” of existence which stimulates the “desire to express”. In this domain the characteristic nature of the search contains “silence and light”. Silence being the desire to express. “Light the giver of all presences.” Light finds itself in the temporal realm moving toward the arena of silence. When they meet inspiration is released. It seems that it is this core focus that is fueled by search for the nature of phenomena that gives way to an abiding sense of creativity. The uncovering of the principles of things that are beyond a particular individuals sense of expression is the home of this search. This fundamental principle raises architecture into a domain where questions of period and style are mute and the tenacious energy to uncover the basic understanding of something prevails. This core profoundly influences every aspect of Kahn's work and thoughts. It provides the focus for the views he holds on architecture.

The search for the nature of things finds itself as the basic framework of Kahn's investigations and causes the essential characteristics of the process of inspiration to develop around the concepts of silence and light, form, order, and design. Nature provides the context upon which the questions are raised. Nature is seen as the giver of all presences. It is “validity ortruth” from which the laws of existence and presence are given birth. The concept nature has two aspects one being the nature of things, the non-visible, and the other being the “laws of nature”, the visible. Kahn sees the world as these two mutually interactive domains. The one realm is timeless and spaceless, eternal and the other is of time and space, temporal. Silence and Light, Form and Order each fall into these domains.

Form is described as the inherent nature of the phenomena. The basic characteristics that make it what it is. Form is the realization of its inseparable parts seen in a harmonic wholeness. Form is not shape, it has existence but no presence. The form of a spoon as distinct from another instrument is seen as the inseparable characteristics of it's arm and container. Form comes from realization. Order interacts with Form. Order suggests the vitality of the relationships of the constituent parts. “Order is the only thing that can give you presence. Order is the sum total of all laws of nature. All the laws are no more the individual laws, but order itself is that which encompasses all the laws.” (Wurman,1986, p219)“The laws of nature work in harmony with each other. Order is this harmony.” (Wurman,1986, p126) The concept, order, implies the organization of something in both the abstract and concrete sense.

Many avenues to the stimulation of thought are conducted within Kahn's thinking. The fundamental approach is by searching for the inherent qualities of the phenomena within the domains of form and order. Design forms another aspect of stimulation. “Designing is the infighting. When you have realized this, you see, as being the element, then you do all the infighting, design-wise, to make it gloriously itself. And that's where design really sits. It sits in trying to make this work with that, this work with this, this work with the outside. The whole thing is a matter of infighting with itself, and the sense of making each part sympathetic to the other.” (Wurman,1986, p80) Design produces enough friction to awaken realization of form. This temporal struggle raises questions of order. From these questions rules are derived which are mans view of order. They are tools that are used until they are superseded by a new set of rules. The stimulation of questions has been raised to a unique position by Kahn. “I have learned that a good question is greater than the most brilliant answer.” (Wurman,1986, p260) Because this question will thrust the mind of man deeper into consciousness. “The solution is personal but the question is the very core of architectural direction... The solution is perfectly personal. Its the one thing you can claim how you did it.” (Kahn,1969)

The realms of awareness are bounded by the basic framework and focus of Kahn's thoughts which places one's mind deep within the search. There are other characteristics that aid in the search and provide different means of breaking through the veils. These include the attitude of the architect, the search for beginnings and questions. Attitude is a vital element in awareness. In Kahn's words “to know what to do is the secret of it all. ... But the initial attitude should be of ignorance and humility. Experience starts from there; the first certitude to emerge is the discovery of our ignorance and inefficiency to predict the probable behavior of materials and structures. Indeed, things never behave as we assumed they would from the reading books. What we presumed negligible is not negligible, and the whole theory collapses.” (Wurman,1986, P91) The search for beginnings, the initial spirit which gives birth to certain places or events is another significant channel to aid mans awareness. Kahn describes it as, “it is my desire to sense Volume Zero. Volume Minus One. A search for the sense of beginning, because I know that the beginning is an eternal confirmation. I say eternal because I distinguish it from universal. Universal deals with the laws of nature and eternal deals with the nature of man. If man's nature would not approve, a beginning would be impossible. So beginning is a revelation which reveals what is natural to man...”(Wurman,1986, p176) The attitude surrounding the mode of question should be where the mind is posed to listen with an inner ear to the tales and mysteries revealed therein of the qualities and characteristics of a phenomena under examination, to reveal its form. This state of contemplation becomes an arena where forces are struggling and darkness reins when the veils lift and “light” floods in from the realm of “silence”.

Kahn's thoughts fall into a vast ocean of sensations of the way he sees the nature of things. Because of the immensity of his thoughts it would be impossible to try and encapsulate them briefly, therefore it seems appropriate to give an indication of what he sees architecture as. “Architecture has no presence. Only a work of architecture has presence, and that at its best is an offering of architecture itself. Architecture has little to do with solving problems. Problems are run-of-the-mill. To be able to solve a problem is almost a drudgery of architecture. Though it is termendously delightful, there is nothing equal to the delight of coming to realizations about architecture itself. There's something that pulls on you were reaching out to something primordial, something that existed much before yourself. You realize when you are in the realm of architecture that you are touching the basic feelings of man and that architecture would never have been part of humanity if it weren't the truth to begin with. Man will reject that which is not the truth. Many attempts that have been made in earlier times to make things exist and perpetuate themselves have failed because they weren't the truth. Architecture is the reaching out for the truth....One writer was writing about Bach..he said that Bach couldn't have cared less whether he was original or contemporary. All Bach cared about was the truth. Undefinable, unmeasurable truth. And so it is with architecture. It's a search for the truth....The expression of it is personal. And when one finds in his personal expression the quality that does not belong to the one who creates it, then he has made the greatest work.”(Wurman,1986, p27-28)

The description of the model of Kahn's thought senses the basic purposes of man being, to express. This is a fundamental notion and it leads to all others. It is the driving force behind mans motivation. From this a search for the nature of phenomena is given rise in that “what” should be expressed. Expression is the motivator, the question of nature provides the fire, and intuition brings the light. The project is tempered with reason and the struggle of temporal requirements to bring it into physical presence.

CONCLUSIONS
The discussion of the model of thought is a preliminary investigation in the potential of looking at the creative process. The idea sprang from a colleague suggesting that he was going to devise a computational system to perform certain routine manipulations that an architectural firm used in their creative method. It was initially invisioned to be able to formulate an expert system based on the thinking of Louis Kahn. This thinking is in a premature stage. Certain levels of questions can be developed from this work which begin to activate a discussion. Some of these questions are; What is the nature of so and so? What is the order of these elements? What is the physical and psychological validity of a place? Beyond mere function, what are the constituent elements of so and so?, etc.

The identification of the aspects of the model can begin to give some insight into some fundamental creative and architectural issues. The work of Louis Kahn was significant to this approach, because the depth of his thinking provided a spring board into the nature of the model itself. Many issues in Kahn's thinking have not been discussed, ie, composition, beauty, institutions, physical and psychological validity due to limitations of space and time. The abstraction of various aspects of the model can become a structure to aid in the continued development, debate, and growth of the creative process. Further study needs to be conducted by examining other architects thoughts and determine how they interact with the model.

The work of Kahn has served as an inspiration thought out this study. His poetic words serve as a constant reminder of the depth of architecture and raises it into another realm, “There is no such thing as architecture. There is a spirit of architecture, but it has no presence. What does have presence is a work of architecture. At best it must be considered as an offering to architecture itself, merely because of the wonder of its beginning.” (Wurman,1986, P151)

Bibliography
Wurman,R.S. (1986); “What Will Be Has Always Been, The Words of Louis I. Kahn”; Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York
Kahn, L.I. (1969); “Unpublished Lecture given at The University of Oklahoma, School of Architecture”, Norman, Oklahoma
Baha'u'llah (1945); “The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys”; Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois