ThErMoDyNaMiC ArChItEcTuRe

   Although the concepts of thermodynamic architecture presented by Rahm are an interesting take on environmental oriented design, I think the concepts don't argue enough towards practicality in some of the scales discussed this week.

   

The section through the apartment and understanding temperature ranges presents and intriguing thought into leverage heat, heat recovery, or managing energy consumption for spaces of different comfort levels. At the small scale, say a house, I could see this being quite economical and pushing formal development. In the grander scale, for example the campus or apartments diagrams investigating solid vs gas, I can't look beyond the inefficiencies in buildability that might manifest. If the discussion is more so perforated vs unperforated, then I see the potential for large buildings to quite easily follow this logic. But, the concepts of these drastic formal gestures becoming more available is a leap and I think material and fabrication logistics lead the discussion more so than formal opportunities.

On the other hand, projects like the Ecosistema Urbano are quite provocative and speak more powerfully towards concepts of architecture thermodynamics and ecological urbanism. In both cases they are forward thinking and pushing an ecological and environmental approach to design, but this project seems more grounded in the reality that this urban setting cannot sustain a park or trees or vegetation. I like the idea that leveraging design and technological innovation addresses reality for the benefit of the urban environment rather than conceptual projects that don't address real constraints.