Beastocity: 12 (thinking about the future is exciting and stressful)
So, I’ve been trying to articulate some ideas for a few months and I think I should document what I’ve got so far.
Architecture has always fascinated me. Mostly what fascinates me about it is how it embodies the connection between spaces and community and art. How cool is it that someone’s artistic vision creates a space which in turn impact and shape communities. Wow.
But recently I’ve been trying to dig deeper than that… What communities are in need? How can architecture and design help them? I’m no expert, but from what I can tell, current inner-city
architecture seems to be modern developers try their hand at placing their newest “theory” of building healthy inner-city communities into low-income, urban neighborhoods. To me (granted, I too am currently an outsider) it seems like a laborious process: find a lot or tear something dilapidated down, come up with a fancy yet inexpensive design, build it, furnish it and somewhere in that process the gentrification seed can get planted. But on top of that, I’m realizing that this whole process
takes years.
Maybe it’s my own personal style, but growing up in a developing suburb my life was filled with sterile new architecture (not really even modern or all that creative). To me, what gives character and life to a
community are buildings with history. What would it look like to have existing buildings be changed, adapted, and renewed to fit the functional, atheistic, and environmental needs of a community? Would
it add ownership and pride to have someone who is an insider in that community be the one who is changing the architectural landscape of the community, and thus the feel of the community? Could that happen by using existing landmarks? Could that be a metaphor of how the community is seeking to change?
Realistically, I know this is difficult and in no ways glamorous. And, honestly, I cannot even imagine how difficult this could probably be. Would this be the route of architecture, urban planning, or historic preservation? I’ll admit I’m another one of those “theorists” trying their hand at “fixing” something they know nothing about. But for now it encourages and inspires me to keep following my interest and hopefully figuring out what is possible.
