possibly moving forward

While cute little diagrams like this will get you points on the ARE exam, it really doesn’t do all that much for helping you integrate building form and design intent. I’ve recently gotten stuck in converting my (text) concept into (shape) form. Or as our instructor put it, “everyone wants to save the world, but does saving the world drive form?”.

She recommended reading into the most recent publication of Nan Ellin, Integral Urbanism. Ellin is currently the associated lecturer with the Un-built Atlanta exhibit, and director of ASU’s Urban Studies program. Her book divides urbanism into five theories based on buzz words: hybridity, connectivity, porosity, authenticity, and vulnerability.

Best metaphor so far:

Because an Integral Urbanism does not produce master plans, it is not obsessed with control, instead, it aims to allow things to happen. If master planning were a form of surgery on an anesthetized city, Integral Urbanism would be acupuncture on a fully alert and engaged city.

 

Instant Urbanism, Basel

Where I would like to be now:

Instant Urbansim, in Basel.

“Tracing the theories of the Situationists in contemporary architecture and urban design”

Includes work from:

Lucy Orta (France),

Santiago Cirugeda (Spain),

EXYZT (France),

Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss (Netherlands),

NL architects (Netherlands),

IAN+ (Italy),

PPAG (Austria),

“Instant urbanism will also exhibit concepts and projects that redefine the city as a site for play and appropriation by way of constructing situations. Both new urban research and built projects will touch upon the idea of high-speed urbanism – with an emphasis on self-planning and urban occupations.”

And ooh! the derive is back!

” Two installations will give a contemporary slant to the dérive: a practice employed by the Situationists for investigating the increasingly fragmented cityscape on the basis of disorientation and intuitive explorations.”

“To the outside world the consistency of architecture is a given, from which you deviate at your own peril – which is ironic since it would be much better, and much more interesting, for the world at large if there were more deviations.” Rem Koolhaas

Also, the Situationist strategy of détournement – alienating and recontextualising aesthetic elements in order to draw attention to the ways in which our use of space is conditioned:

Diller and Scofidio,

Bernard Tschumi,

Observatorium , and

Atelier Bow Wow

comes into play – re-programming architecture and activating spaces for previously inconceivable uses.