Reflections of an archijunkie

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As much as i appreciate the idea of a promenade with trees, dirt, sandboxes etc, crossing through the entire island of Manhattan, i think it might be a bit of an exaggeration for the city as we know it, to do it in the present. One should think, how is this really a significant work for the development of the city and the development of more jobs.i don't think it would. What it would do is create more frustration within the city, more congestion in the city's avenues, and a lot less space for fire-trucks and the police in case of an emergency. It would also take away from another grand investment that the city had made a century and a half ago, the Central Park. Finally, it would compete with plans for green promenades that are going on as we speak, one on the east river, one on the west side, and of course the now infamous Highline. I am not so sure whether it makes sense. I am not sure it does not either. I guess i just wanted to bring it up.

Architectural explorations

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My favorite thing when i am in the city, is to get on thwe road and just look around. I am not that into the glamour of New York, and nor the whole idea of the capital of the world ... I am just happy to be around its people. There is a special vibrant feelimg that takes you over when you encounter a New Yorker, similar to the feeling you get when you are abou to do something really special. Frankly if that is not the case with you, then get on the greyhound and off you go. But if it is, you know what i am talking about. The essence of this city- progress, achievement, reaching heights you never dreamt of, which are all noble goals whenever one has them, but seem to be in the air of every cubic foot of this city.
To go back to talking aboyt architecture, the form of this city, in my view, is just that- the idea of connections, which in all their complexity are unravelled on a very simple canvas, the grid. I think this pretty much sums it all up.

By www.archijunkie.com - archi-news

Every step you take: UK underground centre that is spy capital of the world, The Guardian, March 2, 2009

Rethink Architecture Now !

Rethink Architecture Now !

by Annie McConnell, February 25, 2009

Humans have never respected the fundamental values of a human society. We have lost the sense of importance of family, we do not understand or respect our traditions, we have found ways to separate our societies into haves and have-nots, insiders and outsiders, good and evil, wanted and unwanted, friends and enemies, we rape other peoples' sisters, we kill other peoples' brothers and we have managed to disconnect ourselves from our instincts more than ever before in the history of humanity. If we have lost our self-respect, how is it ever possible to feel sorry for something as small and seemingly meaningless as a single tree, a flower, or a bird, or even something as large as a forest, or an entire ecosystem? How do you expect anyone to feel remorse for vanishing species - whales, or seals that are in danger of extinction? Above all we have lost touch with our purpose in this world, as political and cultural creatures. What follows naturally is our lack of respect for the environment. Consequently, what they now call sustainable architecture is just an illusion. I repeat: there simply cannot be sustainable architecture, unless there is a change of culture. Unless people discover the respect they have lost for themselves and their neighbor. And this they can only discover through a completely different way of life aiming at achieving cultural sustainability that will eventually lead to environmental sustainability Sustainability cannot be achieved by individuals. It can only be achieved through collective effort. Therefore, a distinction must be made between the terms "green" and "sustainable." Green architecture is the first step towards sustainability. It is a type of architecture that will bring people closer to nature, both in principle and literally. Green architecture can offer people a helping hand in the effort for sustainability. However, its objectives have been misinterpreted. The main objective behind the idea of sustainable architecture must be to inspire humans to live in harmony with the environment. Architects should eschew expensive sophisticated, so-called green techniques and materials. Instead, Green architecture must be globally affordable. It must be internationally adopted as the right way to build. That will help us change the existing western culture, by transforming people's lives through communicating to them the importance of maintaining life and saving energy resources. I assert that green architecture must be an affordable product of scientific thinking, and I therefore encourage my architecture colleagues and myself to collectively wake up and do our job.

Rebuilding a Community

Rebuilding a Community

by Tim Ostberg, ArchiJunkie, February 25, 2009

Community is precious; It can help make many events happen. It can make positive changes in neighborhoods, villages, countries and schools. It is the SPACE BETWEEN that holds us together. At the Town Forum the other night at our school, as I walked into the room the first impression was of the energy, excitement and enthusiasm of students. IT WAS CLEAR. The writing board was full of thoughts, ideas and well-discussed suggestions for a better department. It was a beginning; a COMMUNITY ACTION Over the years we have lost much of the community of our schools of architecture, the spirit and the energy. It has been replaced with rules, regulations and procedures. It has become process without content. We have lost the days when the whole community came together once a week to share a meal, or the times after a long week, when we all celebrated our thoughts. We have lost the casual conversations, between students and faculty, faculty and facutly, staff and all. We have lost our center, the spirit of the place - the community of the place. NOW is the time to come together again. The energy is there everywhere NOW for the Echo of this community! And the echo needs help. We need space for this to happen. Not just endless halls which can never really become a place. We need sponsored events. We need resources to make events happen. And we need to be in one place not scattered throughout the campus. Places come from community and community is about coming together to make a place. We must be in the same place!

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Evangelos P. Limpantoudis

web: www.elosdesign.com
email: elimpantoudis@elosdesign.com
mobile: 1-646-593-8456

Towards A New Kind Of Architectural Education!

by Evan Gross, March 4, 2009

THE INSTITUTE: Wake Up Students of Architecture No School offers you an education. Schools sell tickets for academic competitions in which you must participate in order to defeat of be defeated. In these competitions, the best prepared lead and all others follow. In order to lead, you will need to overcome obstacles behind which lies no certainty, but that of vanity. THE TEACHER: Wake up Students of Architecture No Teacher can educate you! You are on your own to create your own options and select from them. BUT ... Be warned: The restless minds will be the ones to see the truth; the seekers of a type of reality that has not been served on the plate, but can only be obtained through ceaseless explorations. You are unable to discover the truth in the abyss of a system created by minds, which have already sold their once innovative ideals to a corrupt society for worn-out promises. Do not blame them. Their constructive cycle of life ended the moment they demonstrated obedience to the monster of dishonesty. Afraid of their own shadows, our teachers say "Yes Sir", and repeat patterns of the past; right or wrong. They do not judge, but blindly accept, and single - handedly reject the extremity of any modern thinker's innovative ideas. Ignore these teachers ... poor creatures; unfortunate victims of their own creation, their own monster; "the system". Do not blame them, but do not listen to them either. You might end up being like them one day. But that is when the restless minds will mock you. That is when you will dress up in a shade of gray and pray to your gods for mercy ... just ignore them.

THE TECHNOCRAT: Emotionally shallow and victimized by a standardized education, the technocrat feeds the system and is fed by it. He is happy with how the situation is as it is, and is afraid of infinite possibilities. He cannot conceive of any reason why restless monds strive for perfection. He is the one responsible for the shit we are all in. He is the child of the aforementioned malfunctioning system. He does not create, but only reheats precooked ideas of his trade. He relies on the knowledge he was once served in a tavern called "education". His instinct is what leads him to become a technocrat. A Technocrat = a person who knows how to make a product be durable, but does not care whether it is made for a human or a beast. The Technocrat ignores beauty. He does not care about beauty. All he needs is safety, easiness and vegetarian soup. But remember: beauty is in taking the chance. Beauty is in dreaming of conquering unreachable crests. Ignore him, spit in his face ... walk away. You do not need him. He needs you! Walk Away ... Or stay. But if you do, do NOT stand still. OR YOU WILL TURN INTO ONE OF THEM!

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