Sustainability Redux

As a departure point an article written by the Architect Labbeus Woods about the work of an architecture student named Daniel Meridor’s has been very inspirational. The world that Daniel creates with his photomontages are “paused in time, [and] we cannot be sure whether events are moving from a troubled world towards a more harmonious, serene one or the other way around. Or, whether he is depicting a world in which progress and decay, as well as technology and nature, coexist in a fragile, uncertain balance.” We can all agree that our modern environmental movement has showed us that technology and nature do indeed exist in a fragile, uncertain balance. For a long time now we have known this, but action has been little and slow. Should we start questioning weather a truly altruistic and pervasive sustainability is even possible? Can we truely expect people to make sacrifices for the benefit of others? This is a problem at the heart of many disputes with developing countries regarding global energy policies and environmental change. These images embrace the lack of faith in a certain and optimistic future. In today’s current social climate of economic recessions, environmental disasters and political unrest, this lack of faith is pervasive. While trying to scare people into change we have created a culture of pessimism where apocalyptic predictions are common. There is however a special idealism that remains. This is a dark and independent idealism. One that is rooted in personal free will, independence and the ability of human kind to simply survive, no matter how harsh the conditions become. What can we learn from looking at a unique and alternative future where sustainability has been reduced to pure survival. Many of our best precedents in sustainable living are isolated structures built for survival. Can we learn new things about how our structures can coexist with nature, developing a symbiotic relationship technology and nature out of need? A relationship that can inform new structures today that will allow us to implement change that is advantageous to both the user and environment .

If exam a world after the apocalypse, a distance unknown, As we continue to consume we are headed to and abyss. An apocalyptic landscape where resources have been depleted, and so have populations. A society and culture that has broken down to an everyman for himself scenario what can we learn? In deed apocalyptic predictions are nothing new . Popular culture has often given us stories set in post apocalyptic worlds. Recent movies and books have featured this scenario as a main theme. At the heart of these scenarios is not a pessimistic outlook now the current state of affairs but a very optimistic view about the survival and rebirth of human nature. This time of rebirth has incredible opportunity for cultural manifestation. How would we build with such a return? The Image by Daniel Meridor to the left for me embodies the idea of this cultural rebirth. The tree house returns us to a time of innocence, a primal childhood where getting off of the ground meant freedom and safety. The combination of industrial detritus and nature speak to our past mistakes, in the face of the floating objects representing our technological achievements. Can we conceive of a world where tree houses are used, not only because they provide some existing structure while materials are scarce but also because they offer the post apocalyptic resident a relative safety security and perspective that is important in order to maintain their resources?

In this scenario privacy and security are obtained through isolation. Global supply systems have broken down and existence has been returned to a hyper local reality. This has caused people to flee the city, looking for space, resources and land of their own.

Following the general trends of suburban expansion over the last 200 years (2), our modern day cultural settlers head west. Arriving in the now relative countryside of the lejre province in the sjaelland region of Denmark (1). In the town of Kirke Sonnerup (3) things are bleak, the consistent flow of people out of the city have raided many of the homes for food and whatever resources they can find.

The few people that are left have banded together in small clans. Societies are reforming. There is not enough resources for our refuges in Kirke Sonnerup and they must move on. Meeting other people on the road they decide to band together, forming a small group of 7; One family of 4 (a mother, father and two small children), A young couple, and one single man. Together they survey the surrounding countryside, deciding their chances for survival here are better then near the city they begin to look for locations to set up their own small settlement. Evaluating the landscape for forested areas with a close proximity to water that has a good perspective and a defensible position is tuff but they finally identity a favorable area and narrow their search. A small forested rise over looking a now abandoned field provides just what they are looking for. They begin to source materials and begin planning their small settlement.

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Forested Areas Trees provide cover, shelter and defensible space . By utilizing tree stands and the edge condi-tions they create along the agricultural fields an ideal site can obtain an advantageous perspective upon the landscape.

Paths of Travel Major roads and infrastructure are to be avoided. Confrontations with people can be dangerous and the ideal site should provide proper visual access to allow time to prepare for the arrival of potential hostile guests.

Topography Major roads and infrastructure are to be avoided. Confrontations with people can be dangerous and the ideal site should provide proper visual access to allow time to prepare for the arrival of potential hostile guests.

Major Cultural Sites Major roads and infrastructure are to be avoided. Confrontations with people can be dangerous and the ideal site should provide proper visual access to allow time to prepare for the arrival of potential hostile guests.

Flood Zones and Rivers Major roads and infrastructure are to be avoided. Confrontations with people can be dangerous and the ideal site should provide proper visual access to allow time to prepare for the arrival of potential hostile guests.

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The goal of this project will be to design a small colony of survival structures located in the Lejre region of Denmark. By developing common tectonic techniques for building utilizing the tree as a primary structural element in the building these designs will enable our residents of this future post apocalyptic world to find shelter safety and a new society and culture.

Developing the site for initial group of 7; One family of 4 (a mother, father and two small children), A young couple, and one single man, the site concept must create connections between dwellings as well a situational perspective that will give the group as much safety and time to react to new and potentially dangerous refuges.

The design of these structures and settlement must be repeatable and unitized to allow for swift construction and future growth of the settlement.

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Site and community plan 1:200Plans, sections, and perspectives 1:50, and 1:100Section 1:50 and 1:25Sketches, spatial imagessketch modelsmodel of the building 1:50Site model 1:200

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March 3-4 Midreview #1

April 18-19 Mid review #2

May 9 Group meeting #2

March 21 Group meeting #1

June 16-17 & 20-21 Final Review

Feb 2nd, First Day

April 1st

Today Feb 24th

March 1st

May 1st

June 1 Group meeting # 3

Final Document Production

Prepare document of current work

Tectonic Theme & Concept models

Prepare document of current work

Prepare document of current work

Prepare document of current work

Detailed sketch models

Design development drawings

Presentation drawings

Presentation Site model

Presentation detail model

Digital Model for Rendering

Concept development & Program writting

Site Plan and Community development

Digital Tectonic model

Prepare document of current work

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2011