Assignment 2: Brainstorm

Assignment 2: Brainstorm

Concepts:

In attempting to pull a program from the many ideas floating in my head, I decided to first look at the important concepts that I would like my design and program to accomplish.

1.Nourish– In the current environmental climate it is necessary to be aware of the negative implications of development on the environment. As architects, we have a responsibility not only to decrease the negative impact of development, but generate innovative designs that create positive impact.

2.Unite– The design should focus and support the community identity, and promote strong community ties.

3.Revive- Rather than starting on a fresh canvas, the design should focus on reviving a struggling building or site.

4.Engage– The design should foster an environment that provides each occupant or visitor to absorb knowledge.

“Like  any living system, a community consumes material and energy inputs, processes them into usable forms, and eliminates the wastes from the process.  This can be seen as ‘metabolism’ of industry, commerce, municipal operations, and households.  Understanding the pattern of these energy and material flows through a community’s economy provides a systemic reading of the present situation for goal and objective setting and development of indicators for sustainability.” (www.indigodev.com/sustain.html)

“To create a more localized food system, one must include several components: production, transportation, processing, distribution, preparation, waste managment, and resource inputs.” (Michael W. Hamm,  www.idrc.ca/en/ev-30592-201-1-do_topic.html)

“Ecology, of course, is the study of ecosystems, and economics is the study of the production, distribution and consumption of commodities. The two subjects are generally studied separately.Furthermore, the growth and health of “the economy” is usually seen as unrelated to, or in conflict with the health of the planetary ecosystem, or ecosphere. This is an artificial distinction, because the human economic system is entirely dependent upon the ecosphere to sustain it. Ultimately, for the human economy to be sustainable, it must be functionally integrated with the ecosphere — obey the natural laws that govern ecosystems. Also, there must be reciprocity wherein human economic activities invariably enhance rather than damage the health of the ecosphere.” (www.ecotecture.com/ecologonomics-modeling-green-economy-on-ecosystems/)

From these concepts, I found literature relating to urban communities as they relate to the ecology of industry, food systems, and economics.  Ecology plays a key role in the success of any of these systems, and can be used as a guide to successfully making them more sustainable and viable for years to come.  What struck me, was the relationship of all of these systems to production, transportation, processing, distribution, and consumption of products, as well as the waste produced and resources used in these steps.  The key issue with these steps is the current division of each step.  Rarely are commodities produced and consumed in the same community.  Even the “locally” produced goods are transported a fair distance.  This model seems to completely defy the entire concept of sustainability.  Communities are producing goods for export so that they may import goods from another community? This seems counterintuitive.