“But in order to take part in modern civilization, it is necessary at the same time to take part in scientific, technical, and political rationality, something which very often requires the pure and simply abandon of a whole cultural past. It is a fact: every culture cannot sustain and absorb the shock of modern civilization.”
–Paul Ricoeur, History and Truth
This week’s reading from Kenneth Frampton begins with this short excerpt which was meant to warn us of the effect that universalization would inevitably have in modern civilization. Having been written nearly 40 years and 70 years ago respectively, Frampton and Ricoeur have, I believe, accurately predicted how culture and civilization have been impacted by the introduction of optimized technology in modern building practices and the effects of politics in architecture. Frampton defines critical regionalism as a way to “mediate the impact of universal civilization with elements derived indirectly from the peculiarities of a particular place.” To me, this means that we need to be careful not to allow new technologies to replace the elements of design that cannot be replicated outside of human influence. Technology cannot pick up on the elements of a space that give it range, quality, and a sense of place. Though new technologies are constantly being developed specifically for designers as a way to simplify and expedite the design process, we need to find a happy balance between modern building technologies and the “peculiarities of a particular place.”
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