Per-form-ance

Kish Water Reservoir, Iran - Photo by Ramin Shoraka
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The return of form to a primary position as a result of shifting from the tectonic to the thermodynamic, as advocated by IƱaki Abalos, inevitably makes me consider the increasing value in studying the vernacular architecture of places.  For it is in the latent constructions that inhabit the diverse climates of our planet we can often see a unique display of form.  However, this is not the type of form that is the result of trying to project an image through feelings of nostalgia or futurism.  The vernacular form is the result of emphasizing performance over iconicism.  Due to eccentric parametricism and hi-tech works, form equals expensive.  And as a result of being expensive, form is also inaccessible.  But within the low-tech architectural traditions, we find form accessible and adverse to waste.  We should seize the opportunity of shifting to a more thermodynamic understanding of form if we are to adapt to the changing climate and have more equitable communities.

Comments

  1. Geoffrey,
    I think that you bring up a strong point when saying that hi-tech works are expensive and expensive is inaccessible. I find that to be true in the field, we try to be sustainable and make things environmentally friendly... but the reality is, it is cheaper to go the other route. Almost all clients try to get what they want the cheapest way possible.

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  2. Hey Geoffrey,

    If I may, form-finding is expensive XD XD XD, but I agree with your overall premise. Your make a quality argument void of nostalgia and futurism but I think the phenomenological approach does have a place. Architecture in a weird way seems to behave like a boot-loader for the future. We always can find ourselves retreating into the past to reclaim something underutilized or forgotten for its utility usually. I could imagine a context where parametricism is weirdly effective and cheap relative to traditional building methods. Imagine trying to a habitat in space. Air frame used in buildings like the library in Baku by Zaha, might be easier to build verses a post and beam structure. Some Martian architect will blow the dust off of a Zaha Architects book an post a blog 2 am Martian time about how this dead earthling was literally 200 years ahead of her time. Wouldn’t that be interesting.

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  3. Geoff,
    You bring up some very interesting points here and I have been wondering about this topic for some time. It appears as though we need to turn to the environment as the director for where we must go architecturally. We need to find a way to create comfortable environments for people to live in without simply throwing more insulation into it to withstand the extreme temperatures and throwing more structure into it to withstand the increasing severity of storms. How can we design for a future where we will experience both of these?

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