Week 6 - Poster Statement

The presentation outlines possible scenarios over the next 50 years and explores the evolution of society over a range of different everyday needs which we refer to as our 'species'. The 7 species include politics, culture, education, transport, agriculture, built environment and technology. These 7 species are incorporated within the four major categories of 'future visions and scenarios', 'sustainable future', 'people and lifestyle' and 'architectural opportunities'. Rather than being four separate categories they  effect and relate to each other  and could be broken up further into the 7 species to be more clearly defined. It was also easier to show the 7 because we refer to them in everyday life and could show reasonable and everyday occurring relations between the species.


The presentation uses a tree like structure which expands out from the center, over the four panels. This tree shows the evolution and growth of society and each species through the many branches. The timeline starts at 2012 in the current state of the world. Generally a main branch will flow through each species and develop new branches, showing the expansion and evolution of that idea. For example you may use the idea of transport, where one of the main branches might be personal transport (cars). This branch may separate and go in different directions to show various inventions with cars or new car companies trying to be innovative with new technology (hybrid cars). The branches also stop in many places and don't continue which symbolizes the end of an evolution type (could be the ending of petrol use, or maybe a car maker closes down like Holden or ford). 

Another example could be education which grows branches by new policies like requiring schools to follow sustainability guidelines, introducing new subjects or reaching milestones in % of the world now educated. 

the timeline expands outwards and shows intervals at 5 years at a time (the dotted lines). A number of important time periods or 'ages' occur throughout the 50 including the resource crisis age, the economic crisis, various wars and the peak of the population growth. These occurrences affect what happens throughout the timeline and various growths and declines in the evolution can be seen around these points in time.

pictograms were used throughout the timeline to display and explain possible scenarios occurring throughout the different periods. These pictograms ranged in complexity and displayed a whole facet of scenarios.

A description of the four categories is noted down the left hand side to explain our groups belief of what will occur over the next 50 years and the consequences and opportunities of this evolution tree. Furthermore a timeline is displayed across the top of the page further detailing the important events that occur through the evolution tree. Each species can be related to the timeline at the top through a color coding legend.

To me, the group worked well and developed a good project. Unfortunately due to tragic circumstances, I was unable to do some of the work outlined for me. Thankfully, my group was very understanding and were kind enough to take on my work as well. I think the final product was very successful and am very happy with the final product.

Week 6 - Reading 2 by Kazi

Architecture as a dissident practice

I find this kind of practice quite exciting and interesting... A mixture of these two arts can really create some special forms (like the cover photo). That water vapor building looks really amazing and would be awesome to visit. 

Is theory really dead? I think maybe it has slowed down a bit because the industry is just getting constructions out and done quickly. People may be ignoring the theory because it is advancing soo fast and people don't want to miss out on any chances. I think also the building style has changed. So all the theory we had on previous buildings being built and the whole industry, no longer counts. So instead we are just shooting these massive flashy buildings up. Maybe we don't need the theory though? Or maybe someone will start writing new theory on the 'futuristic buildings that are going up now.

I find theory quite hard to grasp in architecture. And I have a hard time doing the theory, so the current methods of chucking up buildings like we are, makes more sense to me (obviously there is more to it than that). Furthermore I think its when you start mixing the different industries together like the architecture and the arts that you need the theory, because everything has to sink together from the two different ideas and work as one.

When all these theories were originally made they were discovering a whole heap of new methods that were possible, they had many societal issues going on and they had no standards for anything. Slowly over time these theories have been created with the standards. The have been improved throughout but now many of these things are familiar to architects. However I'm sure as we continue to evolve with the architectural advancements, the new theories will start rolling out soon enough. 

Week 6 - Reading 1 by Isozaki

Erasing architecture into the system

The work of Price in his day, would have seemed out of this world. Even if he'd suggested projects like that today, they would seem futuristic and unique to us. The blunt of it is that generally architectural projects are and have always been boring. It is very rare that someone comes along and proposes something soo crazy, but yet could totally work.Its a shame his fun palace design was never constructed or even partially used to create something so 'unbelievable' to fuel future possibilities.

The fun palace is an amazing idea, and obviously at the forefront of 'architectural advancements' at the time. The work that went into the idea and movement of the building, spaces and access was amazingly thought out. His other ideas were also crazy and the first of their kinds too. I especially like the idea of the movable education facilities where carriages are able to be moved and arranged differently to create different working environments. 

Even if Price had very little of his designs built, his innovation and creativeness initiated styled never even thought of before. Obviously if others decided to continue and explore his ideas even further, there was talent and enough behind his wacky ideas for something possible. Maybe it was just too out there for the time. I'm sure if he had attempted the same ideas later on when everyone was less conservative he would have been much more successful.

Its a very big shame he wasn't taken seriously. Even if they were short term architectural insertions, by getting the public in and experiencing theses spaces and forms, I'm sure there would be a much higher demand for further exploration throughout the world. I think people need to take a leap of faith sometimes when they designs appear, because you never know where it could lead or what you could start.

Wees 5 - Group assignment Progression

The image below shows the original ideas i had within the education species. Some of these will be included within the evolution tree because they will be big occurrences (they are generally the ones in the pink).

The image below shows the transport events that i think will occur. These will be shown to Heidi and Sarah so they can give their opinions on them. Not all will be able to be included however because we can only do so may pictograms.

I have found that the group is working very well together so far. However I have found that I am having a hard time making all of the meetings and for their full length due to other subjects being on at the same time as our classes and other events occurring on the days of meetings (e.g work). We have had quite a number of meetings though so the work is being completed, and Sarah and Heidi have been very understanding thankfully.

Week 5 - Lecture

Strategic New York
     - Dr Phil Crowther

The futures of New York and Amsterdam in my opinion will be two cities standing at the forefront of advancement in all aspects. These two cities are so large and important that they will be evolving and have been evolving already continually as old buildings need replacement and new technology stands ready to go. New York is such a big and dense city that old buildings are being pulled down all the time. Every new building that goes up has to be unique and do something crazy and different, so the city evolves so easily. 

I think it is important though that while they knock down old buildings, they need to retain the ones rich with history and maintain them. They also need to continue and look for projects like the high line which add so much culture to the city and really allow for a different aspect. You don't get things like that in any other city. New York is always on show, so the city wants to keep it looking at its best, which is why buildings get removed and constructed so quickly. 

The new buildings going up in these cities are obviously unique in looks but they will start doing more sustainable things and soon every new building will have a green roof, vegetation throughout, and will be completely different to how they are even now. 

The slides of 2040 look like a interesting future and something I will look forward to seeing get built. All the industries like food and living and the rest, which have been kept outside the city, are going to be moved in and mixed throughout, creating new, exciting and totally futuristic cities in comparison to today.

Week 5 - Reading 1 by Winters

Politics and the situationist international
 - E Winters

architecture should be regarded as visual art...
     Architecture is always visual art. Sometimes it is beautiful, sometimes not beautiful, but still fulfills its purpose. Architecture is subjective and not all people will like one thing. Whilst it should be regarded as visual art (because it is), there are varying degrees of this art based on purpose. Is it meant to be beautiful? Is it meant to be functional? etc. Whilst these come into effect, it is always on display, showing someones work, and for that reason, it should be regarded as visual art.

an animal follows a life laid out in front of it. man on the other hand is born free...
     I don't fully agree with this. Sure a pet might follow a certain pattern and follows that life. It is born its bought it stays with its owner, going on walks and doing various activities, gives birth in some cases and then dies. But an animal in the wild has a completely different existence. Sure it might not be as free as a humans, because we are able to think more, do more, build more etc. But at the same time, they don't follow rules like we do. They don't have laws (unless in a pack). We have never also experienced the animal life. Man's life is not free either. You have to buy things you can't afford you have rules and laws to follow. You cannot go where you want all the time or do what you want to do all the time. We are less free than animals!


the creation of architecture implies the construction of an environment and the establishment of a way of life...
     I find this to be very true. Obviously a building is constructed, but that new building directs life and is built to suit a certain activity for work, home or a range of other things. Sure you can build something for one purpose and later on a whole new purpose comes into it, but it was never really designed for that purpose and therefor may never function as well. That's why architecture can be so important. It can be designed for emergency things and therefore the architecture HAS to work as efficiently as possible. It can be built for a certain way of life for an individual and it HAS to function as best as possible for that person, otherwise the architecture is bad, its bad art and there's nothing really behind it.

Lastly, I find it very hard to believe that archigram 1) has never had anything built and 2) That they got the gold medal even though they havent had anything built. I thought over their long lifetime some of their ideas would have been constructed. But maybe they were at the forefront of ideas and future possibilities to try and keep other architecture innovating a developing new things, and just creating 'paper architecture'. Kind of like the world record line that everyone has to keep up with. For that reason they have been very successful and crucial to the world r architecture.

Week 4 - Lecture

People and Lifestyles

Are to define Characters, scenes and sets
   -they are future citizens

scenes are to demonstrate future lifestyles

If you are to design a space for two or more people?
     - I think my ideal scenario would be if some system in the world crashed (e.g. economy, environment, world governments etc. Cities don't function as they once did and they must downgrade in scale by sourcing from closer areas, no cars and vehicles in certain areas (the site) recycling road space into other space (e.g. vegetation pathways etc) . Just a scenario that would really test people, and make them do things they wouldn't think of normally, ways to make legitimate money

are they friends, colleagues, strangers, family members, community members?
     - I think if a scenario like this were to happen, family members and friends would automatically be drawn to each other. People would rather live close to friends than strangers

what do they want to do?
     - They would want to get by at first and then after a while would want to come up with ideas that would make them better off

what do they need and how can it be provided?
     - They would want to create new businesses that would thrive in this new market and would help people who might not be doing too good

Do they need to eat, drink, work, enjoy, shop, rest, separated, covered, protected, survive?
     - They would need to do all these things. But I think all these things would be very different in this new scenario to what they would be in present time.

How? ---

What do 1,000 people need? What about 10,000?
     - Not sure yet

Unprogrammed and unpredicted space (Hong Kong)
     - Maybe some of the things this group of people are doing is creating these spaces where people are suppose to come and use spaces for random things. Maybe they can't program them and they would just happen like at this bank.

Cocoon chair (Jenie Pineus), Street Museum (Yona Friedman, 2008), Fun Palace (Prince + Littlewood 1961), Centre Pompidou (Piano + Rogers 1977)

How can machines contribute?

Architecture as infrastructure?
     - People will start to use buildings for many different ideas to what they were intended for. Maybe some spaces or building are constantly changing in their use to suit what the public needs at the time. Maybe we start building infrastructure underground. No new buildings? Knock everything down and start a new type of building that will be better for everybody? Knock the whole inner city down and restructure it with thinner roads and buildings that suit the new world better?

Potteries Thinkbelt (Price 1965), Instant city (Archigram 1969), Continuous Monument (Superstudio), Wiki City (Senseable City Lab, 2007), 

Things like hair dresser on the side of the road!!!
     - This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about. People will come up with strange but ingenious ideas to make money