Ecologies of Concern & Architecture without Architects

Ecologies of Concern & Architecture without Architects.

Notes:

Etymology of the word ‘architecture’ is separated n two Greek words - Arche and Techne.
Arche: The origin/beginning of things. What actually sits in front of the idea of the thing?
Techne: The revealing of arche through the making of things.

Histories, Theories and Matters of Concern:

Histories is suggested to be the ‘continued of time’ which has brought us to where we are today.
Theories of architecture are the intellectual processes that inform design.
Matters of Concern are the broader contexts in which design sits.
I believe that these are vital and important aspects of architecture as it allows us an understanding of the ideas that have shaped how we have developed architecture over thousands of years.

‘History’ derives from the Greek word ‘historia’ - ‘knowing a systematic record of past events’ (The Concise English Dictionary- New Orchard Editions - 1968)
‘Theory’ derives from the Greek word ‘theoria’ - ‘to observe and speculate upon - a speculative idea of something - an exposition of general principles’ (The Concise English Dictionary- New Orchard Editions - 1968)

Ecologies of Concern:

Ecologists of interconnectedness - bat faeces from caves in China caused the COVID 19 global pandemic. An unforeseen relation of connectediveness between two completely different species, bats and humans. 
- Ecologies of communication
- Financial and corporate ecologies
- Ecologies of poverty (US ecology of poverty, UK ecologies of poverty)
- Homogenity
- Diversity (ethnicity, gender, abilities etc…)
To read/view: Jihad vs McWorld, Design of Divinity - Grand Mosque Casablanca, Morocco, David Adjaye.

After recently researching and studying the work of David Adjaye, i found his focus on culture and ethnicity truly inspiring. From childhood travels he was inspired by African art forms, science, music and of course architecture. Alongside his passion for helping communities, Adjaye creates truly bespoke projects inspired by culture, community ethos and ethnicity.

From this initial lecture, I think matters of concern is something that goes way beyond the physical and literal design of structures.

Architecture without Architects:

- Prospect, reason and retreat. Retreat from heat, cold,rain, snow, predators and other dangers. Prospect of wild life to hunt, enemies, friends and weather patterns. Reasons of protection, shelter, views and security.
- For hundreds and thousands of years people have built with what they had and what they know - building on land, with the land. 
- Non-pedigreed architecture - so little is known about this type of architecture, there isn’t even a name.
- Adapt to climate by the way we dress.
- Speak of movements, theories and specific architects is the tradition in architectural histories however, in the realm of pre history we speak of community.

Example 1- Ait Benhaddou, Morocco:
- Ancient walled hill village
- Retreat: security and tot mediate the climate.
- Prospect: Visual control of ancient trading route.
- Reason: Inhabitants provided protection to traders.

Example 2 - Prehsitoric caves at Lascaux France:
- Retreat: Providing shelter and security.
- Prospect: Views from on high over hunting grounds.
- Reason: To mediate the climate

Saami settlement, Northern Finland
Normadic peoples move for a diverse variety of reasons such as:
- Climate
- Following migration of animals in search of food and water

 Documentary- An Inconvenient Truth:

  • Al Gore describes problems against climate change through environmental speeches.
  • Increases in CO2 emissions and global temperatures and how climate change ‘actually’ works.
  • I found it particularly eye opening to learn how climate change has caused certain frequent weather changes such as major storms, floods and hurricanes which has a knock on effect for all aspects of live on Earth such as the prediction of over 1 million species becoming extinct, doubling death toll in the next 25 years and the melting of ice caps causing rising sea levels of over 20ft.
  • I think that this documentary is meant to shock the viewer, I found it much more ‘urgent’ in comparison to other climate change documentaries and certainly has made me think about the true crisis humans have caused.
  • Not many documentaries state the solutions that can help reverse, minimise and prevent the effects of climate change which is something i admire.
  • However, i think the focus of the documentary could have been less about Al Gore and a biography of his life and more just about global warming.
  • ‘What we take for granted, might not be here for our children’ - Al Gore
  • ‘Should we prepare for other threats besides terrorists?’ - Al Gore






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