Compliments for the AIA Podcast, thoughts on the Ninth Ward

I am an avid podcast listener (anytime the topic comes up, or rather, when I bring it up, I recommend All in the Mind, Science Friday, and Musecast, among others). It is a joke among my friends how often I will bring up my 'exciting new discoveries' from podcasts. My most recent discovery is this: AIA Podcasts, and I am extremely impressed by the series (available for free download on iTunes or at AIA PodNet). I have thus fas listened to eleven in the span of six days. They are my new favorite commuting companion for my daily (and lengthy) Chicago "El" time. I regard podcasts as something that make my commute "worthwhile" because I am learning and thinking critically and listening to (usually) extremely intelligent people discuss and dissect topics of interest. They are a wellspring of knowledge and stimulating ideas.

The AIA podcasts have been particularly interesting since I am now seriously considering going into a career in architecture; but I digress.

I would particularly recommend the episode called Green Homebuilding by Design, featuring Peter L. Pfeiffer, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB. Pfeiffer's comments are remarkably insightful and clear. His strong criticism of architect's proposals for Brad Pitt's MIR Project in the New Orleans Ninth Ward was a genuine reaction to an important issue. I do not know if I fully share the same sentiments as Pheiffer, but I can say that his tongue-in-cheek remark "what are we gonna do, gentrify the Ninth Ward?" is critically important as a specific and also a broader question.

Sustainability is sometimes perceived as achievable and other times irreconcilable to our current lifestyles. In architecture and design, professionals must consider the (potential) buyer or client and approach every project as unique. In a project like MIR, I wonder if the point that Pfeiffer is speaking to is an arguably gray area. Since Brad Pitt's name is on the project, I would imagine the inherent publicity could attract buyers looking for more upscale homes. However, I hope that the aim of meeting basic needs and having affordable housing for the original inhabitants of the still-rebuilding city is the foremost concern. I want to be clear that I do not know how these homes are being funded or who they are being sold to, I am merely speculating and reflecting based on Pfeiffer's commentary and what I could garner from the MIR site; if anyone wants to correct me or give me more information I would be interested to learn more about the project.

Here are some images from MIR's site:

Above image by Concordia


Above image by Billes


Above image by MVRDV

I would like to offer my praises for the AIA podcast with one point of criticism: the AIA PodNet website is not the easiest to browse. It would, in my opinion as a site visitor, be a more accessible series if first the transcripts were offered and second if the episodes could be viewed chronologically rather than divided into four categories (design, leadership, practice, and building performance). Regardless, I applaud the AIA for having such a fascinating spectrum of interviewees and topics, M.J. Crosbie for being an impressive interviewer, and the AIA for extending this information to the public in the exceptionally accessible arena of podcasts. It is important for architecture to be accessible. It is, afterall, 'the unavoidable art.'

UPDATE/ADDENDUM: I recently read that there the MIR project is "funding 150 affordable and sustainable homes in an area leveled by Katrina". This info and more can be seen in this PDF: http://www.cherokeefund.com/pdfs/MIR%20Cherokee%20Press%20Release.pdf

João Pessoa, Where the Sun Rises First

I spent the month of June living in Brazil. I traveled to Rio, Recife, Campina Grande and João Pessoa. I will focus in this entry about João Pessoa because it is considered one of the "greenest" cities according to my web searches, and the best information I have gotten about how this honor was bestowed is that it's linked the Embassy of Brazil in the UK, and that the city came in second to Paris. If anyone has further information on this, please let me know.

I do know that it is the easternmost point of the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S (I find that Wikipedia is always helpful for such statistics as this), and it is known as the place "where the sun rises first." The city's promotional video (here in english) is a bit slow-paced for my taste, but it effectively publicizes what I experienced: a vibrant, dynamic, historical city.

I was able to visit Alamoana, a luxury condominium complex, (photos) with one of the premier investors (a member of the family I stayed with in Brazil). The site was still in the early stages of construction when I visited, but the lots were mostly sold. It is a beautiful area (next to a beautiful forested area) and the amenities are noteworthy: a marina (which the sun almost poetically sets behind), a pool, work-out facility and club, and very near proximity to the city amenities João Pessoa offers. Here are some of my favorite shots from my visit to Alamoana:

Psychology and Art History

As a student of Art History, I am inclined to write about sustainability and the ‘green’ architecture movement in terms of style, materials and influence. As a student of Psychology, I am of the mind to discuss the human psychological impact of a healthier environment. Still, the extent of my interest in ‘green’ architecture does not end here, as I am also interested in many other facets, which make this blog quite ambitious in scope.

The Art Historian part of me says: Within this green shift, there are multiple approaches possible for cities, and these find their visual manifestation in different ways, aesthetically. First is the Traditional model of sustainability, which has been employed in ancient sites, and the modern reclaimed version upholds the old vernacular knowledge and local material usage. There is no singular Traditional form because it, by definition, uses local materials and specialized aesthetic solutions. Next, the International and Modern styles represent the divorce of nature and architecture; they are antithetical to the concerns of the Traditional mode. Finally, the Eco-Tech, Biomimicry and Biophilic approaches are contemporary movements that aim to keep the focus on technology and form like the Modern/International aesthetic while taking these a step further by giving sustainability a place in cities. Eco-Tech is usually made use of in commercial buildings, and the aesthetic is seen in skyscrapers, especially.

The Psychologist was unavailable for comment, and only able to quote:

"A 2007 survey by the Robert Charles Lesser & Co asked buyers about their attitudes toward green building and their motivations and willingness to pay for green homes (RCLC, 2007). Forty-one percent of respondents reported that they cared about and were willing to pay for the health and wellness components of a green building, even if the costs were not recoverable. This is compared with 18% for energy savings and 24% for the environment." (link)

Biomimicry and Biophilia: A Juxtaposition

Biomimicry is the imitation (mimicry or mimesis) of nature. It ‘promotes the transfer of ideas inspired by Nature to the design of our world, for a more sustainable, healthier planet,’ according to The Biomimicry Institute’s website. The site also says that as we learn from nature and study “how to grow food like a prairie, build ceramics like an abalone, create color like a peacock, self-medicate like a chimp, compute like a cell, and run a business like a hickory forest,” that “the conscious emulation of life’s genius is a survival strategy for the human race, a path to a sustainable future.”

On the topic of sustainable buildings, the Biomimicry Institute specifically cited the Eastgate Building, an office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe and a model of sustainability and biophilia. Impressive Architect Mick Pearce teamed up with Arup Associates to design Eastgate, and it has won numerous awards and been heralded for its innovation and place-sensitive design.



Biophilia (coined by Harvard Biologist Edward O. Wilson in 1984) does what Biomimicry does not: it reaches into the human desire for an affinity with nature on both the meta- and individual levels. Biophilia is different from Biomimicry because it is based more in the appreciation of nature. To my mind it (-philia) is more on a spiritual/emotional plane rather than a quantitative/measured level. The following quote is an extrapolation on this concept:

“Architecture needs the existence of something old and permanent, like the cycle of the years, the rhythm of the moon, the majesty of the streams, or the old moss-covered rock. I feel that the most important aspect in modern architecture is the attempt to make man re-discover these fundamental values” –Aulis Blomstedt, 1950-70

More concrete examples of these are that Biophilia is the belief that natural light should be maximized in a building for humanitarian/health purposes while Biomimicry finds a more outward aesthetic expression in systems and ratios—taking an ecosystem as a model for a city, for example.These concepts are not entirely separate, and further, the concept of Biomimicry is embedded in Biophilia, but the inverse is not always the case.

Biomimicry and Biophilia are both important for the future of architectural strategies of design, but their influence is not new. The Finnish Architect, Alvar Alto worked primarily in the first half of the 20th century, was both a proponent of modernism and he "dreamed of an architecture without style, buildings determined only by the diverse needs of the people using them and the conditions dictated by the building site, the materials available and financial considerations" (quote link). Aalto also believed that as nature and architecture should be derived from the same concepts.

“Nature, biology, offers profuse and luxuriant forms; with the same constructions, same tissues and same cellular structures it can produce millions and millions of combinations, each of which is a high level of form” –Alvar Alto, 1935

Though Alto's words are from long ago, we are now more widely accepting that we need to incorporate sustainable architecture, design, and daily choices into the fabric of cities. The status of a building is changing—it is a crucial participant in our uphill battle for sustainability and overall well-being. This natural model is the way to discuss and to design buildings in our milieu.

Image from: http://i.treehugger.com/files/th_images/termite_mound.jpg

Cob Methods and ChiCobCo

One can find a deep shade of "green" (in terms of the environmental consciousness and connectedness) to be pervasive in architecture’s history from the passive solar solutions of Ancient Greece (I found links 1, 2, and 3 helpful for more information on this) to the long history at Taos Pueblo. These and other examples can provide wonderful models, and should be looked at to inform the contemporary push for eco-friendly city/community planning. Building practices in ancient societies necessarily used 'green technologies’ such as passive solar space heating, local materials, etc. which were neglected or undervalued in the last few centuries, and are now being re-discovered and utilized; established vernacular forms and materials are reappearing in a modern and even urban context. Cob building is one prime example of this phenomenon.

Cob building is a traditionally based method of construction is uses earth (dirt/mud) and straw. Historically the technique comes primarily from the United Kingdom area, but ancient Cob buildings can also be found in Africa and the Middle East. This method is still being used today, and it is being exported to South America and Asia as a grassroots-inspired alternative building strategy.

"It is quite similar to adobe in that the basic mix of clay and sand is the same, but it usually has a higher percentage of long straw fibers mixed in. Instead of creating uniform blocks to build with, cob is normally applied by hand in large gobs (or cobs) which can be tossed from one person to another during the building process. The traditional way of mixing the clay/sand/straw is with the bare feet; for this reason, it is fairly labor intensive" (Green Home Building).

It is the epitome of local, sustainable material. Cob also lends itself to sculptural forms. It is a cost-effective and sustainable building method: it utilizes local materials and elements such as passive solar heating can be incorporated. It is fireproof and can be used in a variety of climates.

Here is a polaroid of a friend and I at a cob bench/gazebo site in Portland, OR (March 2008).

The ChiCobCo group has created buildings and benches out of this time-tested method of Cob building. In the Chicago neighborhood of Edgewater they were commissioned to create a bench outside a health foods store (at 1034 N. Broadway St.). This bench includes a tri-partite seating arrangement, orange and yellow coloring, a whimsical-looking owl’s face, wings, and feet, and white mosaic tiles atop. Its curving back and use of tiles are remarkably similar to Antoni Gaudi’s serpentine seating in Park Guell.

Miguel Eliot, founder of ChiCobCo, has also built a merged oven/bench structure in Cabrini Green. A leap beyond constructing benches, however, is the Butterfly Social Club (at 722 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago). This all-organic nightclub has a Mayan theme created with benches, trees, tables, a DJ booth, and bar; with all these, the club features the world’s largest cob sculpture. The aesthetic is not within the mainstream nightclub vocabulary, but the fact that such a large space has incorporated cob is indicative of a readiness in the zeitgeist for eco-friendly spaces that push the aesthetic envelope.

ECO-nomics

The conception that green buildings exist solely in order to diminish CO2 emissions displays the first and most common misconception about sustainable architecture. We should remove the socio-political debates about global warming from the picture. At the Greenbuild 2007 conference, former president Bill Clinton stated that, “building green is the greatest economic opportunity since WWII.” The ‘green collar jobs’ that are created by the emerging industry initiatives are significant to the American economy especially after a decline in manufacturing jobs in the US. George Hartwell, the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, mentioned at Greenbuild that his city—after feeling the devastation of globalization—has now started to increase its wealth by changing old manufacturing edifices into new green material manufacturing facilities.

The book Green to Gold (2006) tackles the burgeoning world of green business revenue and aims to be pragmatic in a niche where “over 95 percent of the stories and examples talked only about the benefits of environmental thinking.” Many businesses are enthusiastically fueling the green movement and it is critical to remember that “no business strategy works all the time” . The authors’ realistic approach is still optimistic, but they have sought out the book’s information with the specific aim of presenting a non-idealized view in the burgeoning domain where ecology and business meet.

Green to Gold presents some key strategies and thoughts about going ‘green’ in the business world. My favorite is: “Climate change is shaping up to be the biggest environmental strategy issue the business world has ever faced.” The authors employ metaphors from economic jargon: “Natural resources are the assets on the planetary balance sheet.” The aims of getting ahead and making a profit are still in play, but the notion of a greater ecological and human good are also addressed.

Eco-chic and green business initiatives are excellent and simultaneously problematic. As the July 1, 2007 article called “Buying Into the Green Movement” stated in the New York Times:

Consumers have embraced living green, and for the most part the mainstream green movement has embraced green consumerism. But even at this moment of high visibility and impact for environmental activists, a splinter wing of the movement has begun to critique what it sometimes calls “light greens” .

[Though it should (as I stated at the outset of this post) be out of the realm of politics and climate change, we can choose to consider this as well if that is on your agenda.] The global climate and carbon footprint problems we are facing are too large in scope to be bought by consumers who propone the same life style choices, overall. Simply buying green stocks while not recycling and driving an SUV will not bring us anywhere in the grand scheme of things.

We need to educate ourselves and make smart, green, lifestyle decisions. Since many businesses and marketing campaigns have aimed at green images, it is the consumer’s responsibility to be discerning. An accessible space for information about this new intersection of ecology and business is the weekly video news podcast called ECOBIZ. Sponsored by Citi Smith Barney, this video podcast is free, straightforward, interesting, and encouraging in many ways. The website falls under the umbrella of the Sundance Channel.

Environmental sustainability and social change are the broad topics attended to by a great podcast (in video): ECOBIZ, but the information embedded in any given episode can lead to a quickly snowballing interest. For example, the episode about the Terra Pass, if one’s interest is sparked, can lead to the company’s website, a potential purchase in one of many areas, and even to joining the Terra Pass Facebook group. The ease of the modern American consumer is all-too evident between TerraPass and the plethora of businesses going green to gain our business.

A wide range of individuals and companies are featured, and Emmy-Award winning Allison Stewart, who serves as the podcast’s anchor. The episode’s features have included Timberland, Terra Pass, Emory Knoll Farms, Recycline, Ben and Jerry’s, and The Sallan Foundation; these companies are all making environmentally conscious steps in different ways. These segments validate the opportunity that the green movement has augmented.

There is intangible brand value in marketing your entire company as environmentally friendly, but it is more than painting the façade of your company headquarters green. The innumerable websites, podcasts and books on this ‘green’ topic are successful because being informed is the only feasible preparation for the future of corporations; a green image may suffice for now, but not for long. Knowledgeable, committed consumers are making demands for transparency of policies in companies. Companies are being asked about their environmental footprint, from alternative energy investment, office policies, waste management, architectural choices, ad infinitum.

The social sites, podcasts and blogs (like my own) are changing media, and by extension the issue of our “e-waste.” The question of what to do with all the outdated electronic material is pressing, as “every old computer has about four pounds of toxic materials including […] flame retardants, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Given that over 300 million computers are awaiting disposal in the United States alone, the toxic waste math is not pretty.” ReCellular is yet another eco-smart business, which was created “to refurbish, reuse and responsibly recycle discarded cell phones.” It is “the world's largest recycler and reseller of used cellular phones and accessories.” Companies like this one are innovating and changing the notion of green business. They have a green hue in more than their appearance: they are building a green business out off sustainable practices and using waste materials to generate new revenue.

Briefly Noteworthy

I found this image here, and it is apparently hanging in the foyer of HGTV's (2008) Green Home. If HGTV isn't mainstream, I dont know what is.