Ecological Age -- Arup

Arup has developed a film / presentation for transitioning to an 'Ecological Age.' The film presents an overview of issues that form the basis for new strategies for cities, sustainability and resources. The blog with links to films can be found here.

Urban Tools

The exhibition, Actions: What You Can Do With the City, which previously was on view at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal in 2008-2009, is now up at the Graham Foundation in Chicago. This exhibition (and accompanying catalog) offers 99 tools for actions that "instigate positive change in contemporary cities around the world." Ranging from urban agriculture to alternative modes of transport and dwelling, the actions reframe the urban terrain for new modes of creative occupation.

Flooded London: Maps and Visuals

Scene of the movie "The Flood" (2007) by Tony Mitchell

What would London look like if sea levels rose further? There are a numer of maps in the web which let you imagine in what extent different areas of London would/will be affected by the flood. Not all maps show the scenario of the Thames Barrier breaking and releasing tidal waters to the city centre which would have an even more dramatic impact.

Maps:

Environment Agency Flood Map
Type in your postcode and see if you were affected by the flood. 

A Google Maps Overlay


Global Warming Art Sea Level Explorer 

Urban tactics and self-organisation

As mentioned yesterday by Kathrin Bohm of Public Works, here is the information related to Atelier d'architecture autogérée, of which Doina Petrescu (the external examiner for the MA Design and Environment) is a member: "Atelier d'architecture autogérée / studio for self-managed architecture (aaa) is a collective platform which conducts explorations, actions and research concerning urban mutations and cultural, social and political emerging practices in the contemporary city.

aaa acts through ‘urban tactics’, encouraging the participation of inhabitants at the self-management of disused urban spaces, overpassing contradictions and stereotypes by proposing nomad and reversible projects, initiating interstitial practices which explore the potential of contemporary city ( in terms of population, mobility, temporality).

It is by micro-political acting that we want to participate in making the city more ecological and more democratic, to make the space of proximity less dependent on top-down processes and more accessible to its users. The ‘self-managed architecture’ is an architecture of relationships, processes and agencies of persons, desires, skills and know-hows. Such an architecture does not correspond to a liberal practice but asks for new forms of association and collaboration, based on exchange and reciprocity and involving all those interested (individuals, organisations, institutions), whatever is their scale.

Our architecture is at the same time political and poetic as it aims above all to ‘create relationships between worlds’."

New York's Battery Park

The design’s elements articulate the new curvilinear park geometry. The elliptical Kiosks are derived from a series of arcs and made of certified sustainably-harvested hardwood. The Benches were designed to hold up to the punishing wear and tear of relaxing New Yorkers with an absolutely minimal use of material.

The shell like glass house with white wall interior which provide a clean surface for projection. and interactive digital media. The spiral structure create a walk through as driving under water experience. The use of smart glass panels can allow the projection happen during sunny day time.

LENAPE,MANHATTAN

This garden landscape is located on a rare patch of open, south-facing land in the middle of Manhattan. The triangular piece of land is in front of Hudson Guild, a vital community center that was established in 1895 and currently serves the 2,000 residents of the surrounding New York Public Housing Authority’s Robert Fulton Houses and Elliott-Chelsea Houses. The garden includes the native edible plants and mounded plantings of beans, corn, and squash—also known as the “three sisters”—that the Lenape people would have eaten for millenia in that very location. It provides a view back to their lives and how they lived off the land on the island they knew as Mannahatta at the time that the first European, Henry Hudson, visited in 1609. Unlike the other Edible Estates gardens, which are very much about the present, this garden is a meditation on the historical facts of and future possibilities for our occupation of the island.

The Lenape garden is surrounded by detailed signage that tells the story of each plant, the food it produces, how the Lenape used it in their diet, and the natural history of the site. It is not intended to feed the current local residents, but rather to provide visible evidence of both the general fact that our food comes out of the dirt and specific examples of the sources of food for the previous residents of the island. It is a demonstration garden, part experimental laboratory and part educational display. Visiting students and those from the nearby children’s center use the garden and its central gathering circle for activities and workshops dealing with the history, ecology, food, plants, animals, energy, and other aspects of the immediate natural environment.

The residents of Elliott-Chelsea Houses, members of the Hudson Guild community, visiting students, and the general public become more aware of organic growing cycles as they watch the garden evolve through the seasons and years. They become aware of the natural and cultural history of the island they live on by observing food growing on plants that existed in Manhattan soil before it was the city we know today. This garden landscape may also serve as a model for small-scale urban edible landscapes and as a possible prototype for modest green spaces at similar housing sites across the city.

ST. ANN'S ALLOTMENTS

STAA runs a Community Orchard on a collection of plots on the St Ann's Allotments. It is a lively hub of educational and community life centered on local children and families.

It was set up in September 2001 on several overgrown allotments. The plots – which include mature fruit trees, a pond and a stream - were cleared and planted up by volunteers, schools and community groups.

The Orchard provides a safe, natural and exciting place for people to learn and explore. Much of our work focuses on children varying in age from nurseries to secondary schools. Educational activities include gardening, construction, management of the environment and arts and crafts. Occasionally the site provides a learning space for gardeners on-site too. We run free sessions such as tree pruning and other horticultural skills.

The Community Orchard is also a place where we hold regular Activity Days and other open events. At these we focus on looking after the site, providing informal activities (especially for children) and seasonal events such as the annual Apple Day celebrations and our Winter Extravaganza. It's a great opportunity for the public to come and explore the orchard, to try new skills, and to sample some of our food and drink around the fire.

EDIBLE ESTATES regional prototype garden

The Edible Estate was established on a highly visible triangular lawn in front of the Brookwood Estate. This rare green space is fenced off and was previously unused.

Twenty-four units at Brookwood and another sixteen in Lancaster House (another council estate) all face the triangle. Placing the garden here meant that everyone would be watching: the local gardeners would perform for their neighbors. In the centre of the dense city, the production of food would become a public spectacle.

Initially many residents were sceptical about the prospects of such a garden in this location, and they feared it would be vandalized. But there is a school across the street, which insures a steady flow of children past the garden. It was the children of the council estates who were the most excited about the garden and eager to get their hands in the dirt over the course of the three days of planting.

This garden is intended as a new model for urban agriculture. It is not a true community garden (or “allotment,” as the popular practice is referred to in Britain) with separate private plots for each gardener. It is one holistic design that also integrates spaces where people may gather; a pleasure garden made up entirely of edibles. Those who tend it will eat from it.

Post Petroleum City

A city which will entirely rely on solar power. According to their measurements their solar power have been tested to produce twice the energy output that they would in a European climate.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/masdar-city-tour.php

Stewart Brand: Whole Earth Discipline

Stewart Brand, the publisher of the Whole Earth Catalogue back in the 60's proposes a whole different view on slums. Villages of the earth are drying out and it's in town where poor people find opportunity, action and a cash economy. Slum dwellers are poor but intensely creative and urban. Considering population growth on earth in the next decades, squatters are building the world. Brand's notion is that slums do not undermine prosperity instead they help to create prosperity. Although I don't agree on every point with him, his TED talk is an interesting presentation about a completely different approach on the topics of cities, nuclear power, genetic modification and geo-engineering which will surely provoke widespread debate.

Jonas Bendiksen: The Places We Live

In addition to our discussions yesterday about alter-economies and population growth, an article on change observer: design observer gains insight into Jonas Bendiksen's work. Bendiksen, a Norwegian photographer, lived in slums for several months while recording and photographing daily life and people in slums around the globe.

Read the article
View the slideshow

Thames21

Thames21 is an environmental charity working with communities to bring London's waterways to life. Thames21 mobilise thousands of volunteers every year to clean up waterside grot-spots, remove graffiti and create new habitats for wildlife. Thames21 aim to transform neglected and littered waterways into areas that everyone can use and enjoy by encouraging all Londoners to treat their waterways with care and respect.

Video : The River Cleaners
Website : Thames21

Gathering Spaces

Debate of architecture is offer the opportunity to possibility of to experience architecture. It can mix the disciple and bring things together which may bring an interesting out come together.

Architecture with no wall will allow everybody into the space and become part of the freedom in the park.

A gathering space is a structure which invite people to interact, to climb on, to go inside, start to walk around and walk pass the structure.

The two images above are the fixed open structure which allow people gather around. They bring the "new experience" to the local and become some kind of landmark and attraction. They are in different form the 1st one the structure melt into the surrounding by using aluminum plate as a roof and reflect the sky. The 2nd one just like bring something normally in indoor to outdoor which represent as bring something out to the public.

Air Forest to create the public to converge and spark dialogue across the city through innovative cultural initiatives. The structure is to create a temporary public space to be utilized in a vast array of scheduled events (such as the Yoga Health Festival, a cocktail party for the convention, a high school play, Dialog: City closing party) as well as for the general public to enjoy.

The dome expands and organically adjusts to its surroundings, be it in a field, a wooded park, or below a highway overpass. The material is a sturdy, specially-designed translucent plastic, allowing the varying events taking place inside of the shelter – dance parties, lecture series, or dinner buffets – to be entirely visible from the outside and likewise the exterior environments become the events’ backdrops.

3rd and the 4th are inflatable structure using membrane and air pump to create the form. They have a high flexibility and can be easily transport. Air forest is more close to the nature as it didn't draw any boundary. The dome create a transparent indoor space and create an intimate atmosphere.

Low2No Competition

Helsinki's sustainable future ( City as Living Factory of Ecology, Winning entry)

There is a small percentage and small scale project on new built building with "ECO" concept, but how should we due with the existing building as a whole???