Codifying Forgotten Spaces

Posted: May 28, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Genius of Place | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nicholas de Monchaux: Local Code : Real Estates.

What to do with the forgotten spaces in a city? Too small for maintenance, but too abundant to ignore? Why not develop software to scan, categorize and experiment with all these spaces?

Imagine this software, meshed with genius of place. Ecosystem performance could be achieved in distributed sites around the city, and as the video below shows, these different sites add up very, very quickly.

Local Code / Real Estates from Nicholas de Monchaux on Vimeo.

See below for a project overview:

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Scenarios of Sustainability: Project

Posted: May 28, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Scenarios of Sustainability | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Photographs of Icelandic volcanoes by Marcel Musil

There is no real vision for a sustainable future. Hopeful utopias are liable to be destroyed by the very people that wish them to be real. Jaded theorists and frustrated activists struggling against the “man”. But without a vision, what are we working towards?

I’m going to begin to collect different scenarios of sustainability and openly explore them. This is likely to be messy and unresolved, but perhaps that is the best form of dialogue.

Current scenarios up for contemplation include:

  • Infinitely Disposable – The Organic Solution
  • Endless Upgrades – The Permanent Solution
  • Mass Customization – Unique Solutions
  • The Grown – A Biomimicry World
  • Heirloom Design – A Permanent Solution

I would love to know if there are any other ideas floating out there that I should explore, please leave them in the comments. This could become a very playful discussion. Perhaps even a project or two?

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