We get definite psychological benefits from feeling a sense of awe, so says recent research by Rudd, Vohs, and Aaker. Places that work can make us feel that rare emotion, as these researchers learned. In their study of people “who felt awe, relative to other emotions [such as happiness], felt they had more time available … and were less impatient … [those who] experienced awe were also more willing to volunteer their time to help others … more strongly preferred experiences over material products … and experienced a greater boost in life satisfaction.”

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Design me a structure that is open to the sky, partially enclosed, all natural materials, fragile, permeable, no heat, no electricity, no plumbing…and only lasting 7 days. What?

Simple structures, complex and rich with meaning can still be irresistible to designers.

A recent national design competition, “Sukkah PDX (Portland, OR), Ancient Tradition Contemporary Design” was sponsored by the Oregon Jewish Museum, under the enthusiastic direction of Judith Margles, calling for designs for a contemporary sukkah (sue-kah) – a temporary dwelling, traditionally erected each fall in observance of the harvest, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The holiday of Sukkot is particularly evocative of the season as the sukkah’s open roof is decorated with plant materials, fruits, and boughs of pine or cedar, creating an aromatic sense memory for children and adults alike.

Sukkot, for a designer, marks a cyclical return to elemental design, linking an intentionally impermanent form of habitation to nature, the lunar calendar and harvest season. It’s a challenge that is constantly renewed, founded in tradition yet it’s meaning dynamic in relation to contemporary society.

Architects Louis Kahn and Stanley Tigerman tried their hand at interpretation. Daniel Libeskind’s glass courtyard at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, though permanent, shows the influence of the sukkah concept.

Jewish law provides very detailed parameters on size and materials for the sukkah, yet doesn’t impose a fixed notion of design. There must be a minimum of two full and one partial wall. Walls need not touch the ground but must not allow a goat to slip under and disrupt the holiday celebration! The roof must be covered with loose plantings and natural materials, but be open to the stars and rain. The structure provides space for people to gather, celebrate, eat, sleep, and is taken down after 7 days.

“The Willow Sukkah”

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