Notes

Societal values on the architecture of the future

Summary:

My Opinion:

A FUTURE RELIANCE ON SOFTWARE TO MODEL REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE PERTAINING TO SUSTAINABILITY.

A GREATER USE OF PARAMETRIC MODELLING AND ITERATIVE FORMULAE TO PRODUCE THESE EFFICIENT FORMS.

– ALTHOUGH THIS COULD LEAD TO FURTHER BUILDING THAT DOES NOT ENHANCE THE ENVIORNMENT BUT MAKES BUILDINGS LESS EFFICIENT AND LESS CONTEXT-DEPENDENT.

Timesonline:

“it’s construction must incorporate local materials from sustainable sources and low-energy building methods; it must consume little or no energy, so conserve or generate it on site; and the flexible design must have non load-bearing internal walls, so that it can be adapted to the changing needs of the occupants.

the most important aspect with these technologies is educating the user, lest the system be misused or, worse, not used at all.”

From Nagashima’s Text:

GLOBAL: SOCIAL IMPERATIVE

LOCAL: CONSIDERING CONTEXT + USER’S NEEDS

THERE IS A POTENTIAL SCHISM BETWEEN:

THE USER’S NEEDS (COULD CHANGE IN THE FUTURE – SOCIETY AND CULTURE)

THE GREATER SOCIAL IMPERATIVE (E.G. SUSTAINABILITY)

THAT WHICH FULFILLS A COMMUNITY’S ASPIRATIONS (E.G. DUBAI)

PREDICTION: “ECO TAX” – A TAX ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ECOLOGICALLY SOUND

CHANCES ARE THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WILL INCREASE, NOT DECREASE.

SOCIETY’S ISSUES:

PARADOX: “ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BECOME MORE CONNECTED VIRTUALLY WE DO NOT REALISE OR CARE ABOUT THOSE WITH WHOM WE ARE CONNECTED (E.G. MAY NOT KNOW OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS!)

THE ATTITUDE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT INDIGENOUS METHODS ARE RETARDED AND THAT A MOVE TO LESS CONTEXT DEPENDENT ARCHITECTURE (E.G. MODERNISM) IS BETTER BOTH ASPIRATIONALLY AND COMMUNALLY (QUALITY OF LIVING).

IN HISTORY: “THE QUALITIES OF COMMUNITY WERE FOUNDED BY THOSE WHO SETTLED (THE FARMERS) NOT THE TRAVELLERS (THE NOMADIC). – NOW WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS A MORE “TRAVELLING SOCIETY” (E.G. AIR TRAVEL, WORKING MILES FROM HOME, BEING WORLD TOURISTS).

A GREATER SENSE OF COMMUNITY MUST BE FORMED TO DETRACT FROM THESE DESIRES TO TRAVEL, WHICH IS, IN ITSELF, DUE TO THE DISTRUST AND LOATHING OF THOSE WHOM WE ARE AROUND AND OUR ENVIRONMENT (E.G. SUBURBAN SPRAWL, LARGE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, A LACK OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES, THE LOCAL CLIMATE, SOCIETAL VALUES).

AN INATE DESIRE TO TRAVEL?!

HISTORY: BEGINNINGS OF SUBURBAN SPRAWL: LEAVITOWN IN THE USA IN THE 1950’S

THE LATIN: ‘GENIUS LOCI’ SPIRIT AND INDIVIDUALITY MUST BE FOUND AND ESTABLISHED.

SUSTAIN IMPRESS

NEEDS DESIRES