Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Concept

..A space of rapprochement between man and the environment...

The process of urbanisation and industrialisation that led to the foundation of our society, on the one hand produced an amazing universe of facilities for the modern man, on the other hand sacrificed much of our relationship with nature and the environment. As this process intensifies, the effects of this detachment are felt through the increase in pollution, the inevitable scarcity of natural resources, and loss of quality of life in urban centres. 

The growing awareness of environmental sustainability - also increased by the social and economic aspects - provides opportunities for important initiatives to promote rapprochement between man and the natural environment. Sustainability is not just a  matter of strategies and specific actions, but of intense values; it requires the adoption of a new attitude towards the world. 

The project aims to be not only a comfortable and innovative development, but a transcendental space, where visitors are encouraged to re-evaluate their attitudes in favour of a better, healthier and more balances way of life. The project is a leading global village in education, propagation and revitalisation; seeking to put the aforementioned concepts into focus, restoring essential and timeless values that underlie the interaction between humans and the environment; thereby promoting opportunities for contemplation, walking and meditation.

What is ahead?

Factors shaping the future of architectural design include:

  • Climate change
  • Demographic tends
  • Resource constraints
  • Energy supply and demand
  • Resource use
  • Global economy
  • Climate change responses
  • Governance
  • Social Structures
  • Values
  • Business
  • Technological development
  • Urban form

Barry Schwartz: TED Talks

Watching some TED talks done by Barry Schwartz has presented a model in which to consider in developing the future concept for assignment two.

The paradox of choice suggests that society has too many options, that we have created a complex system of social, political and economic agenda that has become detrimental to our own well-being. We have to much choice. However we only have ourselves to blame. We do not inherit an identity, we create it.

In another TED talk, he explains what went wrong:


Moral work depends on moral wisdom; what we must learn is character and how to respect each other and wanting to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons. He argues that the kind of wisdom in the grasp of us if only we start paying attention. Paying attention to what we do, to how we do it and to the structure of the system in which we work and live so as to make sure it enables us and other people to enable wisdom rather than having it suppressed.

Practical wisdom Aristotle told us is the combination of moral will and moral skill. A wise person knows when and how to make the expiation to every rule. A wise person knows how to improvise; inventing combinations that are effective for the situation and the people at hand. A wise person is made, not born.

Assignment Two Introduction

I am indeed a green futures die-hard, having joined the consciousness of our time - whether it be as a matter of the advocates for healthy food, healthy buildings, climate positive change, zero waste, zero energy etc; studying a minor in sustainability has opened my eyes to the reality of our current situation. It has taught me that change is inevitable, and highly necessary for future growth and success. It is hard t get around the idea these days. It seems as though one cannot pick environmental problems of any slant and not have our environmental problems starring you in the face. 

At times it seems as though everything is in balance; our values, monetary systems, and particularly everything that enables us to understand the world around us; design in general, design of our buildings, landscapes, and urban forms; because all these things affect us and importantly, the long term health of the ecosystems around us - our life-support system. It seems as though we are on the edge knowingly or otherwise, headed one direction or another, creating or not creating the icons that might help turn our heads around so we can better face a precarious future. 

Assignment 2 balances on this notion; acting as an outlet for each of us to portray and present our idea of the future world; our future world. A creative outlet for what we think will soon be the new norm. Through analysing and synthesising current local and global trends, our futures will take shape based on both fictional and non-fictional data. This is just the starting point however; over the following weeks once our concept is developed, we must look at what effect this will have on the architecture and design a structure which is conscious of its current context. Over the following weeks as assignment two unfolds, you will witness my progress from assignment 1 (creating a group context) to its final state - My final architecture assignment of my bachelors degree.