Michael Murphy Reinvents Critical Regionalism as "Lo-Fab"
Thinking back to Michael's lecture last week, it's impossible for me not to draw parallels to Tzonis and Leifaivre's concepts. Critical regionalism is all about recognizing the relevance of place in architecture. And that's at the forefront of MASS's work. I'd like to talk about their Ilima Primary School project. And while there are parallels to critical regionalism throughout their process, I'd like to specifically point out the roof. We talked about in class the other day about the difference between New Urbanism and Critcal Regionalism. To me, New Urbanism simply take forms and vernacular, cleans in up and slaps in on a facade. If this was the approach in the Ilima Project, they would have used a metal roof or thatch. But they took a look at the real problem in the area. They realized that both of these systems were unreliable because they both needed maintenance that only lasted 2 years. So they took local materials, local trees, and developed a system to create a wooden shingle system that was more resilient and performed better than the common practice. Shingles are not normally used in the DRC but they appropriately responded to the climate, the materials, and the design problem created by the site.
I would have to say that MASS design is incredible when it comes to designing around a place and a context (specifically their work in Africa and developing countries).They continue to set precedents and provide inspiration in designing in contexts that lack a lot of modern technologies, while also creating a piece of architecture that speaks wonders of the place.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking about this same thing in class. Especially when MASS shows the stone wall at Butaru. They go above and beyond to not only use local materials, but teach the locals how to use them. This in turn allows the locals to continue to build using this method. I think this is very powerful and a great example of critical regionalism.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of critical regionalism and of changing the standards of building in an area in a thoughtful, creative way. Lo-Fab seems to not only address the cost and materials but also has a much more well-rounded view of the area as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your take on critical regionalism. Rather than looking at the existing culture and going with that, we should seek new innovation that not only fits with the culture but is an improvement on anything the context lacks. The school is a great example of this.
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