04 Strategy

We have started to develop a strategy based on the millennium development goals of AusAID (below).  This involves providing an architectural 'agent' that assists the Australian Government in achieving their goals.

• eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
• achieve universal primary education
• promote gender equality and empower women
• reduce child mortality
• improve maternal health
• combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• ensure environmental sustainability
• develop a global partnership for development

04 IFPRI Food Shortage

The assumptions made in our discussion re. food shortage are also recognised in the 2010 International Food Policy Research report (Link).  Design ideas for food shortage need to consider issues of climate change, poverty, economic development, agricultural productivity and so forth. The main messages drawn include (extracted);

• Broad-based economic development is central to improvements in human well-being, including sustainable food security and resilience to climate change
• Climate change offsets some of the benefits of income growth
• International trade plays an essential role in compensating for various climate change effects
• Properly targeted agricultural productivity investments can mitigate the impacts of climate change and enhance sustainable food security

04 Food Shortage

The issue of food shortage is not limited to supply and demand but is linked to issues of climate change, economy, growing population, regulations and so forth.  What does this mean for those involved? How will we continue to meet demands for food when our capacity to increase food production is decreasing? How will we deal with rising prices? How will countries that are lagging in infrastructure and technology developments cope?

By asking these questions, we have started to outline specific functions that our mobile architecture will need to provide;

• food security
• adaptation to farming, technology, climate change
• maximise natural resources
• support policies and infrastructure

04 MSD Poverty, Food Shortage

04 MSD Natural Disasters

Development for our mobile strategy was through discussion; addressing issues related to (but not limited to) poverty, food shortage and natural disasters.  Though these issues are closely related, we are planning to narrow our focus to food shortage and food supply; whether or not this involves supplying to poverty-stricken or natural disaster regions will be determined after further research.

04 Architecture is a device

Architecture is a device (Maas.W, 2004)
The reading adds another layer to our thought processes; how can architecture act as a device or facilitator to converge debates of the 21st century?
Some thoughts and extracts below.


Often the political, economic and societal demands are considered as separate entities.

Space accommodates current and future political, economic and societal demands.  Architecture can facilitate the convergence of this debate and bring it to reality...What is the role for architecture in this process? Can it take an active position on these issues? Can it formulate spatial directions rather than fearful reactions?...Can it point to wider issues and show alternatives?...Can it contribute beyond its own domain toward other agendas such as globalization, free migration, the division between the rich and poor, ecology or demands for a more intensive use of the Earth?

when architecture is a device, its products can be understood as "instruments" of general observations, as "messengers" of urban transactions and criticism, as "facilitators" for development and acceleration and as "communicators" of wider processes and agendas. 

03 G8 Summit

The G8 Summit illustrates the current world issues that need to be addressed.  Can architecture play an active role in facilitating necessary actions?
A summary of their priorities included;

1. New common challenges: the Internet, innovation, green growth and a sustainable economy, and nuclear safety
2. The 'Arab Springs': a partnership for democracy
3. Strengthening the partnership with Africa: a long-term vision
4. "Peace and security": traditional themes of the G8

[Read More]

G-20 G-8 France 2011: Priorities
The Telegraph: G8 Summit 2011 in Deauville

03 Infrastructure

Mind-mapping a response to week 3, infrastructure, strategy and presence.  This was explored through a prominent issue of the 21st century, economy. 

• What would happen if the economy collapsed?
• What role does mobile, flexible, virtual and/or distributed play?
• Do they use existing/new infrastructure to facilitate change?

02 Exemplars

Kiefer Showroom - Technic Showroom

The dynamic facade is an example of how mobile and flexible can be incorporated into the building.

David Bley and Gabriel Aguilar
Inspiration light paintings.  Could this be a virtual platform?

Andrew Maynard - Suburb Eating Robot
Mobile and distributed solution to issues of urban sprawl
Fulton & Saloman
Flexible uses of shipping containers
Archigram
Plug in city, walking city
Antman Goresetman Architects
Mobile Initiative Pavilion

02 TED Talk - Using Nature's Genius in Architecture

Further research on distributed architecture. Here, Michael Pawlyn talks about biomimicry which has inspired a new approach to design.

"...talking about the linear to closed loop idea.  The way we tend to use resources is we extract them, we turn them into short-life products and then dispose of them.  Nature works very differently.  In ecosystems, the waste from one organism becomes the nutrient for something else in that system."

02 Australia's perceptions of their National Capital

The 2008 study, Australia's perceptions of their National Capital was examined to answer the questions raised during the Parliament discussion. The key findings summarised in the 2008 study were;

• 70.6% of respondents' first impressions/images of Canberra were associated with politicians/parliaments followed by national capital/ACT
• The majority of respondents identified parliament house and the Australian War Memorial as the attraction or event of most significance in Canberra
• Respondents strongly agreed that Canberra has a political focus (64.6%)
• Approximately 56% of respondents agreed that Canberra reflects national values, while 72.3% agreed or strongly agreed that Canberra reflects Australia's defence forces, democracy (69.9%) and Australian history (66.9%)

Positive perceptions of Canberra outweigh negative.

The study also addressed that those misinformed and uniformed generally have negative views of Canberra.

From this study, it may not be necessary to change the image of Canberra and Parliament.  Instead, focus could be directed toward designing 'agents' for Parliament to assist with issues or management.

02 Parliament in the 21st Century

This reading follows the discussion re. the relevance of Parliament.  What role does architecture play in facilitating the progression of political responsibilities?


Parliament in the 21st Century
Halligan., J. R, Miller. J, Power.
[extract p10-11]

Apart from the doubtful relevance of nineteenth-century ideals, there has still been the fundamental issue of a growing imbalance within the structure of government. There were two main reasons for this. The first is the role of the political party. Since the rise of disciplined political parties in the first decade or so of the twentieth century, parliament’s character has changed. It is no longer a forum for individual politicians to support concerns of their constituents. 

02 Virtual

02 Mobile

Mobile architecture has been identified as;

• incorporating movable parts to increase efficiency
• structures that can be readily assembled and disassembled as required
• bodies of people/architecture that move

It can be applied to assist Government committees to fulfill their responsibilities; relocating them within local proximity.  What would happen to Canberra?

02 Flexible

Flexible architecture can take multiple forms; multi-purpose spaces, spaces that adapt to the environment, users or over time or spaces that incorporate flexible materials.

Motivation is key

Though the design may suggest flexibility, will users be motivated to adjust walls?  Is it convenient to move spaces to create new ones?

What is the life-span?If the space is intended to function for 5 years, how will it be assembled and disassembled?  How can it adapt to another environment?

02 Distributed

Distribution is considered in terms of how ideas, education, services and people can be transferred.  When paired with virtual, mobile or flexible solutions, the outcome can assist Government systems in areas of disaster recovery, managing political debates and so forth.

02 Parliament

Mind mapping exercise questioning the role and relevance of Parliament in the 21st century.  

The roles and responsibilities of Parliament will change to respond to relevant local and global issues.  This prompts ideas about how architecture can either facilitate or adapt to such changes.  One strategy is to consider flexible, mobile, virtual or distributed architecture; discussed in the following posts.