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The social aspect of John Ciardullo's architecture stems from his upbringing in a vital neighborhood in New York City. Ciardullo recognized early on that people use space as an extension of their social needs, which swing from privacy to community. In the 60s, an era of upheaval and questioning, Ciardullo boldly defined all social interactions as a function of architecture. In a graduate project entitled "the private-public continuum," he stated his philosophy on how architecture should facilitate society. This philosophy found its first expression in the context of three low-rise multi-family public housing developments (some of which are featured in this monograph) that Ciardullo designed in New York City.
Most of John Ciardullo Associates' early work explored the tight parameters of low-budget urban projects. With it the architects proved that even in low-income neighborhoods, even on tight sites, if you base architecture on social purpose, form and beauty will emerge and engage the community in a positive way. Now, with 33 years and the designs of dozens of schools, libraries, community centers, corporate interiors, private homes, and entire communities to its credit, John Ciardullo Associates stands at the head of the field of socially determined architecture.
