A friend of mine sent me a posting today from a politics/culture blog predicting that new "heroic architecture" - the kind that makes careers, awes the public, defines a city, becomes the topic of documentaries, etc. - will eventually spawn from the fledgling (but intensifying) Green movement.
^^^One Bryant Park, NYC (Rendering) by Cook+Fox Architects. First LEED Platinum Skyscraper in the US...first truly heroic Green building?
Drawing from my own experiences, the author is probably correct. Heroic architecture is a by-product of competition between egos and ideologies. It used to be that this competition manifested itself strictly through form (shape, aesthetic) or scale, and, in isolated cases, it still does. Fortunately, though, with recent self-inflicted crises highlighting the need for judicious use of precious natural resources, sustainability represents the most important and relevant marketing tool at the developer/architect's disposal. (I use the term 'marketing tools' here and not 'design tools' because design is subjective and, as such, more difficult to sell. Environmental impact, on the other hand, is quantifiable and easy for a layperson to interpret.)
^^^Clearly, publishing companies have a grasp of Green potential...
Concurrently, the design community is faced with a wonderfully unique confluence of building conditions in which architectural heroism can thrive, even in the midst of a poor economy. There is demand for a typology that is accessible, inherently beneficial and stimulating to design; the integration of emerging technologies makes communication more efficient so Green projects can be successful and cost-effective, and external events have heightened awareness among the public about environmental issues. These conditions mean the construction industry is poised for a very dramatic transformation, one that will certainly rule the careers of my generation.
I think saying "even in the midst of a poor economy" is missing an important point - from what little I know, Heroic-ism happens when there is widespread crisis. by reframing 'poor economy' and 'peak oil' into a broader "first-world petro-economic crisis" then it makes sense that we will see these types of Green projects spring forth. And the more they build the cheaper it gets.
ReplyDeleteThe best scenario for architectural heroism seems not to be a poor economy, but one based on our currently unsustainable fundamentals. If the economy was in the same state as early 2009, there would be no money to integrate clean technologies and sustainable materials into plans. You do need a minimum of discretionary spending; impetus from shock events (oil spill) helps too.
ReplyDeleteDid you check out the recycled island project (http://www.recycledisland.com) mentioned in the post?
Vasu - you're right that at this point, discretionary spending is down, and thus all architectural markets are suffering - not just sustainable ones. But if the market does improve significantly, heroic projects will be green projects, because society will start refusing to accept anything less.
ReplyDeleteRobert - you bring up a good point that "Green" projects are only necessary in over-developed first-world countries whose years of urban building have resulted in limited land and resources. African tribes, for instance, build nothing but "Green" buildings by our standards, but they are faced with other, more day-to-day problems.