contemplations of basic concepts

architecture

it is difficult to dissociate architecture from the concept of order (n.), which among others, indicates "body of persons living under a religious discipline," "row, rank, series, arrangement," originally "a row of threads in a loom," from Italic root *ored(h)- "to arrange, arrangement" The word reflects a very medieval notion: "a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions."

From the traditional and more explicit order of Greek columns, a vocabulary, to the order of Pyramids and tombs of ancient kings and novelties, in terms of size and decorations, to an implicit "order" when we analyze important works in modern and post-modern architecture (What makes Venturi's mum's house so important that it became architecture), etc. etc., all implicates that for a building to become architecture it has to be included into a set of social/cultural/historical rules and measured accordingly. A iron shed petrol station can become architecture if it becomes the stereotype of many to come (hence ranked as the origin, like Mies' work to office buildings); a little Japanese farm house roofed by hay can be considered architecture if the author was Kengo Kuma and it would attract contemplations on his attitude towards nature as manifested through this humble work (hence to be located in the vast ocean of design philosophies); On the other hand, another skyscraper in Dubai or beyond the la defence of Paris may offer nothing but pragmatic interests to associated parties and should by all means be considered a building only, if, however, the same featureless skyscraper managed to be built somewhere in the medieval town centre of Brugge, it may be elevated to a state of interest again in terms of its implications in the greater urban setting.

Architecture hence exists hand in hand with the state of the collective mind. It must first be detached intellectually from the functions of the building for the imposition of artificial orders to become possible, and also be significant enough to be stored in the limited memories of the cultural and aesthetic library of the society.

economic crisis

In the context of this thesis economic crisis does not just refer to the world of finance, but more generally any situation that faces the task of resources allocation.

economic crisis inevitably has two phases, the phase of abundance at first, followed by the phase of collapse. The phase of abundance is often characterized by a rapid accumulation of resources (wealth, knowledge, power....) , and it has the abilit to self-reinforce and grow, accelerating until the point where the system cannot sustain itself, at which point the phase of collapse starts.

It is in my view impossible for an external force to prevent an economic crisis. Government actions in a financial crisis can typically postpone or replace (by way of colonization, war, etc...) a crisis, but few evidence supports that governments can prevent or cure it.

 

bushfire

an example of an economic crisis where a natural process is catalyzed by external factors beyond the control of those who are affected.

 

climate change

Climate always changes. The volcano eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 decreased global temperature by 0.5 degree. There's nothing more normal than this natural process of self revitalization of the planet. It only came into the collective consciousness as an urgent issue when this phenomenon is considered in conjunction with some other issues: energy crisis, industrial pollution, consumerism, waste production, etc.

consumption
The main driver of economic activities and hence also the fundamental source of financial crisis. Consumption is excessive and can only keep expanding. It is impossible to correct this far from equilibrium social condition unless through drastic natural or human actions such as tsunami or war that are able to wipe out the existing social order (mode of resource allocation). From a historical viewpoint wars were devices by which to deliberately collapse a system when it reaches abundance. Unfortunately/fortunately?, the possibility of a modern full scale war has been prevented by the invention of atomic weapons.  Therefore no threat can possibly stop the existing expansion of human actions until it collapsed on its own.

 

quantity

technology

Technology has two primary tasks. One is to make what's impossible possible, like sending people into the space; the other is to make a process more efficient. 

 

critical design

research

library

library is an artificial environment where resources are stored beyond the amount that factors of production would have required in a perfectly free market condition. It is hence not an institute to maximize allocative efficiency but productive efficiency that would be resulted from the intensified allocation.

St. Jerome

contemporary learning

fever

overpopulation

For a sustainable growth to become possible, all factors of production must be available, leaving room for expansion. Hence the moment when earth reached "full-population" is when the first resource became extinguished.