Symposium on Architecture, Urbanity and Social Sustainability

Advances in ARCHITECTURE, URBANITY and SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Edited by GREG ANDONIAN Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Advances in Architecture, Urbanity and Social Sustainability

Volume XII

Edited by Greg Andonian, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Copyright © 2022 by the IIAS, The International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics. Papers are reproduced here from digital copies prepared by the authors.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

IIAS International E-Symposium on Architecture (1st: 2022: Ottawa, Canada)

Advances in architecture, urbanity and social sustainability / edited by Greg Andonian “Volume XII”

Papers presented at the 1st International E Symposium on Architecture held October 15, 2022 at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978 1 989821 02 2

1. Architecture Congresses. 2. Architecture Data Processing Congresses. 3. Architecture--Computer-aided Design--Congresses. 4. Urban renewal Congresses. 5. Social Sustainability Congresses. I. Andonian, Greg 1941II. International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics. III. Title.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978 1 989821 02 2

Publisher: The International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics (IIAS) Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism Carleton University Ottawa, ON Canada K1S 5B6 (Attention: Prof. Greg Andonian)

ARCHITECTURE | AI | COVID | WAR | NEW SPACE CIVILIZATION by Greg Andonian, Professor of Architecture, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada…….…………8

OF THE APOCALYPSE by Karel Boullart, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Letters of Ghent University, Belgium………..….15

ON WAR BEING AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS: A Reading of John Ruskin’s Lecture on War in The Crown of Wild Olives by Taha Douri, Dean, College of Design, American University in the Emirates, Dubai

DESIGN QUALITY RESET: Interrogating Definition, Delineation, Measurement + Meaning in a Shifting Ethos Nooshin Esmaeili & Sinclair B.R., Ph.D. Candidate & Professor, U. of Calgary, Canada…......…...27

MODERN MANIPULATED ARCHITECTURE & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT by Kensei Hiwaki, VP IIAS & Professor Emeritus of Tokyo International University, Japan...........36

Tenets of Integrated Behavioral Science: ECONOMIC PSYCHOLOGY FOR 21ST CENTURY by Torben Larsen, Retired Researcher & Chief Consultant, University of Southern Denmark..........44 CADECO | CAD + ECOLO CO CULTURAL ORGANIZATION & SYMBIOSIS by Tarkko Oksala, Architect, Researcher & Educator, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland…….….51

THE ROLE OF HUMAN ECOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY CRISES By Giorgio Pizziolo & Rita Micarelli, Human Ecologists, Landscape Architects, Milan, Italy…….55

CREATIVITY vs. BUILD, DESTRUCT, RE-BUILD by Hiltrud Schinzel, Magister Artium, Art Historian, Artist, Dusseldorf, Germany…….…...…......63

ARCHITECTURE AT A CRITICAL THRESHOLD: Meaningfully Migrating from Luxury to Essential Services by Brian R. Sinclair, Professor of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, U. of Calgary, Canada.......69

Andonian,

Esmaeili,

Hiwaki,

Pizziolo,

Schinzel,

ADVANCES IN ARCHITECTURE, URBANITY & SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Volume XII is a compendium of selected papers and keynote addresses that were presented at the 1st International E-Symposium on Architecture, held October 15, 2022, at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. The papers cover some substantive areas of interdisciplinary studies, including Architecture| AI | Covid | War | New Space Civilization, Horsemen of the Apocalypse, ON WAR BEING AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS: A Reading of John Ruskin’s Lecture on War in The Crown of Wild Olives, Design Quality

Reset: Interrogating Definition, Delineation, Measurement + Meaning in a Shifting Ethos, Modern Manipulated Architecture & Sustainable Development, Tenets of Integrated Behavioral Science: Economic Psychology For 21ST Century, CADECO | CAD + Ecolo-Co-Cultural Organization & Symbiosis, The Role of Human Ecology in Contemporary Crises, Creativity vs. Build, Destruct, Re build, and Architecture at a critical Threshold: Meaningfully Migrating from Luxury to Essential Services.

The first paper entitled, “Architecture| AI | Covid | War | New Space Civilization” was authored by Greg Andonian, Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. The paper articulates the propagation of a New Architecture in Non gravitational Space settings, via Super AI Machines, to achieve a possible Post Covid War future for human dwelling, which must inherently thrive beyond superseding the new hi-tech materials appropriation, with genuine integration of novel intelligent design and construction technologies. It will be professionally aspiring to create a new cultural, yet embedding, civilizational reality.

The second paper on “Horsemen of the Apocalypse?” was authored by Karel Boullart, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Letters of Ghent University, Belgium. The author questions whether human species is moving in a disruptive mode on the way to self destruction. He articulates three human temptations in search of a personable opinion: namely, epistemic arrogance manifesting ignorance in overestimating human capabilities, ontological anxiety due to human greed in the inherent insecurity of available means of subsistence, and metaphysical pride in human thirst for power striving to all-mightiness.

The third paper entitled “ON WAR BEING AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS: A Reading of John Ruskin’s Lecture on War in The Crown of Wild Olives” was authored by Taha Douri, Dean, College of Design, American University in the Emirates, Dubai. The author proclaims that Art embodied both casualties of war: Life and Property. He argues that when art is lost to war or vandalism, the sense of loss reaches as far as that of joy and turgidity of the soul art imparts thereupon. Those unresolved feelings of awe, sublimity, unsettling fulfillment, and void may account for Ruskin’s closely associating the flourishment of the arts with conflict.

The fourth paper on “Design Quality Reset: Interrogating Definition, Delineation, Measurement + Meaning in a Shifting Ethos, Modern Manipulated Architecture & Sustainable Development, ” was jointly authored by Nooshin Esmaeili and Dr. Brian R. Sinclair, School of Architecture, Planning + Landscape (SAPL), University of Calgary & sinclairstudio inc., Canada. The authors manifest that the implications of design excellence to our Quality of Life are undeniable. Our environments contain and engulf us. Our buildings, landscapes, spaces, and places serve to structure our behavior, influence our health, impact our happiness, shape our identify, affect our attachment, and impart meaning.

The fifth paper entitled “Modern Manipulated Architecture & Sustainable Development” was authored by Kensei Hiwaki, VP IIAS & Professor Emeritus of Tokyo International University, Japan. The author professes that architecture has strong potential influence over social infrastructures and attempts to promote a viable aesthetic-moral human future. Further, he believes that Architecture can assume a much greater responsibility for the long-run human survival and well being, over and above the short-run convenient and liberal lifestyles of self centered customers. Hence, Architecture can contribute to the enhancement of long term human comfort, serenity, and harmony, as well as of human maturation.

The sixth paper on “Tenets of Integrated Behavioral Science: Economic Psychology For 21ST Century” was authored by Torben Larsen, Retired Researcher & Chief Consultant, University of Southern Denmark. The author claims that a neuroeconomic model (NeM) constitutes a positivist transdisciplinary alternative to the weakened classical paradigm of rational economic behavior NeM implies that rationality is replaced by creativity as the prototype of production, and “Simple Living” replaces Consumerism as the rational pattern of consumption. Further, NeM supports center oriented economic policies for sustainable development in accordance with the economic profession.

The seventh paper on “CADECO | CAD + Ecolo Co Cultural Organization & Symbiosis” was authored by Tarkko Oksala, Aalto University, IIAS, Helsinki, Finland. The author discusses CAD as a tool to build an ecological world. He manifests that composition, architecture and design are related fields, and to facilitate an eco social human action by CAD, a knowledge based design is considered. The traditional idea of CAD CAM can be extended and related to conduct based architectural design, which articulates that human must live healthy life both biologically and socially. This dual maxim leads the author to discuss security questions like Covid 19 and how to avoid world war like conflicts.

The eighth paper entitled “The Role of Human Ecology in Contemporary Crises” was a collaboration between Giorgio Pizziolo & Rita Micarelli, Human Ecologists, Landscape Architects, University of Florence, Italy. The authors manifest that in the contemporary planetary crises Human Ecology is strategic to maintain the prerogatives shared of the whole world, the womb of every living entity and all dynamic phenomena (from the universe to molecular and particles dimensions) whose living processes maintain the same cyclical, renewable, continuous evolutionary procedures according to different modalities and dynamics (rhythms, times, material /energy/information exchanges and so on). Humanity takes part in these processes accompanying or exasperating their ecological trend.

The ninth paper on “Creativity vs. Build, Destruct, Re build” was authored by Hiltrud Schinzel, Magister Artium, Art Historian, Artist, Dusseldorf, Germany. The author reminisces that after two world wars artists aspired to re shape the wounded environment in a creative way. Awareness was regarded as the basis for such spiritual and material renewal. The widespread, yet selfish, attitude of human towards nature was recognized by visual artists as a pressing problem. Examples are given and the material instability identified, as those relate to natural growth and decay cycles. It is opposed to the concept of war inclined misuse of man made material in building causing the repeat sequence of construction and destruction.

The tenth paper entitled “Architecture at a critical Threshold: Meaningfully Migrating from Luxury to Essential Services” was authored by Brian Sinclair, PhD DrHC FRAIC AIA (Intl) FIIAS Univ. of Calgary, Canada. The author postulates that it seems imperative for the profession of architecture to dramatically interrogate its trajectory considering historical posturing and future potential. Beyond physical crises we are hit with political instabilities, local wars, economic imbalances, health emergencies, growing intolerance, and intense inequities all generating great uncertainty, growing stress, and debilitating fear. Into this mix and mess, architects, architecture, and the profession need to find their place, consider their potential, and realize some impact.

ADVANCES IN ARCHITECTURE, URBANITY & SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Volume XII will be of great interest to all those who wish to learn more about recent theoretical advances in interdisciplinary studies and future directions of applied research in architectural history / theory and anthropology, as well as in urban revitalization and social sustainability. General educators, architects, systems engineers, urban planners, social cyberneticists, mathematical modelers, and computer simulators -- should be interested. This publication represents the work of colleagues from many countries. We are very grateful to them for the time and effort they devoted to the preparation of their papers and for their great contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

A FINAL NOTE:

The editor gracefully acknowledges, firstly, the indispensable guidance and bibliographical references and index provided by IIAS President Dr. George E. Lasker for the proceedings of papers submitted for presentation in the 1st International E-Symposium on Architecture, and secondly, Dr. Federica Goffi, Interim Director of the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, for hosting the e conferencing on site, providing Carleton University resources for e publication, and personally welcoming the paper presenters to the global audience. Thanks as well to David Bastien Allard for providing technical assistance.

Greg Andonian, Editor

AI | COVID | WAR | New Space Civilization Greg Andonian Greg.Andonian@carleton.ca

Preamble

The global condition of mind, embodied in distinct “cave” scenarios, posited criticality on experiences and exposures of prevalent building technologies in constructing a plausible future global civilizational identity. Attempts of first “cave” visionaries to devise a politically astute, socially cohesive, and individually competent “perfect intellectual man” on grounds of idealism, moralism, and realism did not finally materialize. Democracy lost its essence to the Roman Imperial Court as an oppressive model for the aggregate human condition. Even the highly developed human mind failed humanity, as man could not solve his challenges intellectually. In the second “cave”, God revealed his code of conduct for the salvation of the “perfect spiritual man” solely reserved for the heavens. Divinity lost its essence to dogma as the corrupt model for human condition, as religious strife failed humanity, and man could no longer handle his earthy miseries spiritually. Functional determinism became the modus operandi for theoretically testing the endurance of the “perfect social man” in challenging social cultural, economic political, and psychological environmental experiments that humanity interfaced with the “third cave” scenario, where the means always justified the ends regardless of the untenable human sacrifice. In the fourth “cave”, radical advances in technology held the promise of defining the “perfect hitech man” as the product of prosthetics; it attempted to prepare effective human beings for future productive work, social interaction, and creative entertainment. Instrumental reasoning dictated the condition of mind as it related to being and becoming, and man did seek technological solutions for his various genetic defects, spiritual emptiness, and intellectual ineptness. Indeed, the mind’s reason and God’s passion “failed” humanity, defunct social experiments yielded ultimate misery, and high technology did not thrive in assuring a sensible destiny for humankind. In the current Covid | War scenario, the fifth “cave” is emerging as a response to the successive global calamities. The world is totally unprepared for its catastrophic consequences yet to be assessed. The emerging of the “perfect AI augmented man” is wondering why humanity is so ignorant in comprehending the content and consequences of the covid myth pandemic and the intentions of war demigods regarding what they say and what they do, how the concept of mystery is camouflaging reality in our “enlightened” global democracy, what is the context of TV’s “magic warmongering” that is alluringly “entertaining” the masses, to whom are the “leaders beneficiaries” of the covid war scenario promoters narrating regarding “everything” is going to have ultimate “perfect” ending, and finally, are we set to idly witnessing shock and awe in this unending Covid | War scenarios…?

Abstract

The intention of the innovative paper is to articulate novel ideas and critical, yet pragmatic, positions in search of new paradigms for the architecture of the 21st century, as they relate to PANDEMIC issues of designing for urban revitalization and probable WORLD WAR III challenges of social sustainability from the transnational and transcultural perspective in REMOTE Teaching, Designing and Practicing Architecture. This astute reflection will promote dwelling beyond protecting the genuine

character of the architectural content for host dwellers and ethno cultural identities for the newcomers, while revealing mutually co-enabling symbiotic modes of being. Keynotes: Architecture, AI Machines, The Fifth “Cave”, Covid | War, New Civilization

The Fifth “Cave”

In this “cranium cave” brain lead human intelligence is in constant dialogue with the AI machine, seemingly embodying global consciousness with universal knowledge. The symbiosis advances the “perfect AI augmented man”, superseding the traditional conventions of thinking and broadening the sphere of making. The AI machine’s act of conception of architectural ideas, based on meta knowledge and converting them into perceptive form representation, creates a distinctly new reality for the prescribed activity program’s design accommodation. This AI act simultaneously broadens the scope of machine understanding, elevates its artificial consciousness, advances the possibility of creative mathematical thinking, and upgrades spatial self awareness. It is an undoubtable extension of AI embodied theory of mind, where conscious artificial beings are keenly aware of their mental states and act as Demiurges in deciphering emotions of seemingly sentient humans.

Artificial Intelligence

Rational and emotional, intellectual & cultural, environmental & financial, social & political, and philosophical well known parameters of human endeavors can eventually be adequately simulated by novel science-based and technologically astute 5th generation AI machines. The forthcoming super AI systems that are classified to be self aware will emulate superior analytical, theoretical, and abductive design understanding, efficiently utilizing advanced memory and learning methods, and sufficiently promoting modelling of design decisions, based on relevant past experiences. Their ultimate design act will therefore include an exhaustive reference of case studies in search of the best match compatible with the design problem at hand, what had already been verified as workable then should be satisfactory. This model of design seems to be in the traditional mode of average typical practice in the way of propagating professional architecture on a global scale. However, the venturesome spirit that contemporary super designers employ in their individual architectural ideation supersedes any known design model. They therefore advance the invention of novelty in form and space and embody innovative articulation of unique material pallets with color-texture and lighting. Indeed, these architects literally transform the mutable building’s materiality by essentially metamorphosing the various artifacts into an artistic immutability in the realm of virtual sensation.

Hence, the augmented filmic narrative emerges as a seemingly logical puzzle to demystify deciphering the multi-perspectival and multi-layered building’s spatial content. Here is the eternal challenge to the forthcoming super duper AI systems. Conventional architecture necessarily tells human stories of the time, constantly defying and edifying the basic human imagination. It essentially dances with joyful events, saddens with natural and man made disasters, celebrates novelty in surprise, projects a future yet to come and stipulates unpredictability. Additionally, it attempts to effectively elude professional knowledge. The architectural design sufficiency of 5th generation of AI machines should not only seek to remember the past and recall the universal knowledge applied to design decision making, but, as well, proclaim the artificial divinity in imaginative revelation of its future state. Since AI systems are modelled on the human mind’s creative and artistic undertakings, hence neuroscience

should broaden its fundamental scope to extend its monocular and cellular studies in order to include individual neurons to produce vibrant imaging of sensory, motor, and cognitive tasks. In the projective consequence, the mature incorporation in the AI systems promises to yield a robust, yet still remaining a pragmatic manifestation of fortunate universal future within the broader global cultural architecture.

Covid | War

In an era of simultaneously experiencing the global pandemic of Covid and witnessing the initiation of World War III catastrophe, one could wonder whether homo sapiens, as a species, are making themselves extinct. The deadly variations of the Global Pandemic with 4th Generation of Futuristic War in Eastern Europe challenge humanity to its core belief of sentiency. The unipolar world dictum against the possible multipolar cohesion seems at stake in this turbulent scenario. The decision to initiate WWI & WWII was manifestly made in the WEST, and the ability to react was seemingly made in the EAST. Will WWIII follow suite? Currently, a new continental multipolar warrior “civilization” professedly emerging is significantly based on the following motto: “We the warriors must have chemical, biological, and nuclear power to defend ourselves. We the warriors must have global influence to dictate our divine will. We the warriors must strive to change the world to our ideals.” It is articulated that “Cosmo poiesis, as an act of worldmaking, always starts from worlds already in existence and the making is a remaking.” The current Post-human Covid-War based Cosmo-poiesis, as an act of non re constructible and non renewable worldmaking, cannot be predicated on a world already in decimation physically, socially, politically, mentally, spiritually and its novel mental reconstitution cannot be its remaking. If (un)precedented scenarios would precede (un)common visions, then (un)common precedents might yield incredibly (un)intended consequences.

Architecture

Everything about life in the contemporary world is related to its Global Financial Future: Strategic Ambiguity regarding Financial World Economy vs. Tactical Uncertainty in relation to Real World Economy. Hence, Financial Economy for the world 1% “leaders” conflicts with Real Economy for the 99% of “followers.” They were ostensibly in cohesion until 1970s when inequality became the predominant order. Hence, college and university education, job training and professional study, real estate and retirement income, and money investing wisely by the rules … all became vulnerable causing many of the “followers” to fall greatly behind. Indeed, beyond health and wealth, the impact of Covid-War on the narrative of architecture is in collision with the global economic dwelling. The sleek high rise steel and glass iconic buildings, as “light towers” for the select “leaders”, dominate the city skyscape, and impose “security” on the neighborhood low-level grounds by transforming the landscape. Even though the dwelling units in high rise buildings are comprised of 2 3 floors, providing commanding 360 degree “explosion” of views over the city rarely those units are utilized by actual owners. Just owning a unit in “there” is extroversion yet a symbolic prestige issue for them. Eventually, the dwelling premises will be permanently occupied by the Humanoid Robots ready to serve the occasional visitors.

For most of the aggregate 99% of “followers”, however, stable dwelling will be an ongoing challenge in sharing utilities and time based spatial accommodations. The metaphoric scenario of permanently residing on a “deep-sea vessel”, as an innovative content model, will provide critical clues regarding narrative engagements in space and place, in their respective physical settings. The horizontal spread of low rise

building blocks with their limited activities will provide the numerous dwellers with a sense of introversion and social co-dependency. Pragmatic in nature, they will house a concoction of ages and cultures, simultaneously engaging in multiple traditions and languages. The novice and the educated, whether fitting or unfitting to this cosmic setting, will aspire to make constant sense of the melius. For the communal life endurance, urban agriculture will become the pivotal focus for survival, including medicinal herbs, for domestic consumption.

Material vs. Immaterial

The global earth bound Material architecture is expected to be innately solid, stable, and reassuring physically, socially, and psychologically. Bound to each other, it is essentially manifested that the architectural ideation is transmuted into the material reality and are considered culturally inseparable. Hence, Material architecture is pragmatic in nature, focusing on the accommodation of its programmatic narrative. But Immaterial Architecture eloquently states that the immaterial is as important to architecture as the material. Critical concepts that align architecture with the immaterial, manifest the superiority of ideas over matter , transforming spaces and surfaces by color and texture with various material pallets, utilizing natural and artificial lighting.

In our current war scenario, rapid loss of habitat for homo sapiens is exponentially accelerating beyond nature’s destructive forces earthquakes and mudslides, just to name a few. For instance, climate change, forest fires and rain floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, etc., are further devastating the human habitat. Indeed, the Immaterial Architecture, predicated on current destructive War Architecture, is currently yielding an Emotional Architecture that further catalyzes the Image Architecture of everyday calamity.

The Near Future

At present, in our current Transmodern condition, a new model of growth accommodation and community dwelling is envisioned, which would together be more politically intelligent, environmentally responsible, and socially resilient. The Postmodern rebellion against the purism of modernism further complicated various complex issues and contradictory matters in architecture. In this era, freedom exercised in articulating “impure” forms transferred the 3D forms in architecture into 2D derelict images. This became the preamble for immaterial war architecture, alluding to senseless incomprehensibility.

In the 21st century, it is projected that we will see over a thousand times the technological advances we saw in the previous century. If we augment the fact that research on space cluster dwelling created thousands of new construction materials for space settlements, which could easily be utilized on below above water and ground buildings for human inhabitation, then the possibility of creating novel environments utilizing Super AI systems is inherently promising. Enhanced by performance capabilities of new building materials and empowered by artificial intelligence embodying universal meta knowledge, the Motto “I can do everything, as architect designer would manifest, and I can be anything, as novel architecture would proclaim” seems finally probable.

Post Covid | War Scenarios

With the growing global disgust regarding prolonged Covid restrictions | War joint scenarios, we appear to have passed the point of no return. Indeed, in our collective misery, we seem to accept the concerted world as “one nation, suffering under inflation, with shared insecurity, and tragic injustice for all.” In this dismal scenario, we tend to emulate the Stoics who often would refer to their four cardinal virtues moderation as temperance, courage as fortitude, morality as justice, and wisdom as prudence to challenge any adversity. It is professed that virtues are the essence of our enduring character, and when we keep the practice of values at the heart of everyday life, we live with purpose, which by extension could include Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Virtuous architects designing in harmony with NATURE

Virtue is defined as living in harmony with the natural setting for earth bound human dwellings. At the end of 1st Century B.C., architecture as manifestation of Roman Imperial Court Virtues, embodied the Vitruvian Triad, which identified three elements necessary for a well-designed building: firmitas, utilitas, and venustas. Vitruvius thought that a timeless notion of beauty could be learnt from the 'truth of nature', that nature's designs were based on universal laws of proportion and symmetry. He believed that the human body’s proportions could be effectively used as a model of natural proportional perfection.

Globally, architect designers are still alluding to Vitruvian Virtues in their design practices with some clarification:

Firmitas (Firmness, Durability): the terrestrial building should stand still defying the destructive forces of nature.

Utilitas (Commodity, Utility): the ground-bound building should accommodate the functional program for the dwellers.

Venustas (De light, Beauty): the ground bound building should delightfully articulate the architectural narrative for people and raise their spirits by seeking harmonious relationship of color, texture, and materiality in dwelling spaces, painted by sun moon light and artificial candle electric lighting.

Greek Virtues of architecture preceded Roman Imperial Vitruvian Virtues by centuries: Arête (Excellence in Craftmanship / FIRMNESS, TECTONICS, Structure Durability)

WHY? CONTENT dev’t? Kindness Idealism (Platonic Vision)

Phronesis (Practical or Moral Wisdom / Programmatic Functional Accommodation)

HOW? CONCEPT dev’t? Honesty Moralism (Socratic Mission)

Eudaimonia (Happiness or Delightful Artefact / Flourishing Spatial Narrative)

WHAT? CONTEXT dev’t? Service Realism (Aristotelian Action)

New Civilization in Space Dwelling

Mediated by AI for space bound settlements, the human accommodation in these dwellings succinctly differentiates from earth bound inhabitation. No longer Greek Roman architectural design virtues are truly compatible with the non-gravitational dwelling practices. Designing in harmony with super AI TECHNOLOGY for pragmatic living, intelligent working, and creative thinking in space dwelling, dictates new modes

for human inhabitation. The 15 minute city for environmental resilience, the healthy city for tactical survivalism, the garden city for nutritional recreation etc., need robust definition in line with transmodern interpretations applicable to space urbanism, where light, fast, cheap tectonic interventions considerably improve the quality of public areas, and implementing infrastructures for soft mobility. The vehicular circulation and landing/parking areas, using movable closures, envisage the broader urban setting. It is the manifestation of the on-earth dwelling that spells out “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Well, in space dwelling, a new civilizational dictum is manifesting that “We are not human beings having a virtual experience. We are virtual beings having a trans human new civilizational experience.”

The PANDEMIC compounded with a probable WORLD WAR III an incomprehensive, yet dreadful, dual scenario -- challenges the social sustainability from transnational and transcultural perspective in Teaching, Designing and Practicing architecture. Online gentrification of design and practice teaching profiles three categories of student comprehensibility in architecture, advancing a SQEAR method named for its five steps:

1 Survey (the site information, analyze the brief, and identify the challenging issues)

2 Question (the sole validity of client’s needs and propose insightful augmentation)

3-Educate (the client showing societal benefits of the programmatic design synthesis)

4 Articulate (novel experiential narratives of content, concept, and context)

5 Reflect (on mental organization promoting persistent dwelling memory)

At Carleton during the past two years of remote teaching, students faired the following: Category (A): 15% of design students in the on-line studio course indeed excelled in SQEAR Category (B): 55% of design students in the on line studio course credibly satisfied in SQEAR Category (C): 30% of design students in the on line studio course marginally satisfied in SQEAR

Conclusion

In our current Pandemic / War scenario, a pertinent question is popping up now and then: Do humans deserve to live on Earth after all the damage they have done to their precious planet? The answer could be sought in tripartite Fifth “Cave” perfect AI augmented man’s manifesto, superseding the typical conventions of thinking, sensing the scope of being, and broadening the sphere of making. Firstly, TRUTH THINKING why architectural content of future dwelling is the paramount issue today; Secondly, BEAUTY SENSING how architectural concept of joyful living is indispensable beyond safety and security sought in design. And thirdly, BENEVOLENT ACTION what architectural context should be advanced to serve many projected aspirations of future generations.

References

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Frascari, Marco (1991). Monsters of Architecture: Anthropomorphism in Architectural Theory. R&L Publisher

Fraser, Murray Ed. (2013). Design Research in Architecture: An Overview. Ashgate

Ghisi, M. L. (2008). The knowledge society: A breakthrough towards genuine sustainability. Cochin, IN: Arunachala

Jacobs, Jane (1993). The Death & Life of Great American Cities. Modern Library Edition

Kaku, Michio (2014). The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind. Doubleday

Lilley, Stephen (2013). Trans humanism and Society: Social Debate over Human Enhancement. Springer

Mallgrave, H. F. (2013). Architecture & Embodiment: New Sciences & Humanities for Design. Routledge

McGrath, Brian Ed. (2013). Urban Design Ecologies. AD Reader

Mercer, Calvin & Tracy Trothen (2014). Religion and Trans humanism: The Unknown Future of Human Enhancement. Praeger

Pallasmaa, Juhani (2011). The Embodied Image: Imagination & Imagery in Architecture. Wiley

Rifkin, J. (2009). The Empathic Civilization: The race to global consciousness in a world in crisis. LA, CA: Tarcher

Rossi, Aldo (1984). The Architecture of City. Introduction by Peter Eisenman. The MIT Press

Rothblatt, Martine & Franco Cortese (2013). Human Destiny is to Eliminate Death Essays & Debates on Immortality. Publisher: Center for Trans humanity

Sussman, Ann & Justin B. Hollander (2015). Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond To The Built Environment. Routledge

Tafuri, Manfredo (1976). Architecture and Utopia. Trans. by Barbara Luigia La Penta. The MIT Press Turner, Ronald Cole & Ronald Cole-Turner (2011). Trans-humanism and Transcendence: Christian Hope in an Age of Technological Enhancement. Georgetown Univ Press

Weston, Richard (2015). Architecture Visionaries. Laurence King Publishing Ltd. White, H. (2005). Introduction: Historical Fiction, Fictional History, and Historical Reality. Rethinking History, 9(2 3), 147 157.

Zumthor, Peter (2010). Thinking Architecture. Birkhauser

‘

Horsemen of the Apocalypse Karel Boullart

Karel.Boullart@UGent.be

Or other worlds they seemed or happy isles, /Like those Hesperian gardens, famed of old, / Fortunate fields and groves, and flow’ry vales, / Thrice happy isles; but who dwelt there/ He stayed not to enquire’. John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book III, 567 571

Abstract

Probably we humans act on the principle that one must hope for the best and prepare for the worst. To hope for the best to all appearances is easy, to prepare for the worst on the contrary is difficult if not impossible. Accordingly, it may be assumed that we are trying to use our talents for the realisation of the ‘good life’ we all seem to desire. Yet, how then it comes about that our species is moving, slowly if not fast, in a disruptive mode on the way to self destruction? Responsible for this are, in the opinion of the author, three human, perhaps all too human temptations beyond our ken. There is an epistemic temptation as well. First, our tendency to overestimate our capabilities by ignoring the extent of our ignorance: epistemic arrogance. Second, our greed due to the inherent uncertainty of our means of subsistence: ontological anxiety. And third, our thirst for power, finally our drive to all mightiness: metaphysical pride. If these vices can be eliminated, avoided, or at least neutralised, there is hope. If not, there is none.

Introduction

Blaise Pascal’s characterisation of man as ‘a roseau pensant’ and ‘ni ange, ni bête’ is without doubt one of the most striking. But what do they mean? One can interpret them morally: sometimes, forgetting our ‘humanity’, we behave beastly indeed and sometimes, transcending our egotistical selves, we act as angels are said to do. Satan like or God-like, both don’t seem beyond our ken.

There’s an epistemic interpretation too, which excellently fits the first adage: though we are part and parcel of the world and integrally and exclusively embedded in it, with our bodies and, as far as our scientific insights go, with our minds as well, we nevertheless can ‘look’ at the world and at ourselves as it were ‘from the outside … as if with our consciousness, with our ‘I’ (which, as Kant stated, ‘must accompany all our representations’) we had a godlike view of ‘everything’: a ‘roseau pensant’ indeed! Epistemically we see or try to see the contents of our consciousness as ‘objects’ distinct from ourselves. And it is precisely this way of looking that finally enables us to describe its contents as ‘things’ we eventually, if we are lucky, can manipulate if we can discover the way they behave, that is, if we discover the ‘laws’ that determine their behaviour.

Without this ‘décalage’ ‘between subject and object, there’s indeed no way to get science done. The consequence of this point of view is that the ‘subject’, the ‘I’ of our representations, is ‘outside’ the word. For if we try to objectify this mysterious ‘I’, there necessarily remains an ‘I’ that is not objectified, precisely because that ‘I’ is the condition sine qua none of ‘observation’ as such… and this ad infinitum. For short, if we want to look at the world, we necessarily somehow look ‘from the outside’. But this situation, call it, as we are wont to do, the ‘hard problem of ‘consciousness’, is

paradoxical. For if we look scientifically at the matter, we are plainly inside the world and in no case ‘outside’, as it were in ‘the heaven of our ‘I’. As Schopenhauer remarked: evidently ‘our mind is in our brain’. However, to be able to say so, we have to say as well that ‘our brain is in our mind’ as the object of our ‘I’. Otherwise, we couldn’t truly say that ‘our mind is in our brain’. It is clear this situation is essentially due to the impossibility of the eye to see itself. The ‘all and everything’ of the world cannot be the object of our I’, precisely because this ‘I’ is but a very tiny part of that ‘Everything’ that cannot be thought, let alone be ‘known’. And that’s a pity, because it is the ultimate source of our unease with our position in the world as a ‘roseau pensant’, that cannot leave its place in the world, and of our ‘ni ange, ni bête’, that makes us unstable in our wants, our desires, and our wishes. Hence our constitutional ambivalence: on the one hand we are inclined to try hard to transcend our animal condition and on the other we are all too conscious of our total dependence on it.

Hence too our angelic endeavours and, often, its beastly effects. We hadn’t to face this conundrum if we could say with mystical Eckhart ‘that the eye with which I see God is the I with which God sees me’. But that’s not reality but poetry. That’s what we can call our ‘epistemic arrogance’, as far as science and knowledge are concerned, our ontological anxiety, in so far as we try to eliminate the inherent ambivalence of our human condition, and lastly, our metaphysical pride, our deep fantasies of power and all mightiness: our wish to get rid of our finiteness.

Epistemic Arrogance

For all living things ‘knowledge’ of oneself and its environment is necessary for survival: it comes in all sorts and in very different degrees, but it is intrinsic to life itself. We wouldn’t exist if this wasn’t the case. And man has the privilege (at least we humans, chauvinistic as we are, think so) to be the ‘knowing animal’ par excellence. But why should we want to ‘know’? Knowledge for sure can be a joy as such. But this situation is aesthetic, and hence derivative, call it, goals, all of them if possible, as efficiently as can be. To make a long story short, science, especially exact science, is doubtlessly the ultimate paradigm of our epistemic endeavours.

To be able to describe the general ‘flow of existence’, with its events, states of affair and objects, as ‘regular succession of events’, as if the matter at hand were a ‘rigid, an ‘eternal’ object’ (in the language of mathematics) is precisely what we need. And in so far as we can do so, we can satisfy our desires: we can compute our goals and we can be sure we will reach them. We exactly know what we want to realise and the most efficient way to attain them has been calculated with precision and without error. We only must follow our putatively infallible instructions and we can act with absolute confidence. Almost … Indeed, this ideal is a maximum that in our world in all its concreteness is rather exceptional, if not downright fictional. There are a lot of reasons why this is so: theoretical and practical ones.

The most general and theoretical ones are the incompleteness of mathematics and the intrinsic limitations of computation and calculability. Moreover, these characteristics seem exactly to parallel the ontological properties of the world itself. To have the intended ‘regular succession of events’ the set of events or data at hand, have, technically expressed, to be ‘compressible’ up to a significant degree. And this compressibility is exceptional. Generally, it is too weak to deliver the means to act on this knowledge in the concrete circumstances with sufficient efficiency and certainty.

Hence, we often wish for more and better than we can possibly get. One consequence of this is the relative frequency of fraud in scientific research: to be successful we, from time to time, must sell lies. And so, like mad autocrats, we solve all problems by simply denying there are any. Let’s call it epistemic arrogance number one. Secondly, to obtain the result, we hope for, we tend to interpret the problem to be solved as much as possible as ‘regular succession of events.’

The consequence is that our description leaves out what doesn’t fit our scientific requirements. In other words, we tend to reduce the world as it is to ‘our’ preferred world, as a ‘machine’ that can be manipulated. And so doing, we start to act ‘as if’. Such reduction however eventually has its fatal consequences: not only the problem is not solved, but our failure also to really face reality brings it about that we, often, are confronted with a plethora of new problems that, most likely, given our fake approach, are as unsolvable as the original one. In consequence we are facing a hydra of miseries that pop up as it were from nowhere. And with the means at our disposal, it is not easy to see how we can get rid of them.

Let’s call this epistemic arrogance number two. But we are far from ready. For even if we limit ourselves to clear cases and if we are thoroughly honest in examining them, it nevertheless remains true that all ‘regular succession’ is embedded in an environment that is full of objects, states of affairs and events that initially haven’t and can’t be considered. In other words, we cannot only fail to look at the problem as required, but, also, while we are trying to solve it, there’s no way to make sure other objects, states of affairs and most of all unforeseeable events do not interfere one way or another with the regular succession we are after. The consequence can be and often is that our success in handling the matter is far from guaranteed.

We can fail, not because we are failing, but because the world at large makes us fail. For the time being, we can do nothing about it. To do so, we must make sure we can tackle the environment in the same optimal way as we are treating the problem itself. And this, as the world is in principle much larger and deeper and not yet fully compressibility as examined much we would like, to require guaranteed success would lead to infinite regress and in consequence there is no way whatever to get sure that unfortunate events, states of affairs and objects do not obtain.

And so, without luck, however temporarily, efficient action as envisaged proves impossible. This conundrum could be eliminated only if we had the whole world in time and space as our object of research before our epistemic big ‘I’, if we had at our disposal ‘always already’ complete insight in everything. And this can only be the case if our ‘I’ is the ‘I’ of God. Hence the third and last and most general case of epistemic arrogance: our tendency to deny that we cannot be and thrive if luck is not on our side, that finally we can really guarantee our successes and hence our survival. Here, we do not fail because we patently make mistakes but because we do not recognise that we can simply fail, because the environment makes it so. And in this case the responsibility for it all, if in this context that word can be properly used, is ‘nowhere’. Or ‘everywhere’. In us, however, it certainly is, if we let ourselves be seduced by this hubristic mentality our outlandish wishes suggest, if we succumb to the temptations of our putative infinite desires.

Ontological anxiety

Like all living beings we have needs, individually and collectively, that must be satisfied. Hence, we have a lot of desires we cannot neglect, let alone renounce, without endangering our very existence. If we want to live, we cannot but desire. And what we must desire essentially depends on the kind of being we are and the needs that are to be fulfilled. So far, nothing can be or go wrong, for the simple reason that we have no choice. We can only stop desiring and satisfying our needs if we decided no longer to live. That’s possible but evidently, it’s not the rule. The dead are beyond our ken. We don’t need them, and they don’t need us. The question therefore is not whether we desire or not, but which needs do we have and how are they to be satisfied. If we were animals, and not up to a certain degree angels as well, the answer would be clear in principle: we desire what the kind of animal we are needs to desire to thrive. Bears don’t fly, and birds do not live on the bottom of the ocean. But we humans are not that straightforward. On the contrary: we are big, very big desirers indeed. We cannot fly, but we desire to do so, and we cannot thrive on the bottom of the ocean, but we very much would like to have a look. And, like anything else on earth, we are terrestrial beings, but we long for the moon and we would be glad to set foot on Mars. In these regions there’s no air to breath, no food to eat and it is too hot or/and too cold. Why, for Gods sake, do we want to ‘go’ there, even to ‘live’ there?

On the one hand, the answer is very complex and on the other it is quite simple: we want to want, and we desire to desire. Apparently, our real needs and desires are not enough: we want ‘more’. What more? The only possible answer seems to be much more! How much? We don’t know. Why not whatever comes to our mind? Why, at last, not everything? Evidently, in this context we don’t care at all whether our desires or, more exactly, the needs we desire are real or not. In the strict sense many of them are not real at all: we simply imagined them, we invented them, and they may be fake or noxious, or even deadly dangerous. The point is not that they are what they are if implemented and realised, it suffices that they are desired. That’s the essence of it. If we can’t desire, if we have nothing left to desire, Schopenhauer thought we end up being bored to dead. And that’s the worst state a human being can be trapped in. So, if all our needs were satisfied, we would have no choice left but to commit suicide. Or murder if we happen to be not courageous enough. Hyperbole aside, what we call ‘culture’, what we call ‘civilisation’ is largely composed of and constituted by needs and concomitant desires that are not fundamentally real, but largely imagined, invented, and made up. However, most of these surely have their origin in characteristics we share with a lot of animals, but have assiduously nourished, developed and diversified. But in the last resort they are and remain not really real.

However, that doesn’t mean that those wishes and desires and needs we so eagerly cultivate, cannot become really real in the course of time in the civilisations we constantly invented and invent, develop, and reinvent. After all, we are creative beings par excellence. And because of our needs, real or imaginary, greedy ones as well. Not only we want to realise our immense, eventually angelic, or godlike, imaginations and desires, but by trying to do so, we really want and must desire the means, the real means, to do so. In this way our dear, but often idle and volatile thoughts are transmuted into hard facts. Like, as if by magic, the alchemist’s lead starts radiating like dazzling gold. Maybe. But that’s not always the case. Far from it. Our existence is inherently insecure and hence we cannot but try to avoid and eliminate this situation

as far as possible. Our ontological anxiety, as it may be called, we would like to shake off. But due to our intrinsic finiteness and that of our world, that is not possible at all, whatever we try and whatever we effectively do. We don’t want to be sick who doesn’t? hence our doctors, our medicines, and our hospitals, in short, our technologies of health. But if, being sick, everything is done to make us healthy again, precisely these means and all that we need to invent and to implement them, are means, medical high-tech and so on, that, if we are not very careful, are for all kinds of reasons prone to make us sick again.

We are not only sick because naturally we get sick, but we get sick also because, as far as our wishes, our needs and our desires go, we must do everything necessary to create the medical means we need, the creation of which as well as its management in their turn somehow tend to make us sick again. Succinctly, we construct hospitals to make us healthy and the making of them makes us sick. Hospitals as it were function like self-fulfilling prophecies and, more generally, our societies and our civilisations, are not or rather did not only become necessary but often turned out to be counterproductive as well. And that not only by accident from time to time, but in a certain sense in principle too. In our finite world and with our finite means at hand our unavoidable desires to get rid of ontological anxiety (health being a special but essential case) prove to be an impasse. For short, our greed is but an avatar of our hopeless endeavours to shake off the conditions which make our existence possible and real. It fails because it is destructive in principle, even if it seems to be an essential ingredient of our inventiveness and creativity. Ontological anxiety is too much anxiety for the animal we are. Angels don’t have these conundrums. And it is only because we want to be angels that we are so radically anxious. Or can be.

Metaphysical pride

We are no gods … But one can’t deny that we would like to be like them. And not without reason. Certainly, to become godlike is an exorbitant, a stupid wish and after all an impossible desire caused by eternal longings. Or isn’t it? We appear to have two kinds of needs: real ones and imaginary and fictive ones. At first sight the imaginary ones are, as far as our imagination goes, infinite in scope: they can be godlike as much as they are arbitrary. But that doesn’t seem to be much of a problem: such fictions can be interesting, sometimes they are amusing and often they prove very entertaining. Dangerous they are not, if we don’t take them seriously: play is their domain and playing is fine. It seems however that real wishes, desires, and needs, however real they may be, are not immune against fictitious and ultimately godlike thinking. In fact, they tend to come naturally: to be and to remain healthy is certainly a real wish, one of the most evident. Accordingly, we tend to do everything to remain so and if we get sick, we’ll do everything to get healthy again. Everything. But we can’t do that because we are finite beings.

Our animal condition implies that if we can be healthy, we can be sick as well, and finally we’ll get sick anyhow, whether we want it or not, because we get old, and to be old is, if all is done and said, a kind of sickness, our final one. And so, if we are naturally inclined to do really ‘everything’ to remain healthy, we cannot but start wishing we were eternally healthy and hence immortal like the gods we so arbitrarily and idly fantasied about. We don’t like miseries of this kind and in general we don’t like misery at all, whatever it may happen to be. We want to radically extirpate it. But if we try to do so, we are sick again, very sick even, and this kind of sickness must be cured as well. The

heath case proves to be paradigmatic: its appeal is universal. Take happiness, joy, lust. The same, or very much the same, is the case. It’s a well-known adage that ‘alle Lust will Ewigkeit’, even ‘tiefe, tiefe Ewigkeit’, as Nietzsche used to say. And how’s that to be done, realised, and guaranteed without becoming the like of ‘gods’? To cut a long story short, our angelic ambitions are not as imaginary as at first sight they seem to be. They are or can be very real. Which doesn’t mean they can effectively be satisfied. Trying to do so, as we tend to, is patently counterproductive. To realise ‘absolute’ wishes, to become godlike, we must destroy, or, if that looks more acceptable, to ‘transcend’: acceptable, transcend: humans, humans. And accordingly, we must shake off our natural environment to booth. That is, we must destroy our world, and, because we are essentially dependent on it, we are, by doing so, inadvertently destroying ourselves as well. It’s so to speak a kind of ‘slow motion suicide procedure’, merely that and nothing else.

And yet, it must be said, if and only if our eternal longings could make true, we would have our ‘epistemic arrogance’ and our ‘existential anxiety’ once and for all completely behind us. And there would and could and needn’t be any more talk of ‘metaphysical pride’. All that would have been forgotten for good. Eternity would be in our eyes, in our heart and in our mind. And that would be enough. For there wouldn’t be any need for anything else. The final question then naturally is: is such an apocalyptic transmutation of man and earth possible? Fans yes, fans of transhumanism, or whatever else the idea is called, will think so, hope so, wish so … and act accordingly. Yet every ‘real’ not ‘virtualised’ person will, if he has not lost his wits, be radically sceptical about these illusions. With reason: eternity is not for us, because it will and cannot be for tomorrow. Moreover we, as everything else in the universe, have our time, our petty time, and in time our eternity cannot be attained. There’s not enough of time for such endeavours. Moreover, if this were not the case, if we were not beings of time from the very beginning to the very end, we wouldn’t have any need at all for angelic desires. The idea is weird: it would require an infinity of time, and infinity as such is eternity already attained. It cannot be, as all things have their beginning and their end. We humans, the earth, the planets, the stars, the milky ways, and black holes as well: they all phase out of existence, they die, and their energy is dispersed or evaporates. As anything in time. And entirely as far as we can see. At least in my experience it happens to be so. And that’s enough for me. Nothing is eternal. And time too cannot but have a stop.

Conclusion

In our dominant European mythology, there was an angel who tried to dethrone his God. As he was immortal himself, he thought, correctly in his opinion, that he could have a try. For immortality isn’t complete, he concluded, at least not complete enough, without almightiness added. We know the outcome of this apocalyptic story: he and his companions were thrown into hell … for the rest of their eternity. His was indeed a most dire fate. For he couldn’t die. And really, humanly speaking, that was a pity. To conclude. We are no angels, and we best don’t try to emulate them. We are not beasts either; being humans, our humanity must suffice. Indeed, we are a ‘roseau pensant’. And so, we, just as roses, are as much grounded in the earth as our consciousness, our thoughts, wishes, needs, and desires. Here, on and in the earth. In heaven there are no roses. At least, as far as we can imagine, none that smell as sweet as ours. The right place for the eternal ones is nowhere.

ON WAR BEING AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS A Reading of John Ruskin’s Lecture on War in The Crown of Wild Olives

Taha Duri tahaduri@gmail.com

Abstract

Art is a two-fold casualty of war, both as life and as property. Yet, John Ruskin at the outset of his lecture self identified as a writer on painting expressed reluctance upon addressing the great veteran soldiers of England on war, doubtful on what a writer on painting may contribute to those men’s “great art of war,” a doubt addressed in his very choice of words. War, not unlike painting, was also an art well within the reach of a polymath and an art critic. Ruskin, having been repeatedly approached to address veteran soldiers of England on war, began his address by relating art to war on a variety of levels, then qualifying his fitness to address soldiers on their own craft, as it were to address artists on painting or architecture. Art drove the strife for peace, against a tendency of the nations to descend into war, if such tendency is left undeterred. While art itself is no deterrent against war, it lays plans of forethought and hope only possible in uninterrupted continuity. However, while the arts prerequire peace for their very existence, they prosper against the dread of destruction, striving for continuity against interruption by war. Yet, arts are born out of transitive endeavors. Hegel referred to ascertaining the other and the consciousness of the spirit (Geist) identifying self and other upon jeopardizing both in pursuit of certainty when “all the pure and noble arts of peace are founded on war.”1 How would anything pure and noble be founded upon digression into conflict with murderous destructive core? Simply put: Peace is a construct of the most complex nature that is born out of the peril of digression into conflict if the primal urges of humankind were to run unchecked by reason or morals. The spirit ennobles itself with peace against the dreadful slippage into war and ennobles itself with the arts against the dreadful mundanity of slavish existence.

Keywords: John Ruskin, Hegel, Kant, Proudhon, De Maistre, War, Peace, Theory of Art, Sovereignty

Peace and the arts come into being in resistance to the natural inertia of blight, both calling for foresight and planning for soundness and stability, often not only serving their own structural integrity but that of the societies and nations they serve. And while art may often be born out of creative impulse for expression and representation, in oblivion to the specifics of an audience in mind, their success, even value, is held against a backdrop of popular reception, relatability, and conventional relevance. Popular reception is constituted of countless individual parts each of which defines art at individual will, but all amounting to private and personal endearment to which Ruskin had hoped his soldier audience would relate when he spoke of the painter Tintoret’s supremacy vividly describing the loss of “three of the noblest” of his work to war: “in the form of shreds of ragged canvas, mixed up with the laths of the roof, rent through by three Austrian shells… And after such a sight, it is not every lecturer who would tell you that, nevertheless, war was the foundation of all great art.”2 However, the

connection is historical. War, at the root of the arts was the impulse for that endearment at its most individual level that would permeate a populace. The need to document matters of national identity, pride, and the values that unite the individual with their collective, that need was met through representation, in any of its forms: painting, sculpture, word, song or dance, to name some. While triggering destruction, loss and lasting animosity, war also triggers what Ruskin firmly lodges at the historical root of associating war and the arts. At the dawn of time, Ancient Egyptians created sculptures and relief murals documenting, chronicling, and legendizing their rulers now as rulers, now as gods, but always a conquerors and victors. The social structure allowed for the exalted status of kingly valor since the ruling caste below the royal family was comprised of the priesthood followed by the military. Conquest was a measure of success and the continuous affirmation of national sovereignty, the cornerstone for future prosperity. The future in this sense extends beyond the future of a nation to the individual future of each citizen in the afterlife, a concept upon which the socio-theological structure was founded. Egypt is historically an agricultural society; however, it is equally one with deeply set grounding in combat and regional wars against conquerors with varying degrees of success. The collective narrative is in Ruskin’s stating that “there is no art among an agricultural people if it remains at peace.”3

Conflict is a primary idea in art, wherein confrontation ranges from individuals to nations: An essential determinant of identity where an individual is in antithesis to another4 posing threat of mutual harm, in pursuit of certainty (let us remember that an earlier pursuit of certainty about the forbidden fruit anticipated the expulsion from Paradise.)5 Conflict deals no blame, identifies no culprit or victim. The self aims to ascertain the existence of the other “each is indeed certain of its own self, but not of the other, and hence its own certainty of itself is still without truth;”6 it may at once be war or revolution in one human condition that is self validating, self manifesting, and self fulfilling along the lines setting self apart from other. Conflict and art signify surrendering to exchanging forces with nature toward a desired state of balance, equilibrium of forces, not to be mistaken for a state of peace. In his pamphlet Eternal Peace (also translated as Perpetual Peace) Emanuel Kant warns against identifying peace as simply the state of absence of war. Peace is a construct, grounded upon resisting the natural tendency toward conflict. And while peace is its own distinct path, it is built against the realities of war and the artistic expression and representation of ideas, actions, and passions that war triggers and arouses.

In 1861 an essay entitled la Guerre et la Paix by Pierre Joseph Proudhon was published, with the evocative notion of “a right to war”, more an idea of its time than it is today, notwithstanding those wars continue to occur too frequently for most observers. Following the 1848 revolution, Proudhon spoke of war as an artistic necessity that would have been invented by art had it not existed, a crescendo of life

3 Ruskin, Ibid. p. 84.

4 Hegel, G. W. F. The Phenomenology Of The Spirit, Translated by Friedrich, Carl J., The Modern Library, New York, 1953, pp. 401ff.

5 Com usually meaning “with, together,” from Latin com, archaic form of classical Latin cum; conflict from Latin conflictus “to strike together, to “afflict” together. From Old French aflicter and Latin afflictare “to damage, harass, torment, overthrow, press, crush. Transferred meaning of “trouble, distress.” Is first recorded 1530s.

6 Hegel, Ibid.

in full momentum where extreme movement is melded with torrents of blood, sweat and tears in the ultimate composition of visual splendor, and no sense of loss or destruction. He presented the practice of nations into three interdependent propositions: First, that there is a right to war, second that war is a sort of judgment, and third that war is judgment by force. The first and third propositions seem to be a continuation to Hegel’s ideas on conflict and those of De Maistre that war, or conflict, is a natural tendency. The second proposition, however, on war being judgment, raises questions if we consider that the faculty of judgment, reason, is not conditional to indulging natural tendency. Circumstances occasion riding afloat natural tendency with or without reason being at play, unlike judgment, only possible with reason. In the case of war, however, conflict is on such large magnitude and the stakes are so high that much foresight, planning and deliberation must be dedicated toward an aim, with optimum reasonable prescription. Reason places war well outside the realm of conflict as natural tendency. In fact, Kant founded his promise of perpetual peace upon making war such a dreadfully expensive venture as to preclude slipping into it without plenty of consideration prior. And so war is judgment once clearly set apart from general conflict, the latter possibly including impulsive indulgence of aggressive tendencies but not war. This distinction weakens the parallel between war and the arts, as exchange of forces with nature.

Pierre Joseph Proudhon dismissed Kant’s argument for eternal peace without direct reference: “I would abstain, as I would from blasphemy, from all talk against war. I would regard the partisans of perpetual peace the most detestable of hypocrites, the plague of civilization and the pest of societies,”7 while conceding that peace is a construct, an artifact, and a work of reason. Proudhon spoke against the military institution of his time, stopping short of advocating abolishing war, probably for his romantic view of conflict as a revelation of an ideal central to the creative thought of man not unlike faith and art, the latter to Kant being what makes representation of the visible world possible at all. In the very imitation of nature in art, Kant considers faith the grounding of acknowledging the supremacy of nature as the model for creativity by reason. Proudhon could not escape Kant: “A statue is not only the marble out of which it was carved,” wrote Proudhon; “however, would the artist have had the idea of making a statue had it not been, in part, because nature had furnished marble?” But a boulder of marble occasions a statue as much as it does a building block for a wall construction, both being interpretive work of reason that the material universe may only occasion but could not surmise. In other words, form in artwork may not be reduced to its material aspects without the spirit that fills form with meaning, imbuing it with presence and purpose. The spirit of the artwork animates form.

A frequent subject of artistic endeavor, war occasions extreme revelations in art, if only by war’s extreme scale and stakes. Proudhon phenomenologically contemplated war as an immediate condition, unalloyed with distance or time, both crucial to Schiller’s concept of coherent and thorough interpretation of art. Time and distance serve ‘romantic’ contemplation of the arts free of consequence, thus allowing aesthetic judgment of form the way as one would a play or a motion picture. “We are aided in forming this acquaintance by the fearfully magnificent spectacle of all destroying, re producing, and again destroying mutation or ruin, now slowly undermining, now

p.

suddenly invading by the pathetic pictures of humanity yielding in the struggle with destiny, of the incessant flight of prosperity, of betrayed security, of triumphant injustice and of prostrate innocence, which history furnishes abundantly, and which tragic art brings with imitative skill before our eyes.”8 Only by contemplation of form free of consequence, being loss and destruction9, would conflict at great magnitude have been purged of tragedy to serve cultural and historical consideration as a matter of formation and transformation. Schiller dismissed the possibility of true idealism as only “what the complete realist practices unconsciously and denies at the expense of consistency.”10 By allowing the unconscious to prevail, the mind of a realist willfully submits to Nature, neutralizing struggle against Her forces11.

A similar magnitude of involvement drives making art to the one administering conflict: the same instinct as a tool for reason Kant’s Practical Reason of the mind to run and orchestrate the external world to serve the purpose of the craft. Both endeavors call for managing material resources, with maximum control, always tempering properties in servitude of purpose. That instinct was to define creativity via imitating the universe, at once home and captivity. Existing prior to Reason, the universe with norms and properties long into effect, presented the reality with which Reason only could reckon to self fulfill. Combination, separation, distillation, heating up and cooling down were few of many ways to modify the wild properties of materials into suiting the purposes, and not only to serve utility, but also the more complex and individual notions of happiness and self-realization in the arts. Reason is, at once, the faculty by which humankind is placed into the natural universe and set apart from it.

Peace is an act of resistance, conscious and reasonable against naturally slipping into aggression. In April 1797, Considerations on France by Joseph de Maistre appeared establishing the author an apologist of throne and altar12 at direct odds with Rousseau’s On the State of Nature and On the Sovereignty of People. De Maistre wrote: “I am not sure if those who claim that the arts are friends of peace know what they are saying. At least, this proposition would have to be explained and limited; because I see nothing in the least peaceful in the ages of Alexander and Pericles, of Augustus, of Leo X and Francis I, of Louis XIV and Queen Anne.”13 The times continued to testify to the association between the arts and totalitarianism, if not dictatorship, well past the life of De Maistre. “Just as the meanest and most revolting substances are nevertheless still capable of some degeneration, so the vices natural to humanity are still more corrupt in the savages.” De Maistre asserted that all might be left to decay when natural tendency is without rule of reason or morality.

“Our social life is the best Tragedy,” Plato writes in the Laws. There would always be a reason to imitate reality in art. Inconsequential and, ultimately, impersonal14,

8 Schiller, F., The Sublime, pp. 258 259.

9 “… her [nature’s] imitator, creative art, is completely free, because she [art] abstracts all contingent limitations from her object, …, because she imitates only the show and not the reality.” Schiller, The Sublime, p. 260.

Schiller, p. 247 [footnote.]

11 “But abolishing a force in idea, is nothing else than voluntarily submitting to it.” Schiller, p. 246.

Lebrun, R., Against Rousseau. Intro., p. xi.

De Maistre, J., Considerations on France. The Works of Joseph de Maistre, p. 63.

I say impersonal in the Platonic sense that Art represents not the ”particulars” of sense but “universal” truths, the inner interpretation of the mind.

imitation evokes emotions that, in the vastness of their range, collectively entertain. This notion Aristotle uses to counter-argue Plato’s conclusion that since Art is a representation of the representation of the senses to reality, then Art is “three removes from truth.” “As representative of universal truths,” Aristotle argues in The Poetics, “Art is closer to the truth than history.” A poet’s creation, rather than being an account of facts, employs facts only as constituents of past probabilities and future possibilities.15 Historical accounts, however, are but ingredients for a poetic construct and the poet writing an epic, is no more an author of, say, the Trojan War than a metalworker is an author of the ductility of raw steel. Through the same play along or against forces or nature, peace is possible when reason reckons with nature, and so is irreducible to an absence of war. It is eliminating the possibility of war among nations, necessarily multiple, independent, and sovereign in a universe that naturally gravitate toward unity. Kant was one to recognize war as natural flux of forces toward equilibrium amongst nations. It is the law of nature acting upon the law of nations, aiming to subjugate the latter’s essential multiplicity to the former’s quest for unity. “It is far from easy to explain why war produces different effects in different circumstances. What is sufficiently clear is that humanity can be considered as a tree that an invisible hand is continually pruning, often to its benefit.”16

In a world of national multiplicity, the natural tendency of power-escalation is tempered through war reconfiguring order, redistributing power, and redefining constitution, as people are dispersed throughout the lands reshaping their places, locations, and loyalties. Ruskin defines loyalty as “faithfulness to law, [loyalty] is used as if it were only the duty of a people to be loyal to their king, and not the duty of a king to be infinitely more loyal to his people.”17 The dialectic relationship between art and political order may be likened to that of form to meaning in representation as peoples and their notions of sovereignty, iconified with the image of a sovereign, comprise a totality of representation that exists in an inextricably integrated blend, a work of art and a composition of reasonable persuasion that is essentially at odds with the laws of nature. As such, war liquidates forces, form, and values into a flux of primal physicality in total conformity to the rule of nature toward level plain stillness being both equilibrium and death. But in opening his lecture with the loss of the three Tintorets, Ruskin may have intended a direct example of loss to vandalism versus the more subtle form of losing the arts to war rhetoric when cultural output is indicted with war crimes and condemned to a variety of fates, from relegation to a lower status, to neglect, down to erasure with spiteful intent. Those unresolved feelings of awe, sublimity, unsettling fulfillment, and void may account for Ruskin’s closely associating the flourishment of the arts with conflict. This is a reprehensible relationship that Ruskin brings forth nearly setting war as a condition for producing art, maybe subtly aiming to relate the notion to his military audience, or to simplify the underlying relation between art and struggle for balance, forces flowing toward stability and equilibrium.

15 “ a poet’s object is not to tell what actually happened but what could and would happen either probably or inevitably. The difference between a historian and a poet is not that one writes in prose and the other in verse indeed the writings of Herodotus could be put into verse and yet would still be a kind of history, whether written in metre or not. The real difference is this, that one tells what had happened and the other what might happen. For this reason poetry is something more scientific and serious than history, because poetry tends to give general truths while history gives particular facts.” Aristotle, Poetics, IX § 1.

16 De Maistre, Considerations on France,

Ruskin, p. 105.

Selected Bibliography

Aristotle (1947). Introduction to Aristotle, Edited with a General Introduction and Introductions to the Particular Works by Richard McKeon. The Modern Library, New York. De Maistre, Joseph (1965). The Works of Joseph de Maistre. Selected, translated, and introduced by Jack Lively, Lecturer in Politics, University of Sussex. The Macmillan Company, New York, Collier Macmillan Limited, London. De Maistre, Joseph (1996). Against Rousseau: On the State of Nature and On the Sovereignty of the People. Edited and translated by Richard A. Lebrun. Montreal: McGill Queen's University Press. Hegel, Gorg Wilhelm Friedrich (1953). The Spirit, The Phenomenology of the Spirit, as published in The Philosophy of Hegel. Translated by J. B. Baillie. Edited & revised by Carl J. Friedrich, The Modern Library, New York.

Kant, Immanuel (1949, 1993). Eternal Peace, First Section, as published in The Philosophy of Kant, Immanuel Kant’s Moral and Political Writings, edited, with an introduction, by Carl J. Friedrich, The Modern Library, New York.

Plato (V). Timæus and Critias. Translated with an Introduction and an Appendix on Atlantis by Desmond Lee, Penguin Books, England, and Cornford, Francis M. Plato’s Cosmology, The Timaeus of Plato. Translated with a running commentary by Francis MacDonald Cornford. Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis/ Cambridge, Copyright by Routledge, 1935.

Proudhon, P. J. (1861). La Guerre et la Paix, Paris. Ruskin, John (1884). The Crown of Wild Olive John Wiley & Sons, Publishers. New York. Ruskin, John (1989). The Seven Lamps of Architecture. Dover Publications, Inc. [an unabridged republication of the second edition of the work, as published by George Allen, Sunnyside, Orpington, Kent in 1880] New York.

Schiller, Friedrich (1845). The Philosophical and Æsthetic Letters and Essays of Schiller. “The Sublime.” Translated with an Introduction by J. Weiss. The Catholic Series. John Chapman, London. Schopenhauer, Arthur (1942). Complete Essays of Schopenhauer. Seven Books in One Volume. Translated by T. Bailey Saunders. Willey Book Company, New York.

Design Quality Reset: Interrogating Definition, Delineation, Measurement + Meaning in a Shifting Ethos

Brian R. Sinclair & Nooshin Esmaeili School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape (SAPL), University of Calgary + sinclairstudio inc. brian.sinclair@ucalgary.ca

Abstract

It can be argued that quality, in crafting and critiquing architecture, urban development and the city, has focused to date on a very narrow understanding of design. In many ways obsessive priorities have historically been placed on aesthetics and form as key drivers of design activity and vital metrics of architecture’s value. Beginning with the split of the École Polytechnique and the École des Beaux Arts, where engineering assumed pragmatics and architecture claimed poetics, there has been a growing disconnect between architecture’s ‘internal’ emphases and society’s ‘external’ expectations. The education of architects, most notably in North America, has placed prominence on building as art, as object, and as sculpture. Studio briefs have tended to preference novel ‘clean’ buildings located on virgin sites over retrofit ‘messy’ projects embedded within existing fabric. Whether it is studio projects being reviewed in academic settings or real projects being judged in design competitions, the focus has often been on ‘beauty’ as narrowly measured via appearances, surfaces, and arguably more superficial aspects. However, in past decades and more so over recent years, considering remarkable upheaval, escalating problems and shifting values, many of society’s standards are being questioned with a spectrum of values changing in result. For example, many injustices and disparities are now being critically examined, from systemic racism to structural inequalities. The rising awareness around, and commitments to, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), underscores an emergent set of societal sensitivities and a reassignment of priorities. Architecture, embracing both education and practice, is in no way immune or protected from confronting this urgent need to reassess principles and practices. In fact, considering the significant role of the built environment in matters of import to public health, community well-being, social behavior, environmental regeneration, investment of capital, and so forth, it is imperative for architects, and the profession, to ask some tough questions and then to adjust & adapt given the answers. The present paper, reporting on an initial component of a much larger national research initiative, considers the ways in which design quality is viewed, measured and operationalized. The study involved meta analysis of national

architecture policies drawn from numerous selected countries around the globe. Initial environmental scans revealed that many of said policies have been adopted and applied jurisdictionally. National architecture policies (NAP) were collected and analyzed in terms of features addressed, similarities in criteria, and differences in priorities. A key objective of the study was to better understand how such formal policies, as endorsed government documents, act to define and delineate excellence in building design. A secondary goal was to begin to ascertain which aspects of quality move beyond the aesthetic and formal realms to embrace matters of human behavior, health & wellness, meaning + symbolism, and so on. The paper, as a preliminary foray into this vital territory, offers insights into changing societal expectations around the built environment and proffers some means by which architecture education and practice could adjust to better meet such expectations.

Keywords: Architecture, Design, Quality, Systems, Education, Practice, Innovation,

Profession

Context:

“Through a growing capacity to tolerate uncertainty, vagueness, lack of definition and precisions, momentary illogic and open endedness, one gradually learns the skill of cooperating with one’s work, and allowing the work to make its suggestions and take its own unexpected turns and moves.” (Pallasmaa, 2009)i

“Architecture directly determines the quality of our environment, and thereby also the dignity of human existence. Architecture shapes public taste, influences moods and forms culture, and is in this respect extremely important for social cohesion. The architect creates space and spirit this is the way the natural and built environment becomes an integral part of national culture. The buildings, public spaces, public works or art, engineering structures, the settlements and the natural environment together form the cultural landscape, which is our common national value.” Hungarian National Architecture Policy (2015) ii

While in the minds of designers and architects the field may be read as bold, progressive and risk taking, in fact in many ways things are more conservative, reserved and risk adverse. Many of the approaches to design, considered across process and resultant products, aims on one hand to limit litigation + legal exposure while on the other hand seeking to garner attention + attain awards. Without question the crafting and construction of buildings is a high stakes game, with each project being in essence a prototype. The myriad of conditions and challenges inherent in producing a building, even if smaller in scale and scope, is intense. As a result, the realization of any building comprises a one off experiment, inevitably replete with errors, omission, faults and failures. That said, and of course, when design is well executed the outcomes can be inspirational, beautiful, disciplined and delightful. Some major objectives, to realize more broadly, are to raise the bar, to cultivate awareness and to promote consistency.

In addition to the prototypical nature of buildings are complexities that include the high capital costs associated with their production and the complicated regulatory milieu that surrounds and informs their arrival to our cities. Buildings play significant roles in our lives, assume serious places in our communities, and, in a general sense, are designed to last (at least quite a while, relatively speaking). The gravity of the building industry, and the remarkable impacts design has on our lives, has necessitated a reconsideration of ways and means, and in the end a critical examination of

developments and deliverables, with a view to user/occupant health and happiness, and societal well-being writ large. Modern times are demanding, with heightened calls for responsibility, accountability, sustainability and so forth. It is not enough to simply build a project rather, a cornucopia of parameters must be addressed, within all phases of a development, to guarantee a result that is ‘good.’ The definitions or expectations around quality, from poor to exceptional, form part of the problem underscored in the present paper. How does building quality get measured? What are the expectations for excellent design? Who sets the metrics to assess buildings? How do we know when quality is realized? And, of course, what are the impacts and implications of quality in the built environment? Such questions reside at the center of the present research mandate, with this paper outlining some dimensions explored in the initial, or pilot, phase of a much larger and longer scholarly journey.

Challenges

“Appropriate solutions to some of our most daunting problems will arise through the concerted efforts, open dialogue, and collective wisdom of the wide array of stakeholders, professionals, politicians, decision makers, and citizens (both engaged and disenfranchised) who have the will and wherewithal to make a difference and to make the world safer, healthier, and better. It seems vital for us to critically examine, and question, our belief systems and their connections to the ways we define, refine, and realize progress.”iii Sinclair (2015)

Buildings are puzzles, and as such they call for creativity, awareness, innovation and resolve. Unlike the creation of mass produced products, such as electronics, cars and appliances, each building is a unique undertaking where, at best, components or aspects of the project are developed in ways that might find application in future endeavors. Adding to the uniqueness of projects is the limited knowledge base that has been established for the profession of architecture. While other professions, such as medicine and engineering (as illustrative and strong cases), have developed extensive knowledge and databases capturing know-how and guiding actions, the field of architecture lags behind. In part due to architecture’s position in providing luxury, versus essential services, and in part due to architecture’s posturing between science and art, the discipline has failed to develop a deep foundation in proof, standards and best practices that rigorously inform practice. Many efforts to design compelling projects are shaped as much by intuition and aesthetics as by proven methods and evidence based decision making. While the subjective aspects of the discipline are important and valuable, they are alone insufficient and inadequate. Art and poetics must be coupled with science and pragmatics in the design of buildings that will prove enduring, secure, healthy, accommodating and sustainable.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of many, architecture has focused more on art than science, and more on the subjective than the objective. The way buildings are valued today, for example as determined by awards and accolades, underscores undue attention to the formal and superficial dimensions of design as opposed to other ways of seeing, judging and valuing. Design awards for buildings are often determined through evaluation by peers, using criteria that can be seen as narrow and thin. While aesthetics assumes, undeniably, a vital part of the equation for good (superior, clever, strong, innovative, creative, etc.) design, appearances alone prove inadequate in assessing the impacts and worth of projects. Today society understands that the built environment stands as a major factor shaping public and population health. Research points to strong correlations between wellness and place, including such spheres as

productivity levels, respiratory function, mental health, healing and happiness. In North American cities, residents spend an overwhelming majority of time indoors, highlighting the pressing imperative for built environments to nurture, protect and promote users.

The present research, initial and exploratory in extent, critically interrogates the current conditions guiding the production of architecture. As a starting point, by way of an environmental scan, the authors examined the wealth of National Architecture Policies, in place and in development around the globe. Many nations have adopted such programs, aiming to guide and inspire the design of the built environment in ways that shape identity, raise awareness, promote place, and heighten health. Such policies are diverse in content and varied in application, with impacts on the regulatory milieu equally disparate. That said, there are many lessons to be learned, and knowledge to be accrued, through constructive analyses of documents aimed at promoting better, more positive and more sustainable architecture, landscapes, communities and cities.

Difficulties and Dilemmas:

"Design is a multifaceted subject. It ranges from the smallest manufactured objects to the planning of cities, regions and entire countries. In today’s world it is not only local but inevitably global.”

Cairns, 2014iv

“Asking why architects matter leads to two related answers. The first is about their intrinsic value to society as creators of healthy, safe, and beautiful buildings and spaces. This value is unchanging and impervious to recessions or depressions (or viruses, for that matter). The second is about the relative value of architects to clients, particularly during an economic and public health crisis.”

American Institute of Architects (2020)

Increasingly society is coming to understand that the quality of the built environment matters. The ways that we design buildings, shape landscapes and craft communities have far reaching implications and serious impacts, including on Quality of Life (QoL) in our cities. While development in North America has been intensely shaped by our attitudes around land, and our commodification of property, awareness is growing around the need for more holistic and integrated ways of seeing, thinking and acting. The lead author has written widely on the need for designing and planning (see Sinclair, 2009v) in ways that consider systems and systemic thinking. It is painfully evident that the past several centuries have had tragic and debilitating consequences on our planet, with climate change ushering in devastating destruction. Resource depletion and global warming have translated into a grim prognosis for the future, with architects and buildings identified as key culprits in the equation. On a positive note, architects and architecture are also identified as prime players to reverse, rectify, remediate and regenerate these same environments, spaces, places and cities that have seen overwhelming deterioration. Of course, while the burden is overwhelming and the situation distressing, the potential is also outstanding. However, in the minds of the authors, any path to improvement demands a reconsideration of quality, a broadening of reach, and a willingness to radically reset systems of procurement, design, development, construction and occupation of buildings and built environments.

National Architecture Policies:

“How does architecture create value? What kinds of value? How much and for whom? For how long and at what cost? These are the fundamental questions that all too often are being left unanswered, with loss of value and resources as a result.” Danish Association of Architectural Firms (2019)vi Many countries internationally have been busy considering and crafting policies to guide design of buildings and landscapes. A focus on the public realm has been clear, with an understanding that all citizens have a right to quality spaces and places that contribute to attachment, meaning and value in and of the city. The present research examined several dozen National Architecture Policies that have been developed and deployed to inform, influence and inspire design. Each policy was studied with respect to key features and characteristics that shape outcomes. Some policies were more developed and robust. Some focused more on urban space than individual buildings. Some were more general while others were very specific. Within the present paper it was deemed important to delineate some key subjects, of National Architecture Policies, which may help us to better understand how quality is defined, refined, operationalized then achieved.

The following National Architecture Policies were secured and reviewed in this initial exploration while the list is not exhaustive and complete, it did provide the researchers with a broad and enlightening spectrum of approaches and issues to contemplate: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland , Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom (UK), and the USA.

The following items, best seen as a punch list of potential characteristics informing our pursuit of quality, were frequently depicted and delineated in National Architecture Policies. Not all policies included all the noted items. Rather, though our interrogation of said policies these features, or aspects, were illuminated as important and meaningful. Together they provide an array of measures that may help us, downstream, to revise and reset our grasp of quality in the built environment, including shaping policies for jurisdictions reconsidering the ways in which better quality of the built environment is sought, heightened, bid and assured.

Each of these measures tackled quality in different, yet complementary, ways. As quality in the built environment is questioned and critically reconsidered, locally and globally, it seems vital to include such a diverse perspective to better meet the

aspirations and needs of citizens. While the present paper only outlines these attributes of quality, further research will be exploring each in greater detail with a view to devise integrated and holistic means of setting quality guidance for architects, developers, government and citizens intent on improving Quality of Life (QoL) in our spaces, places, blocks, buildings, communities & cities.

Rigidity and the Status Quo:

"We must take on the work of facing our fears, opening to intimacy and vulnerability, and opening to the unknown, to surprise. We can learn to open to situations simply, without aggression or defensiveness, and open to the inside as well; the depths beyond the surfaces of all life.” Glazer, 1999 vii

Change is difficult for us to realize individually. Our values, ways of understanding and modes of behaviour develop over long periods of time and are subject to continual reinforcement and ongoing maintenance. Change is even more difficult when we consider complex and variegated organizations such as municipalities, universities and large corporations. Habits are easy to fall into and exceedingly difficult to break. As we witness in the ‘boiled frog syndrome,’ if adjustments in our environment are slow and incremental, we often remain oblivious and out of touch with shifting circumstances even if they are grave, damaging and even life threatening. Professions are in no way immune to experiencing rigidity of ways or encountering atrophy of values. In fact, due to fears around liability, a reluctance to experiment, and a thin knowledge base, the architecture profession may be especially vulnerable. However, the need for modifications in the way we view and execute quality in the built environment stands as undeniable. The status quo, and business as normal, seems especially unpalatable and unreasonable at the present juncture. Moving ahead in turbulent times, to ensure design of buildings and landscapes that perform responsibly, foster health and promote happiness, will require a major upheaval in thinking. Disruption is surely unavoidable and unquestionably necessary.

Radical Reset:

“I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing. I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art. In whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick, and I will abstain from all intentional wrong doing and harm.”

The Oath of Hippocrates

“While we endeavor to provide spaces and places that are functional, durable, and dependable, the real magic of design and planning lies in those aspects that move us well beyond. Strong design and planning accept the pragmatic as a given while aggressively pursuing the inclusion of the poetic. It is in this intricate balance of pragmatic and poetic that the spiritual is most likely to manifest. With basic needs realized, users of our spaces and places can then have the opportunity to experience beauty, encounter solitude, attain flow and achieve meaning in ways that enhance emotions, accentuate perception and heighten pleasure.”viii Sinclair, 2019

To realize positive change in the ways that society, and its constituent subsets and subsystems, address quality in the built environment will demand serious upheaval. Many of our ‘values,’ and our approach to ‘value’ (or worth), warrant reconsideration given new and emerging forces. We argue that such transformation cannot transpire via modest tweaks and minor adjustments rather, it will necessitate severe disruption.

A radical reset is crucial to permit and ensure environments that are responsive, responsible, restorative, and regenerative. At present quality of buildings could be viewed as more directed towards the superficial than the substantive, and more about the visual than the visceral. However, as we are now beginning to comprehend with greater clarity, our efforts to shape the built environment have real consequences on biology, psychology, sociology and ecology. We believe the radical reset, concerning quality, needs to be multipronged, concerted and concurrent over numerous areas:

§ Education

A major push must be taken to build understanding and awareness in several groups, including students (K-12 and university), practitioners (the professions), and finally the public (citizens). To date the ethos of quality in design has been viewed as the exclusive domain of design professionals. While a primary role should be afforded to trained professionals, there needs to be a broader shared understanding of quality what it looks like, how we achieve it, how it is measured, why it matters, and so on. Curricula across all three spheres of education will need revamping to increase our grasp of the factors that must inform and guide design, construction and occupation of the built environment.

§ Regulation

A deeper understanding of quality will need translation and transference into policy, whereby design outcomes prove more positive, impactful and healthy. Key regulatory vehicles, including municipal government plans and professional acts of legislation, should be examined with a view to heightened quality of the built environment. The crafting of new, and revisions to existing, policies should be clearly guided by evidence, including studies into the environmental determinants of health. Acts of legislation addressing design professions should move beyond narrow views on welfare to foster greater effects & impacts on wellness.

§ Research

The profession of Architecture, and the building industry more generally, needs to embrace, engage in and depend on rigorous research to inform actions. As previously noted, and unfortunately, the profession has an arguably weak track record in this regard. A much stronger and demonstrable culture of research needs to be cultivated within the educational milieu and in professional practice. In an encouraging trend, more firms are launching research arms and pursuing funded (and unfunded) research projects. Such activities clearly provide a competitive edge to the firms engaged in research. However, and importantly, research needs to be seen in a less narrow manner with benefits accruing to the profession’s foundations (through expansion of the knowledge base) as opposed to benefitting only the firms involved in scholarly work.

Next Steps:

“In a world in which terms such as ‘civilized’ and ‘civilization’ have been monopolized and abused, why continue employing such concepts? In an age of globalization and clash of cultures, how can we distinguish between human rights and human wrongs, moral rectitude and technological supremacy? Finally, how can we build a global civilization that is inclusive rather than exclusive, unifying rather than divisive, celebrating diversity rather than homogenizing, upholding democracy rather than hegemony, promoting equity and justice rather than monopolies and exploitation?” Tehranian (2002) ix

Quality is difficult to consider yet vital to realize. The implications of design excellence to our Quality of Life (QoL) are undeniable and prove profound. Our environments contain, engulf, and impact us. Our buildings, landscapes, spaces and places all serve to structure our behaviour, influence our health, impact our happiness, shape our identify, affect our attachment, and impart meaning. Over recent decades we have come to better understand the significance of our built environment across all facets of our being in cities. At the present moment, subscription to dated definitions of quality, most notably focused on art and aesthetics, are no longer viable. Rather, new modes of understanding quality must be pioneered and propagated. From K 12 and university education to professional organizations and government bodies, our grasp of design quality must transcend the formal to embrace equity, inclusion, health, wellness, responsiveness and responsibility. The gravity of the environment, and its implications to our lives, must be researched and understood. With such knowledge the regulatory milieu must be stimulated and shaped. And, finally, as new environments are constructed, and existing ones refined, we must critically evaluate their performance to influence future environments in rich, rewarding and successful ways. There is far too much at stake to go down the wrong path buildings are large, lasting and demonstrably consequential across many aspects of our lives. Design matters!

i

Pallasmaa, Juhani The Thinking Hand: Existential + Embodied Wisdom in Architecture. W. Sussex UK: Wiley. 2009. pp.111

ii Nemzeti Epiteszetpolitika. Hungarian National Architecture Policy. 2015. Page 9.

iii Sinclair, Brian R. “Integration | Innovation | Inclusion: Values, Variables and the Design of Human Environments.” Cybernetics and Systems: An International Journal, 46:6 7, 2015. Pp 554 579.

iv Cairns, Graham (Editor). Design for a Complex World: Challenges in Practice and Education. Libri Publishing: Oxfordshire, UK. 2014. Page xiii.

v Sinclair, B. R. 2009. Culture, Context, and the Pursuit of Sustainability. Cover Article in Planning for Higher Education (PHE) Journal. Issue #38, October December 2009. Pages 6 22.

vi Architect: Document Your Value Creation. Danish Association of Architectural Firms, 2019. Page 5.

vii Glazer, Steven (Editor). The Heart of Learning: Spirituality in Education. Penguin Putnam Inc.: New York, 1999. Page 247

viii Sinclair, Brian R. “Spirituality and the City.” Book chapter: The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions. Edited by Laszlo Zsolnai and Bernadette Flanagan. Routledge: Oxon, UK. 2019. Pp 93 102.

ix Tehranian, Majid + Chappell, David W. (Editors). Dialogue of Civilizations: A New Peace Agenda for a New Millennium. London: I.B Tauris in association with the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. 2002.

Modern Manipulated Architecture And Sustainable Development

Kensei Hiwaki hiwaki.k@tbz.t com.ne.jp

Abstract

The present paper discusses Architecture (here, a broadly defined architecture, meaning modern constructional, urbanizing, and landscaping architectures) and Sustainable Development. It deals first with a modern historical and ideological background, secondly discusses politico economic implications of Social Cost, thirdly delving briefly into the role of Architecture in modern times, and finally speculates on a hopeful redirection of Architecture toward a more appropriate longterm role to guide human ity for natural aesthetic maturation, as well as for a harmony oriented viable future.

Keywords: Architecture, sustainable development, native culture, modern power structure, modern civilization, market value system,

Introduction

The present author’s ho pe, pleasure, and fascination of travelling abroad has been to encounter a society’s Native Culture (abbreviated as “Culture”) being continually and uniquely flourishing over time. For he surmises that such enriched Culture may have maintain the people at large live harmoniously, aspiringly, and comfortably. Perhaps, in a continuous endeavor for enriching the Culture, the people may have largely aimed at their steady and fruitful maturation, being not easily carried away by fashionable modernity. Such steady maturation of the people may have, most likely, endeavored for a continual harmonization and reconciliation among themselves, as well as between the people and nature. In other words, the continuously enriched Culture may have helped the people enhance t heir native affinity, entelechy, ingenuity, and wisdom, to be able to accept discreetly changing eras without being carried away.

Such people may have enhanced their native morals, spirits, traditions, and lifestyles, while living symbiotically with the changing overall climatic, ecological, geographical, geological, and geopolitical features. The people’s steady maturing for versatile, balanced, and symbiotic interactions, bridged by the appropriately enriched Culture, may have maintained natural dignity, social entelechy, and personal confidence, as well as amenities, integrity and mental serenity. In view of such naturally, socially, and humanly matured people, blessed with the enriched Culture, their continuing strong linkage with nature may keep nourishing comfortable lifestyles, even though surrounded with modern harsh, cold, restless and stressful human environments.

In a sharp contrast with the author’s hope, he has had to experience disappointments frequently. He has witnessed, very often, a desolate similarity of modern cities, in terms of inorganic, cold, edged, fashion oriented, cost efficient, convenience seeking, and self assertive showy inclinations. Many developing nations seem to compete for displaying skyscrapers and other fashionable/flashy

modern buildings in their large cities as their “show window” of modernization. Such apparent “showiness” has, very often, hidden behind the deepening impoverishment (both material and spiritual) of the people at large, as well as the rapidly devastated Cultures and depleted domestic resources. Also, such “showiness” beyond their own means may, no doubt, leave behind huge debts to scheming foreign investors, rapidly increasing air water soil pollutions, climatic dangers, and other human made disasters, reflecting the long - accumulated Social Cost (to be expatiated later). Before going any farther, this author would like to warn the reader that he is an economist, by discipline, and a layman of architecture, unable to comment on the rich architectural history, styles and almost all other outstanding legacies. Therefore, this paper is like an essay of his contemplative economic observation, as well as of hopeful speculation on an important redirection of Architecture (broadly defined) to help guide the world people toward natural aesthetic maturation and a viable future.

Modern Historical and Ideological Background

In the face of modern complex, human made serious predicaments, many people may have come now to sense an end of modern globalizing, standardizing and liberalizing ventures that emphasized incessant short - run economic growth based on naked profit motivation . Such modern ventures have encouraged international free trade, globalized division of labor, technological innovations, convenience orientation, transportation networks, hasty urbanization, digitized globalization (among other things). Largely inhuman an d unsustainable ventures as such became possible under the short- run oriented profit- maximizing, selfaggrandizing, plutocracy driven power structure of Modern Civilization (“Big Market”). Such aggressive ventures, though intrinsically unsustainable , must have amply favored Big Market to reinforce its power over the world.

Perhaps, the most significant inheritance from the premodern era was highly “ aggressive winner mentality ” that left willfully almost all the “bads and ill services” (or the negative leg acy) to the lost that included the defeated “peoples” as well as the devastated “natural and human environments”. (The term “bads” is often used as economic jargon, meaning “ negative goods”, while the term “ill services” is used here as the present author’s denomination, meaning “ negative services”). Thus, Modern Civilization has inherited the extremely inhuman legacy of “violent power supremacy”, with which the winner could do almost anything to please themselves at the cost of the other.

Based on the gr owing wealth and rising power of the West after winning aggressive wars and conquests, the pursuit of the hegemonic control of the world has offered great opportunities to exercise the winner’s self seeking ideas. Such ideas constitute logics, rationales, perspectives, motives, and worldviews, which are largely encompassed by the Market Value System (MVS). Put differently, they facilitate the winner’s self - justifying politico- economic ideology, methodology, technology, and polities, such as “aggressiveness” , “supremacy”, “progress”, “efficiency”, “free hand” and “individual self interest”, with which to compel the world people at large to follow the Western ways [Hiwaki, 2022]. The winner may have utilized all such self seeking hegemonic concepts/tools to b e favorably intertwined with the self justifying short- run economic theories, tools, and values, encouraging “profit motivation”, “division of labor”, “individualism”,

“aggressive market competition”, “democratic ruling (internal) ”, “private property”, “freedom of choice”. These compelling- popular jargons were incorporated into modern daily expressions to inculcate people in general. The strongly techno politico economic biased power supremacy in Modern Civilization (relevant both to Capitalism and Socialism) had important historical roots in the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, which went side by side with colonialism and imperialism. Such jargons have been continually reinforced their persuasiveness with lopsid ed reinterpretations and abuses over time of Classical Economics founded by Adam Smith as a broad theoretical framework [Smith, 1937 (1776)].

In particular, the meanings of his pivotal concepts, such as individual self - interest , invisible hand , division of labor and laissez - faire have been gradually broadened, as follows, to fit to Big Market’s rapid wealth power accumulation in pursuit of the hegemonic control of the world: Individual self - interest may mean that selfishness is a natural human feature; that self interestedness enhances human progress, individual wellbeing, and national enrichment; and that self seeking national interest is necessary for democracy; and so on.

Invisible hand may mean that the almighty supports and controls the market; that aggressive market competition induces efficiency, wealth, and power ; that market is necessary for economic development and national well being; and so on.

Division of labor may mean that it is necessary for efficient production and profit maximization ”; that reductionism corresponds to productive and profitable division of labor; that global division of labor based on each economy’s abundant resources make international trade profitable and useful for economic development; and so on.

Lais ser - faire may mean that free market competition gives rise to a rapid enhancement of human capacity, economic development, and progress; that free trade works for enrichment of all people ; and that government non - intervention leads to higher efficiency, productivity, and profitability; and so on.

Such reinterpretations and abuses of the pivotal economic concepts may implicitly conceal the continually reinforced core synergism of the winner’s favorite ideas, selfish ambitions, and aggressive behaviors for obtaining exclusive wealth and power (“Modern Core Synergism”) that corresponds to the Market Value System (MVS). Thus, MVS consists mainly of the mutually reinforced modern ideologies, such as Antagonism (“Enmity”), representing the violence and money combined aggressive market value; Materialism ( “ Material”), representing the value of material - centered/market -oriented lifestyle; Individualism (“Individual”), representing the misguided market view of autonomy and independence; Progressivism (“Progress”), representing the market view of profit maximi zing economic growth; and Egotism (“Self interest”), representing the market favoritism of self seeking wealth power accumulation. Such MVS can be easily inferred from the expanded economic theories and popular market practices. In short, having inherited the “violence money orientation”, Modern Civilization has taken advantage of the ideologies of “Might makes right”, “The winner takes all” and “Money is

might that makes right”, all which may have helped ignore the continual accumulation of “ long - run ” Soci al Cost” of warfare and trade (to be discussed next).

Accumulated Social Cost in Modern Civilization

The term “Social Cost” is an important economic concept that is defined, for instance, as the “total value of opportunities foregone because of the production and consumption of an item. The total value includes both private cost and external cost” [Bronfenbrenner, et al., 1984]. The “private cost” ( short- run cost ) indicating the cost paid directly by the buyer and seller of the item, while the “exter nal cost”, being more ambiguous and complex Social Cost (basically long - run cost ) usually ignored in the process of the item’s production and consumption, and, very often, its due payment and/or proper handling/treatment being postponed forever (or the unp aid long - run cost ). Intrinsically interpreted, “Social Cost” suggests largely “ ignored unpaid external cost ” that may accumulate and give rise to time lagged serious human made disasters. The external cost, practically meaning the complex unpaid Social Cos t, may include all the roundabout costs, often affecting much later all peoples, societies, and natural and human environments.

The so - called “goods and services ( G )” are defined generally to offer “ positive economic values” (mainly viewed from the supply side) to the consumer and society, while “bads and ill services ( B )” are defined generally to offer “ all negative values” to the people and society. There are, of course, many items (things and matters) produced and consumed, which can be both “ G ” and “ B ”, depending on the producers, consumers, purposes, norms of different individuals and societies, and so on. In economic calculation, all the “in market” production/consumption under the existing liberal/loose rulings are counted usually as “ G ”. At the sam e time, humanly and economically important varieties of household activities (mainly of the so called “duties of housewives” or “non market” household production and consumption) are usually ignored in the economic accounting, as if they were valueless . Similarly ignored are very valuable daily “non market” barters between individuals (and/or between households). Thus, formally announced economic figures (data) are known as very rough or extremely market biased ones. It is often suspected as a scheme that “ allure” tacitly more women into “market activities” to lower the “average wage” by enlarging the labor force for greater output and profit.

Since “aggressive market competition” is often likened to “an aggressive war” in a theoretical argument, it can be discussed in terms of “goods and services ( G )” and “bads and ill services ( B )”. In this simile, all the “spoils of war” or “ G ” would be taken by the winner , while the consequential “human societal cultural damages” or “ B ” would be mostly left to the los er . Here, “ B ” ( long - run damages left to the loser ) implies large part of the Social Cost of the aggressive war. In practical thinking, the loser’s suffering (“ B ”) should be subtracted from the winner’s enjoyments (“ G ”) to come up with the net account of the warfare, but such calculation is usually ignored , perhaps, due mainly to an obvious result (“ B ” > “ G ”). Nevertheless, such a large Social Cost, accumulating in the long term, may reveal itself as unexpected consequences of increasing enmity, violence, co nflicts, aggressive wars, and natural disasters. No doubt, “ G ” to the winner may indicate a benefit mainly in the short run , while “ B ” to the loser may mostly a long lasting torment. The long term results of the accumulated Social Cost may eventually torme nt the world people, but more severely the poor and weak, as we are witnessing presently.

Suggesting a yearly large increment to Social Cost, “bads and ill services ( B )” tends to be highly ambiguous “negative and/or illegal” items and activities, causing l ongterm damages to human health, conscience, moral, integrity, the natural human environments, and so on. The likely sources of Social Cost can be anti social activities (such as crimes, disturbances, violence, and warfare) and unhealthy/obstructive materials (such as, narcotic, waste, and garbage). Often, such ambiguity may relate to the “loose” legality that lies between “ G ” and “ B ”. For example, if certain firearms are produced “legally”, the sum of “ G ” increases, meaning that the gross national product s (GDP) increase by that amount. If not “legally”, an “unrecorded” Social Cost may increase likewise. A total sum “ B ” as related to “negative, illegal, ill minded and/or anti social” items/activities may rescind and/or offset supposedly the short- run “ G ”, but such calculation is usually ignored, due to the long - run ambiguous nature of Social Cost. A yearly total sum of “ B ” (as part of Social Cost) must be “unknowingly” accumulated as “damages” within the natural and human environments. This may be a cleaver trick that helps cover up some unhealthy harmful politico economic activities possibly to incriminate Big Market.

Though being extremely difficult to measure a yearly increase of the total global long - run “ B ” (suggesting the global Social Cost) may, undoubtedly, amount to much greater than the same year increase of the total global short- run “ G ” (where “ B ” > “ G ”). This is the crux of reality that necessitates “Sustainable Development”. Such serious human predicament cannot be gotten away with a half ba ked solution, by measures for money biased investments and material/digital based innovations. Any makeshift measures for “Carbon Neutral”, for example, may increase a “superficial” global sum of “ G ” ( short run global GDP), but may increase much more the g lobal sum of “ B ” (part of long - run global Social Cost). Such measures cannot be effective even to the on going climatic problems, for they may create serious bottlenecks to torment the world poor/weak imposing car replacement and higher energy cost, and, generally, accelerating confusion, frustration, helplessness, anger, agony, and insecurity. Also, such incessantly changing business, employment, standards, and ethics may deprive human dignity, discretion, and integrity, inducing further damages to the natural -human environments.

Roles Played by Modern Architecture

A premodern to modern history of the Western world may have seen clearly the ancient Greek maxim “Panta rhei” (“All things are in the state of flux”) with a bewildering and overlapping sequence of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution. No wonder, Architecture had to struggle with all sorts of mostly unexpected changes in ideology, methodology and technology, as well as in lifestyles, fashions, and materials. It was inescapable for Architecture, along with other professional disciplines, to get stuck in a crazy reckless chase after the growing profit opportunities. Most of the professional Architects had to get their immediate jobs done, long before being aware of the devastated human and natural environments. Nevertheless, it was quite certain that Architecture helped accelerate accumulation of Social Cost, by respondin g to customers’ increasing demands for profitable, fashionable and eye catching products.

Industrialization demanded incessant reconstructions of transportation systems, drastic landscape alterations, ill- prepared urbanizations, among other things. Almos t all such changes have been directed towards profit orientation and convenience of modern thriving business. In other words, many of those extemporaneous towns, factories, mines and highway systems (among other things) were often hastily developed even by shifting/damaging landscapes and the natural- human environments. Worse, when their useful purposes expired, they were often left untended with odds and ends, poisonous substances, ruins of buildings and deformed landscapes. Put differently, such improvised various “developments” were kept often to deteriorate the natural and human environments. Such expired usefulness in many nations worldwide, amounted to a huge accumulated/unpaid Social Cost.

Since many ambitious government and business leaders in the early Industrial Revolution seemed to understand market and capitalism just for earning profit as much and as fast as possible for accumulation of their wealth and power. Perhaps, they did not care or mind damages to the natural and human environments if t he damages did not corner themselves. Thus, hasty/accelerated exploitations of natural and human resources went on until such recklessness becoming politically untenable. Similar might have been with Architects, for they, by jumping on the bandwagon of profit wealth power focused modern ventures, helped escalate Social Cost worldwide. The role of Architects was to accommodate the rapid landscaping, urbanizing, and constructing for short- run profit opportunities. Put differently, very much manipulated with the Market Value System (MVS), many Architects may have grabbed great profit opportunities created by Big Market, by taking part in the modern myopic reckless development that left incessantly the ever greater long - run Social Cost to future generations worl dwide.

Also, Architectural makeshifts and innovations had to take place rapidly in terms of low - cost housing for the flooding industrial workers to be built nearby the newly located mines, factories, and workshops. Such Architectural adaptation to circum stances helped the profit maximizing activities for management convenience, easy resource acquisition and product distribution. Along with such adaptation, rather handy methods and materials were often randomly chosen in the beginning, to produce as much s hort run profit as possible, much encouraged with the inculcation of MVS. Using versatile capacity, Architecture facilitated resource exploitation, large scale workforce housing, haphazard urbanization, highway system construction, rash and showy skyscrape rs, indoor outdoor athletic facilities for the wealthy, and so on. Also, Architecture catered proficiently to wealthy powerful leaders worldwide by designing magnificent, gorgeous, arrogant, eccentric, extraordinary, fashionable offices, and residences, among other things. Many of such arrogant and fashionable facilities may have resulted in serious damages to nature, landscape and visibility and helped distort human mentality and accumulate hazardous waste in terms of Social Cost over time.

Hopeful Concl uding Remarks

It was as late as the latter part of 1960s that health problems of industrialization came front and center to be discussed by conscientious researchers and scientists for needs of political measures. Such discussion related industrialization closely to air and water pollutions, soil and food contamination, unhealthy food additives,

hazardous building materials, and so on. One of the earliest opinion leaders, the Club of Rome, came to offer a forum/platform on the environmental issues and published a timely eye opening report, entitled The Limit to Growth [Meadows, et al., 1972]. This rather private initiative stimulated the inter governmental organization, the United Nations, to start promoting the environmental concerns worldwide by the “1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment” in Stockholm, Sweden, issuing the so - called “Stockholm Declaration” [UNCHE, 1972]. This was the beginning of the UN’s continuous series of Conferences on Sustainable Development. Despite the serious private and public endeavors if a half century, the world community has not come up with any effective actions for Sustainable Development, being not favored by the powerful vested interests Big Market. In the meantime, the global conditions have been so much worsened that an effective solution became increasingly difficult. Perhaps, the most important negative reason is that, not only the world leaders but humanity, have lacked serious endeavors for making them properly matured to resist the modern temptations for self see king, profit oriented, liberal lifestyles, for almost all humans have been much, brain washed, poisoned, blinded and infantilized by Big Market with MVS.

In a strong sense, Architecture has been deeply involved, for better or worse, with such self oriented, liberal, and convenient modern lifestyles, as well as with the extremely biased modern short- run profit- and - progress orientation. The present author, highly appreciating his well acquainted Architects’ broad, versatile, and conscientious cap acity with strong natural aesthetic inclinations, has a hope for a serious and constructive redirection of Architecture at this crucial crossroads of humanity. Ideally speaking, Architecture should move keenly toward a natural sense of beauty , much more co mfortable generally than artificial fashionableness. Also, he hopes that Architects may become more seriously aware of its strong potential influence over human lifestyles, social infrastructures, and a viable aesthetic- moral human future, as well as of the discreet silent majority worldwide to become the most important and steady customers in the long term. Further, he believes that Architecture can assume a much greater responsibility for the longrun human survival and well- being, over and above the short - run convenient and liberal lifestyles of self centered customers. Therefore, with an appropriate redirection , Architecture can contribute to the enhancement of long term human comfort, serenity, and harmony, as well as of human maturation that may, in turn, encourage humanity in general to endeavor more seriously for a viable long term future.

Selected References

Smith, Adam (1937); The Wealth of Nations ; The Modern Library, New York. Bronfenbrenner, Martin, Werner Sichel and Wayland Gardn er (1984); Microeconomics (Glossary); Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. Hiwaki, Kensei (2022); Modern Manipulated Happiness and Sustainable Development; International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education (IJHSSE) , Vol, 9, No. 4, 2022, p p. 65 112, do i: https://doi.org/10.2043/2349 0381.0904008.

Meadows, Donella H., et al. (1972); The Limits to Growth ; Universe Books, Ne w York.

UNCHE (1972); Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment; United Nations, New York.

Tenets of Integrated Behavioral Science Economic Psychology for the 21. Century

Torben Larsen, Retired EU/FP7 Coordinator, MSc (Econ) et Strat. Man.

ABSTRACT

Neuroeconomics (NE) is a new transdisciplinary field on Neurology, Psychology and Economics. Can NE deliver an interdisciplinary paradigm for sustainable development in the 21. Century? Yes, Neurology objectifies the subject presented by Psychology, while Economics assures pragmatic utility.

Results on Neuroeconomic Modeling (NeM)

1) The neurological universe is defined in accordance with the Triune Brain Conception by McLean:

● The Limbic System, balancing the Reptile and Mammal levels of evolution, is operated as ANS (Ambivalent state of Limbic motivation more or less blocked by fear)

● Neocortical Cognition (Analysis) integrates ANS with memories and sensory perceptions in a pending balance of Frontopolar and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortices

2) Scanner based trials on economic choices objectify different neurodynamic patterns:

● Complex choices show a subgroup with strong ANS and limited Cognition

● Explorative choices show both a low level of ANS and moderate Cognition In all, neuroeconomic choices identify Risk-willingness as basal behavioral parameter

3) Risk willingness correlates with the psychological Big5 Taxonomy in the following way:

● Negatively with Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism

● Positively with Extrovertedness and Open mindedness

Discussion on Applicatory Aspects of NeM

NeM explains classical mantra meditation to improve mental flexibility by deeper relaxation. For sustainable development, NeM recommends economic coalition policies across the center. So,NeM complemented by Economic Ecology has a good opportunity to implement a Pigouvian CO2 Tariff (ET) for accelerated transition to a carbon neutral economy. For consumers, “Simple Living” shows more alternatives step by step self realization.

Keywords: Postmodernism, Neuroeconomics, behavioral economics, Big5 Taxonomy, creative man, Simple Living, global warming, Pigouvian Tariff, Universal Basic Income, globalization.

INTRODUCTION

The dichotomy of the Humanities and modern empirical science is split in subjective and objective understanding [Snow, 1959]. This dichotomy has arisen since British 17th Century philosophers such as Bacon, Hume and Locke claimed that human understanding largely was ruled by prejudices. For instance conservatism, ethnicity,Temper and poor knowledge. The proposed proceeding by British Empiricism, to overcome prejudices, was independent verification of theories which is now known as Falsification [Popper, 1959]. Falsification has been an extraordinary success in the growth of positivist science and the industrial development of far better end user products. The growing impact of positivist science means that the credibility of traditional non-scientific humanistic sources of knowledge as arts, literature and philosophy has declined proportionately. A benchmark in the declining confidence in the Humanities is the development of nuclear power for warfare, which as a recurrent threat to human well being turns the model of economic growth ambiguous.

In accordance with this analysis, the central contemporary humanist theory is Postmodernism, which states that the time of the “Big stories” (Metaphysics) as traditional religious and philosophical value systems as well as negative counterparts (Marxism and Psychoanalysis) has lost their authority [Lyotard, 1979].

This study searches for a new interdisciplinary paradigm relating different general behavioral domains as consumption, production, health, solidarity and evolution. Neuroeconomics (NE) is relevant as a new transdisciplinary field between Neurology, Psychology and Economics. NE is based on modern brain scanners with a resolution approaching “Mind Reading”. So, NE objectifies classical subjectivity solving the dilemma of Snow by a “Double-Objectivism” that guides both the objective behavioral pattern and the subjective psychological dynamics.

2 A NEUROECONOMIC MODEL (NeM)

NE is a product of digitizing by the Fourth Industrial Revolution [Schwab, 2017]:

1) Brain dynamics objectifies within the Triune Brain Conception [McLean, 2002]:

● The Limbic System balances the Reptile and Mammal levels of evolution as Risk-aversion (An ambivalent state of the autonomic nervous balance between motivation and fear)

● Risk-aversion is integrated with memories and sensory perception by Neocortical Cognition (Analysis) by a pending balance of Frontopolar and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

2) Trials on economic choice differentiate these neurodynamic patterns [Larsen, 2021]:

● Complex, intertemporal choices has a subgroup dominated by ANS (Fear) and low Cognition

● Explorative choices show both low Risk-aversion and a moderate level of Cognition

In all, economic choices identify Risk willingness as basal behavioral parameter

3) Risk-willingness correlates with the Big5 traits in the following way [Becker et al., 2012]:

● Correlations are negative with Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Neuroticism

● Correlations are positive with Extrovertedness and Open mindedness

Figure 1 illustrates the neuroeconomic findings (NeM) where the Big5 reduces to Big4 as Neuroticism (diagnosis) should not be used for sensi training among lay people.

Figure 1. Neuroeconomic Model (NeM)

3 NeM AND MENTAL TRAINING

3.1 Pilot-in-the-plane entrepreneurship as prototype of creative man

NeM explains how creative thinking differs from goal-directedness (Peak Analysis). Creative thinking at moderate analytic intensity is driven by positive wondering rather than negative emotions, see Figure 1. Human creativity is operated as the Pilot in the plane model of entrepreneurship [Saraswathy et al., 2001] identifying entrepreneur traits as

● Affordable loss requiring an alternative Worst-case budget defining project stop (Integrity)

● Bird-in-hand stickimg to tangible realities rather than “wishful thinking” (Pragmatism)

● Cracy Quilt as the ability to communicate and collaborate with other (Open mindedness)

● Lemonade symbolizes the ability to turn sour citrus in to a sweet drink (Stamina)

A related study confirms the relative efficacy of entrepreneurs compared with other Academic educated business managers [Laurie Martinez et al., 2005]. Also, the special brain profile expected from NeM. Entrepreneurship as the prototype of creative man reflects a growing focus on unfolding of creativity in both modern upbringing and formal education systems. Table 1 shows the creative class, based on recalculated German data [Dohmen et al. 2012 and Danish Andersen & Lorentzen 2005], has tripled since 1970. This confirms the core of the Florida thesis on “The Rise of the Creative Class” [Florida, 2012].

Table 1. Demographic Distribution of Economic Agents (%)

Group (Score)

Neuroticism (0 2) Agreeable Conscientious Open minded (3 4) (5 6) (7) Extravert (8 10)

Males 5 9 19 9 8

Females 17 14 14 3 2

All 1970 (Creative Class 2020) 22 23 33 12 15 (30) 10

Such rapid change in demography is enabled by the findings that extreme Tempers as Extraverts and Neurotics are rooted in Genetics while the 3 in between Tempers are determined by culture as expressed in liberal upbringing, more and longer education and dynamic job conditions. Unskilled workers have declined to 20% of the working force.

3.2 NeM and Cognitive Training

Temper point (Figure 1) resembles the Freudian “Iceberg symbolism” on limited cognition

a. Training of the Working Memory (Y axis) [Baddeley, 2010]

The ultimate dedication to Falsification is by adopting it for self-criticism recollecting long-term memories (LTM) by the dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (dlPFC). So, ask yourself vital questions without biasing the answer! Also, open your questions to yourself with an `Else! and recollect both similarities and differences!

b. Stress management by meditative in depth relaxation (X axis)

An epidemic stress load related to modern business life is prognosed by WHO [Markus, 2012]. A relative simple procedure for self-management is meditative indepth relaxation [Benson & Klipper, 1975]. A simple objective indicator of in depth

relaxation is a significant rise in the galvanic skin resistance (GSR) as illustrated by the arrow in Figure 1. Regular meditation releases subconscious stresses, see arrow in Figure 1 [Manzoni et al., 2008]. The benefit of meditation summarizes as “The Psychology of Silence” [Holen, 1976]. Meditation appears as a valuable training complement to physical fitness [Oaten, 2008].

4 Discussion of NeM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY

4.1 Protection of the Ecosystem by Center-oriented Democratic Economic Policy

The outlook for sustainable development moves the focus of objectivity from the individual brain to that of Mankind where global heating represents an exponential (reinforcing) growth threat to human life as we know it [IPCC, 2021]! The pragmatic intervention is as clear as the threat: A Pigouvian Tariff on CO2 emission is the most effective intervention as claimed from Pigou 1920 through Nordhaus 2015. However, should the greening of the economy be accomplished by democratic reforms or is it necessary to accomplish a brand new social organization by a revolutionary process? The learning from NeM and Big5 is that culture proceeds by integration of polar opposites. In a moderate perspective, the different economic-political ideologies in modern democracies constitute a continual spectrum of positions from Neoliberalism to Communism, see Figure 2. A modern model of democratic moderation is termed the `Inclusive Democracy` [Barry Jones 2001]. Historical experiences reject both economic political poles to the positivist mind. Center oriented economic political ideologies, such as social liberalism and social democracy, are already strong democratic players. Regarding center oriented policies, social democrats are typically strong in countries with strong labor unions. Social democrat - social liberal coalitions are pioneered by Scandinavian countries, Germany and a few other countries.

The Greenhouse effect rejects continued Neoliberalist economic growth

The large scale social experiment with a centrally planned economy in Eastern Europe

1917 89 was ineffective [Maddison, 2003]

`Inclusive Democracy` can combine economic political coalitions across the center on ET: Carbon neutrality by entrepreneurial ingenuity Compensation to weaker segments

Figure 2. Democratic Economic Ideologies

4.2 “Simple Living” as alternative to Consumerism

NeM changes the methodological focus on behavioral economics from individuals to group processes and the dynamic center of NeM is Open mindedness, characterized by risk willingness combined with relatively slow (persistent) decision making. Open

mindedness grows from liberal upbringing, a broad access to tertiary education and challenging experiences. The key role of the Open minded is due to an unique ability to integrate perception and cognition as demonstrated in both consumer behavior (Gountas et Corciari, 2010) as well as innovative R&D (Kern et al., 2019).

A central international consumer trend is “Simple Living” as an alternative to “Consumerism” (Luhr, 1997). Today, the middle class disposes of more than double of what is needed to satisfy basal physiological and social needs. This gives modern consumers a basal choice as illustrated in Figure 3. The split between `Consumerism` and `Simple Living` grows. Health, ecology and household economy drive “Simple Living” more and more as technical progress materializes only as lower and lower marginal consumer improvements.

Individualization expresses itself in various ways as an alternative to Consumerism: The simple classical alternative to short term consumption is savings, eventually with active investments

Unfoldment of individual interests/talents that has been neglected, see also 3.1 Engagement in the “Common Good”, for instance Charity

A new and fast growing path towards the “Common Good” aims to reduce CO2 emission and waste of materials Individuals have a range of action options, but large changes require collective action

Figure 3. The Basal Consumer Choice

5 CONCLUSION

A neuroeconomic model (NeM) constitutes a positivist transdisciplinary alternative to the weakened classical paradigm of rational economic behavior. NeM implies 1) Rationality is replaced by creativity as the prototype of production and 2) “Simple Living” replaces Consumerism as the rational pattern of consumption. Overall, NeM supports center oriented economic policies for sustainable development in accordance with the economic profession.

REFERENCES

Andersen & Lorentzen (2005). The Geography of the Danish Creative Class Danish part of “Technology, Talent and Tolerance in European Cities: A comparative analysis”. CBS. Barry Jones RJ (Ed. 2001). ”Inclusive Democracy” p. 732 40 entry in Routledge Encyclopedia of International Political Economy. Routledge. Baddeley A (2010). Working Memory. Curr Biol 20(4): 136-40. Becker A, Decker T, Dohmen T et al (2012). The Relationship between Economic Preferences and Psychological Personality Measures. Annu Rev Econ 4:453 78.

Florida R (2012). The Rise of the Creative Class Revisited:10th Anniversary Edition. Basic Books.

Goldberg LR (1993). "The structure of phenotypic personality traits". Am Psychologist 48 (1): 26 34.

Gountas J, Corciari J (2010). Inside the Minds of Trendsetters. Aus Magazine Sci/Tech 14 17. IPCC AR6 2021: https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment report/ar6/ Kern ML, McCarthy PX et al (2019). Social media predicted personality traits and values can help match people to their ideal jobs. PNAS.

Larsen, T. (2021). Pluralist Behavioral Economics (PBE) for Consumers, Firms, Gender, Health and Society. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences 4(3), 14 31.

Laurie Martinez D, Canessa N et al (2005): Frontopolar Decision making Efficiency: comparing effectiveness of experts with different educational backgrounds during an exploration-exploitation task. Fr. Hum Neurosci 7:1-10

Luhr (1997). The Simple Living Guide: Sourcebook for Less Stress and More Joyful Living. Harmony. Lyotard JF (1979). La Condition postmoderne.

Manzoni GM, Pagnini F et al (2008). Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta analysis. BMC Psychiatry 8:41.

Markus M, Yasami MT et al (2012). DEPRESSION A Global Public Health Concern. WHO. McLean P (2002). The Triune Brain. In Gardner R; Cory GA. The evolutionary neuroethology of Paul MacLean: convergences and frontiers. New York: Praeger. Nordhaus W (2018). Projections and Uncertainties about Climate Change in an Era of Minimal Climate Policies. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 10(3): 333 60.

Oaten M, Cheng K (2006). Longitudinal gains in self regulation from regular physical exercise. Br J Health Psychol; 11(4):717 33.

Piketty T (2014). Capital in the Twenty First Century. Belknap/Harvard University Press. Pigou AC (1920). The Economics of Welfare. Cambridge. Popper KR (1959). The Logic of Scientific Discovery. London: Routledge. Saraswathy S, Read S et al. (2001). Effectual Entrepreneurship. Routledge. Schwab (2017). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Snow E (1958). The Two Cultures. The Rede Lecture. Cambridge University Press.

CADECO

Tarkko Oksala

tarkko.oksala@gmail.com

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss CAD as tool to build deeply ecological world. Firstly, composition, architecture and design as related skills are discussed. Secondly, the facilitation of eco social human action by CAD and knowledge based design is considered. In this work we need understanding of human attitudes and world relation in general.

The idea of traditional CAD CAM can be extended and related to conduct based architectural design. The acronym ECO here refers to ECOLO CO CULTURAL ORGANIZATION and SYMBIOSIS as discussed in social system study (IIAS). This means directly that human must live health life both biologically and socially. This dual maxim leads us directly to discuss security questions like Covid 19 and how to avoid world war like conflicts.

Full fledged conduct based architectural design is technical fusion of composition, calculation and computation facilitated effectively today by ICT. According to classical wisdom man is “a being capable of founding city states”. To fear the disturbance of such achievement should not belong to human life. According to intensive Utilitarianism “Best action produces greatest happiness to the greatest number of emotional beings”. To organize, plan and design cities of well being is the key in all civilized politics as practical part of the philosophy of life and co-existence.

Social study has represented theories, like Arrow paradox, showing how easily only few agents can break consensus in decision making. To learn ecumenical principles is our constant challenge in the culture of peace and conflict resolution.

Keywords: Architecture, CAD, conduct, computation, ecology, health, peace, sym viability, well-being

CADECO A Conduct-based Architectural Design Composition

With authority an architect achieves what was intended (Vituvius, 1991). Architecture is the art of composition par excellence (Ålander, 1954). Within these ideas composition can be interpreted in many ways:

Conduct, calculation, computation Synthesis, resolution, practical conduct

Composition (in Latin) is conduct from reasons to consequences (Niiniluoto, 1990). In one case the reason may be telos and the consequence a product. Between these we need calculations. The synthesis of composition and calculation is computation leading to the options of enumeration and decidability needed in planning. (Seppälä, 1973).

Synthesis may be product of thesis (proposition) and antithesis. In this point we may speak also about political resolution. Resolution may also be product of analysis it is a principle. Synthesis and analysis lead us to present recommendations on the basis of practical conduct (Oksala, 1981).

Architecture under some principles of Alvar Aalto

It is easy to think that with calculation architectural design may be made more scientific and study like. Architecture is however skill, art and study to plan design and build. We have problems (Oksala, 2018):

Synthetic skill, art, study Planning, design, building

Alvar Aalto stated 1) that architecture is not a science, it is still the same synthetic skill, which it has been, is, and will, Architecture is also the mother of arts but also one art of fight (> humanism). be (1972). Vitruvius noticed already that in architecture we study carefully before we propose (> prototyping). Today exact study of architecture under the notion of Knowledge Based approach has activated (Linn, 1998, Gero, Oksala, 1989, Carrara, Kalay, 1994).

Planning is preparatory action to make the sustainability world better. Design facilitates the realization of plans. Alvar Aalto stated 2) (in discussion, 1963): “Architecture facilitates human social action”. Building is the realization of architectural ideas. Alvar Aalto 3 kept as slogan “I build”.

Design

Design is the search of categorically evident patterns (Oksala/ Casparski, Orel, 2014). We have problems:

Search, categorical evidence, pattern Interpretation, expression, model

Design happens as search in a solution space (Saarinen, 1948). It is impossible to design everything, and we look after categorically evident patterns.

Design is interpretation of human expression in social levels (personal, role and status, team, collective, organization institution). Expression is tested in concrete model. ICT has improved the accuracy of modeling in revolutionary way (Bruton, Radford, 2012, Oksala, Orel et al, 2022)

CADECO B: Ecolo-co-cultural symbiosis

Eco-Societal Sustainability

Architecture should be sustainable (aesthetic and useful) in societal dimensions, like: Ecological, communal, technological sustainability Economic, cultural, civilized

Ecological sustainability is the condition of life. Human is an animal capable of founding city-states. Human community should sustain. It is the center of sub-urban and rural

country which all should live in their best in symbiosis. Technology is the condition of livelihoods and in should sustain itself but not to destroy.

Economy is human fiscal ecology. It is basic action for city state, but foundations are made to erect something higher (Clapham). Culture manifests the highest aspirations of man. Civilization saves the best achievements of culture but should sustain in this as alive.

Ecolo-co-cultural action

Ecolo co cultural action has its deep structure basic for success. We have cases:

Ecolo-co-cultural ethics, moral, legislation Ecolo-co-cultural teleology, performance, achievements

Ethics defines the conditions of pure life. Moral is societal interpretation of ethics. Legislation aims to code moral be telling what is obligatory, plausible, or forbidden. (Airaksinen, 1993)

The positive counterforce on legislation is teleology; it is the setting of goals stating from strategy and security. Performance is often energy consuming, and it should follow reasonable limits (optimality). Ecolo-co-cultural achievements include sustainable way or form of life.

Best action produces greatest possible happiness for greatest number of emotional beings. The search for happiness has as its counterpart “the avoiding of suffering”.

Avoiding suffering in sym-viability

Avoiding of suffering concern hierarchical levels: Avoiding disturbance of artifacts, life, emotions Avoiding disturbance of reason, ethos, spirit

Material bodies should be protected for sure. To disturb artifacts makes living more tedious. Life has its basic value to be cared. Violence causes sadness. The work of good government (> Sienna) can be violated by terrorist agents carrying envy, hate and aggression in their hearth. The fight is going on between right or wrong ethos and conscience. The Pure human spirit may be disturbed down to diabolism. The only way out of the sins of death is meta noesis.

What makes humans great is mercy imitating Gratia. It may save our souls, but also our Cities > SOC. (“Save Our Cities”).

As Vitruv (1991) understood: “The Evolution of Mankind should proceed from its wild and violent form towards a peaceful humanity”.

Ecology in Architecture and Urbanity has grown to a large body of knowledge (Thomas, 1956, Lasker, Oksala, 1992, 1994, Williamson et al 2003, Andonian, Lasker, 2008-2020).

References

Aalto, A. (1972): Luonnoksia, ed. G. Schildt, Otava

Airaksinen, T. (1993): Ammattien ja ansaitsemisen etiikka, Yliopistopaino

Andonian, G., Lasker, G. E. (2008 2020): Advances in Architecture, Urbanity and Social Sustainability, Vol I XII, IIAS, Baden Baden Bruton D., Radford, T. (2012): Digital Design, Berg Gero, J. S., Oksala, T. (1989): Knowledge Based Systems in Architecture, APS Ci92 Carrara G. and Kalay, Y. (1994): Knowledge Based Computer Aided Architectural Design, Elsevier Gasparski, W., Orel, T. (2014): Designology, Praxiology Vol. 22

Lasker, G. E., Oksala, T. (1993): Design: Ecology, Aesthetics, Ethics, APS Ci 99 Linn, B. (1998): Arkitekturen som kunskap, Byggforsknigsrådet Niiniluoto, I. (1990): Maailma, mina ja kulttuuri (World, I and Culture), Otava Oksala, T. (2018): Architecture as Spatial Transformation, in G. Andonian and G. E. Lasker (eds), Advaces in Architecture, Urbanity nd Social Sustainability, Vol X, IIAS, Baden-Baden pp. 19-24 Oksala, T. (1981): Logical Aspects of Architectural Experience and Planning, Otaniemi Oksala, T. (1994): The Social Function of Architecture: A Chance between Eco Culture and “Eco” Civilization, in G. E. Lasker (ed.), 2nd Orwellian Symposium, Advances in Studies of Societal Controls, Karlovy Vary (1994) Oksala, T., Orel, T. et al (eds), (2022) : Craft, Technology, Design, HAMK and PraBa, Hämeenlinna Saarinen, E. (1948): The Search for Form, Heineman Seppälä, Y. (1973): Matemaattinen yhdyskuntasuunnittelu (Mathematical Community Planning), Tammi Oksala, T. (2018): Architecture as Spatial Transformation, in G. Andonian and G. E. Lasker (eds), Advances in Architecture, Urbanity and Social Sustainability, Vol X, IIAS, Baden Baden pp. 19 24 Thomas, W. L. (1956): Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, Chicago Williamson, T., Radford, A., Bennetts, H. (2003): Understanding Sustainable Architecture, Spon Press Vitruv (1991): Zehn Buecher ueber Architektur, uebers. C. Fensterbuch, Darmstadt Ålander, K. (1954): Rakennustaide renessansista funktionalismiin, WSOY

The Role of Human Ecology in Contemporary Crises

Giorgio Pizziolo and Rita Micarelli pizziologiorgio@gmail.com & rita.mica@gmail.com

Abstract

The contemporary planetary crisis is not adequately addressed by the dominant policies and powers to which the whole planet is now completely subordinated with environmental and social consequences that jeopardize the freedom and autonomy that characterize all the dynamics of life. Nevertheless, the governments of most countries continue their work of systemic devastation of all their living environments by pretending to impose on people, on human societies and on their life environments the laws of money and profit, incompatible with nature in evolution. The same movements of protest and opposition to this rampant phenomenon often do not grasp the totality of this devastation and its ecological significance. This also determines the lack of adequate awareness on the part of people towards the increasingly frequent disasters that affect them (drought, famine, fires, floods, wars, ferocious dictatorships) and that in every reality there is a tendency to 'solve' the case by chance, without re discussing the political monetary conflict approaches already in progress. Instead, we believe that a new all-round ecological approach must be spread and adopted, an approach that invests all the components of the living planet equally and all the eco systems of which they are part.

The overall challenge to the current crises must equally embrace people, human societies, and the living environments to which they belong, living in them, working in them, frequenting them, and making use of their resources. Such a challenge must be able to be played in ecological terms, not financial-technological-but 'according to nature' and therefore 'relational', not subordinated to money but to the laws of nature and must not be 'regulated from the outside' but originate in the same ecosystems that are brought into play from time to time. All these lead us to an epochal change that can only be tackled through the Human Ecology approach, the only one that can avoid the 'alternatives' entrusted to the political and administrative delegations ever in progress. This approach can restore to people their ecological dignity in experiential participation in the dynamics of their living environments. The difficulties and successes that can be achieved by practicing human ecology and the growing conflict between the dominant political, economic, and technological powers and the condition of ternary ecosystems. This condition is progressively exasperating also because of the false answers to the increasingly evident contradictions. In this article we will try to highlight the shadows and lights that human ecology and its practices can involve based on some cases of action research experienced in Italy in recent years

An Epistemological Framework

In contemporary planetary crises, Human Ecology is strategic to maintain the prerogatives of the World, the womb of every Living Being and of all dynamic phenomena, from the Universe to the molecular dimensions up to those of particles. This is the World in which all living processes share the same cyclic evolutionary procedures, continuously renewable, even if with different modalities and dynamics

(rhythms, times, exchanges of matter / energy / information and so on). Humanity participates in these processes, sometimes accompanying, sometimes exasperating their natural course. The Relationships, as reciprocal and equal interactions originating from the resonant and chaotic movement of each entity of the universe immersed in the stormy ocean of dark matter, are produced everywhere, giving rise to multiple and increasingly complex configurations. The latest exceptional achievements of Science (Giorgio Parisi, Nobel Prize in Physics 2021) teach us that the disordered complex systems (from physical systems to human communities) have common prerogatives and behaviours, which reveal in the ability to assume different and unpredictable stationary equilibria and new configurations during their transition phases.

In the interactive dynamics between the components of the systems and the stimuli coming from their Environment, the increasingly complex and disordered structures of all evolving Systems are formed in the Sacred Unity of our world, so defined by G. Bateson in the last century. Human Sciences, Philosophy, Art, Poetry, and the Work of People, together with all the living beings that have populated the Planet, have built their knowledge, composing a choral and uninterrupted Symphony, in harmony with the processes evolutionary discontinuous but never interrupted of the World. In this way they have contributed to the creation of an intertwining of Relationships between Men / Human Societies / Life Environments, between Mind and Nature, unfolded in multiple chains of dynamic balances in the disordered and complex Ecosystems that have marked the ecologies of our planet over time. Thanks to the epistemological acquisitions that scientists, philosophers, and artists have achieved throughout history up to the twentieth century and to recent ones, in the physics of disordered complex systems, today we can fully recognize the quintessence of our world that some scientists, artists and philosophers had highlighted. in the last century, bearing in mind in particular the words of L. Wittgenstein "The world is all that happens", S. Hacking "The universe IS", and the entire research work of P. Klee "I went close to heart of creation but still far away1”.

In this sense we can now recognize that the Relational Structure of our Ecosystems arises from the persistence of the resonances and vibrations that are continually produced in the Universe, the immensity where “...to flounder is sweet” as the Italian Poet G. Leopardi wrote two centuries ago. The recent achievements of physics mentioned above confirm that the prerogatives of disordered complex systems and their evolutionary behaviors are common to all Nature, from physical Systems to human Communities, and originate from the same root. All aggregations and configurations are formed in this common dynamic in which we recognize the 'differences' as 'agents of activation and exchange' and as 'stimuli' to the formation of increasingly complex systemic dynamics, up to those of the hyper complex Ternary Systems Man/Society/Living Environment.

Let us now see in a broader and more complete perspective the Sacred Unit 2 of our world and the beauty of the continuous succession of 'Differences and Repetitions' (G. Deleuze, 1968) in which spontaneous dynamics already recognized in the behaviors of living beings are self produced. philosophers of more ancient times (M. Pascucci, Causa sui, 2010).

Human Ecology in the world of XXI Century

Over time, the dynamic interweaving of Art, Science and Philosophy has been materially enriched by Technologies and Economics, in turn intertwined with Money: a new artificial Agent that stimulates and regulates all the new Ecological, Economic and Financial dynamics that now pervade the entire Planet in the name of Profit. This domination is causing a combination of environmental and human disasters and a chain of catastrophes that also jeopardize the natural ecological prerogatives of the planet, while the spontaneous relationships, dynamics and flows of nature are increasingly subject to financial power and the domination of technologies on matter, energy and information, the latter being progressively replaced by the technologies of the digital world. The processes of learning and self production of experiential knowledge that have stimulated the ecosystems over time are thus progressively hindered, leading them towards ever different and multiple evolutionary openings. All this occurs in the absence of adequate social experiences that allow to contrast these phenomena.

Today we can see that both the ecologies of Mind and Nature present on the planet are at risk of destruction, together with their open and dynamic Relational Structures, are now being replaced by the rigid pervasive networks of digital mechanics. A paradoxical situation, from which we can only escape by changing our approach to the world. In this sense, Human Ecology can help, protect, reconstruct and bring to light multiple Man / Society / Environment Ternary Systems, in which unexpected relationships return to circulate in the interstices of globalized environments, creating a multiplicity of interconnected and autonomous ecosystems, in order to resist and oppose the globalized world.

With all this in mind we have developed our action research over the last forty years, discovering and bringing to light human/environmental ecosystems where the Human Ecology’s approach could be concretely practicable. This approach is neither universal nor immutable, it must instead be modelled and adapted to different situations, responding to the aspirations of each community through the activation of suitable participatory research action processes differently practicable in the various contemporary ternary systems, from the metropolitan ones. to suburban and rural ones. In all these cases the Relationships come into play, which are intertwined within the Ternary Systems progressively recognized as such by the participants, in a renewed sense of solidarity and belonging to their own living environments.

Various 'environmental stimuli' or other 'promoters' (i.e., inductive catalytic entities) can favor new dynamic balances between Communities and Living Environments, towards the recognition and sharing of new Common Goods, material (territorial, human and social) and intangible (relationship structures that connect them). The success of these approaches, however, depends on the coexistence between the evolving community ecosystems and the public administrations that govern their territories. This coexistence requires the signing of Agreements, Pacts or Guarantee Contracts

1 Last verses of the infinite Amidst this immensity my thought drowns: And to flounder in this sea is sweet to me. G. Leopardi, 1819

2 The title of the famous book of G. Bateson, second half of XX century

between the Communities and the Public Administrations involved in the management of living environments. In all these cases the Relationships come into play, which are intertwined within the Ternary Systems progressively recognized as such by the participants, in a renewed sense of solidarity and belonging to their own living environments.

Here the contrast between the traditional delegated democracy, otherwise known as the democracy of the Game / majority / minority, and the new expressions of experiential democracies that we could define as the democracies of the Play emerges and often becomes conflictual. These complex, difficult but possible dynamics can be found or reactivated in many different Man / Society / Environment Systems of life. From their ecological rebirth, new evolutionary processes can be stimulated and propagated. Some action research cases illustrate as many problematic conditions in which the participatory processes of Human Ecology have been initiated and practiced at different levels and scales under various conditions obtaining a wide range of significant results, as we will show below.

Experiential steps for a contemporary Human Ecology

Here we present some emblematic cases in which experiential participatory processes have been initiated, practicing, and developing eco systemic practices and producing diversified significant results. Their evolutionary dynamics originated from different Ternary Systems in which a variety of chain reactions could be triggered by being self inspired and / or encouraged by multiple "catalyzing inductive entities”. In this way some parts of the systems have been stimulated, and new interweaving has been formed between the human/natural components and the technological/ digital ones which, interacting, have given rise to unexpected evolutionary balances. Reacting / Becoming aware / Reaching an Adequate Knowledge are the steps of the supply chain that cyclically support the Ternary Systems in their variable becoming, towards new dynamic configurations (environmental, social, urban, cultural, and behavioral) as real movers of every process action research that is being developed in various places around the world. These passages are similarly practicable within post industrial metropolitan realities (Cleveland, USA), contradictory megalopolises (Kibera / Nairobi, Kenya, exasperated post-colonial metropolitan condition), and confused metropolitan industrial and rural Italian realities.

Cleveland (USA) 2022: Cleveland's post industrial metropolitan experience was born because of industrial decay, unemployment, urban decay, and the resulting social disorientation. The Cleveland Rebirth developed on the rubble of the post industrial city through a social reaction that stimulated different groups of citizens (workers, professionals, teachers, students) to rebuild ecological conditions of urban and social life in a new requalified living environment. These phenomena matured throughout various processes of learning and self consciousness, where have been equally developed new social enterprises, new jobs, and new urban economies through a rehabilitation of existent buildings and an effective social management of abandoned areas (turned into public spaces and urban kitchen gardens) and of technological plants (water depuration, zero waste) towards an unexpected re configuration of an urban/ rural/social post industrial life environment. The Fresh Water Cleveland periodically report the contemporary action research, as clearly synthesisable by these words: “Like other industrial cities around the turn of the 20th century, Cleveland prospered and grew rapidly... Fortunately for future Clevelanders, wealthy industrialists made a habit of digging deep to give back. ...creation of the Metroparks system, Cleveland Orchestra, Playhouse

Square, and numerous other enduring regional assets. Who's leading the charge these days to affect change for the public good? Social innovation requires us to think differently about how to solve tough social problems. It's getting new people around the table, from techies and artists to those already working on the issues. It's not just coming up with ideas; it's putting good ideas to work.”

The Kibera slum 2012-2022, The work is still in progress: In the exasperated conditions of the Kibera slum, the Ushahidi non profit company has developed complex methodologies of participatory governance of the territory, involving citizens in the production of interactive maps of their daily social life. The Voice of Kibera online magazine periodically testifies that active collaboration by citizens can help them experience the online environment and their real life environment at the same time through a self managed representation of their difficult living conditions. The participants collaborated in the ecological rehabilitation of their living environment, implementing a spontaneous Governance of the local Ternary System. Through these experiences the inhabitants have become aware of their diseases but also proud of their attitudes and potential (individual and social). These results have stimulated them to develop new reciprocal relationships, exchanges, micro activities (crops, markets, surgical assistance, practical and informative learning) and new criteria for managing their social relationships and self management. Today many activities are on the rise and tourism and hospitality business is developing in Kibera. The work of the non profit association started ten years ago continues, as well as "The voice of Kibera" testifies to its most recent activities

Experiences in progress in Italy: In Italy, social struggles to combat the degradation and environmental transformations caused by Public Macro Works and Financial Speculations are usually hindered or ignored by the Public Authorities. Most of these struggles have brought to light new levels of collective consciousness and concrete socio environmental perspectives. This phenomenon has been continuously testified by numerous spontaneous micro activities and territorial experiences. Such experiences, independently promoted by the Participants or encouraged by scientific and technical Promoters, could lead to unexpected ecological configurations of the Ternary Systems involved, and be consciously practiced by their Promoters on their urban, rural, and territorial environment.

The Firenze-Prato-Pistoia Plain –Tuscany: Three Cities, numerous hamlets and villages, a confluence of three rivers (Arno, Ombrone, Bisenzio) that cross the entire flat area, a former swamp with some residual wet oases, a crossroads of two highways (south / north and east / west), numerous factories, nurseries, residual crops, and buildings of various kinds, together with three waste dumps fill the entire Plain. This ancient wetland is also populated by small villages, crossed by the ancient roads that kept pilgrims and travelers in dry places, surrounded by a wonderful hilly landscape (ancient villas and gardens, terraced olive trees, Etruscan settlements, medieval Renaissance). The whole of the Plain and the Hills constitutes a complete micro region and a significant historical heritage

Contradictions, territorial impacts, threats looming over the Plain: New Public Works (a new incinerator a large airport and a high speed rail service) threaten people who live around the plain, at the bottom of the hills that surround this environment as a marvellous crown. The growing threats involving this whole ternary system (represented here symbolically as a hand, wounded but still alive) push populations to react against these imminent dangers. Many Groups of people, with experts and various supporters, have directed their struggle to prevent all Authorities from persisting in their decisions. They became aware and competent both dangers present and of the significance of the landscape and residual heritage of the plain (Medici historical park, naturalistic oasis, Roman centuries).

Various Groups and Committees are working to strengthen their knowledge (scientific, technical, cultural) on a wide range of problems: the dangers, threats, the dullness of political decisions, the lack of participatory communication between the people and Local Administrations, while at the same time, the Promoting Groups are launching new project activities in which protests, desires and visions of the future are mutually integrated to build an alternative Ecological System Man / Society / Environment of Life. Some groups, already focussed to the survival of this entire micro region PlainHills Towns Rivers, started thematic action research spontaneously promoted and propagated to affect the crisis situations of the entire area, (2010 2022) as here synthetically described:

• the MammeNoInceneritore NO Incinerator Mothers Group: Zero Waste Project against the Incinerator’s public project and existent Rubbish Dumps

• the NO Airport Group: Scientific research and impact on the environment against the Public Airport Project looming over the Metropolitan area, Ancient Towns, Monuments and Populations

• the PianaSana -Healthy Plain Group: Research against the increasing pollution (industrial, urban, agricultural) that has been pervading every part of the Plain environment

• the Participative Presidium Group: Mobilization and foundation of a symbolic Guarding Spot to mark their active presence on the Plain

• the Kitchen Gardeners Group: Participative/Solidarity cultivation of public//abandoned properties

• the Walkers and Bikers Group: Walking in groups along the ancient roads

• the WWF and other Environmental Associations Group: creation and management of Oases and protected Wetlands

• the Campi Bisenzio Citizens Group: Promotion of an Urban Park along the Bisenzio River

• the S.P.I.G.A. Bio Farm: Restoration and promotion of ancient cultivation of wheat and fruits

• the participative Presidia: Promotion of Workshops, social events, and public Manifestations

The GRASP Association, with the Groups above listed promotes AlterPiana, the process of ecological rebirth of the Piana System, stimulates the political, environmental and cultural interconnections among the components of the Ternary Systems of the Plain. By weaving new relationships through unhealthy agricultural, industrial, and urban environments, with spontaneous / heterogeneous initiatives we could create a more complex relational structure capable of involving and interconnecting the various components of this micro region.

Thanks to a complex ecological interaction between the above mentioned initiatives, a wider framework can be originated and progressively extended over the Plain and its whole Ternary System, towards contemporary unexpected ecological configurations. The processes described above are still now in becoming structuring themselves as very Polyphonies of distinguishable voices of autonomous participants, as Polyphonies where each participant works at the same time as an autonomous Unity and as a Part of a Wider Context. The AlterPiana ‘s purpose is to create suitable conditions to stimulate new relationships among these Groups and by this way concentrate their thematic action research towards the strategic role of the Plain. An AlterPiana learning process is already in course, implemented throughout various spontaneous initiatives here shortly listed:

Workshops, public manifestations, participative activities in collaboration with other existent Action Research Groups, meetings between the AlterPiana Group and local Municipalities

Stimulation of political, environmental, cultural interconnections among the parts of the Plain’s Ternary System

Adequate knowledge’s steps achieved by new environmental circular experiences

- Identification of the Plain-Hill micro region as a Common

Today this environment is in a contradictory condition: On the one hand, new cultural structures and new self managed common living environments are forming and increasing and on the other hand, the continuous political crises, and the pressure of the Technological and Financial Powers discourage Citizens who have been working for many years to develop the ecological processes in progress, effectively preventing the life and evolution of the AlterPiana Ecosystem.

Landscape / City a new configuration of contemporary Rural / Civic living environments

Within the processes of Ecological Transition, the Landscape / City can be a mover of the Environments of Life in their becoming a place where the multiple networks of the city are closely intertwined around the environmental structure. This holistic configuration equally involves the Territories, the living spaces, the People and the social Communities in new reciprocal links and ecological balances. In this sense, the Landscape / City can act as a catalyst for new design Processes. A humid plain located between the Serchio river and the ancient Lake of Bientina bounded to the south by Monte Pisano and to the north by the pre Apennine hills, which in ancient times was the Apennine maritime route of transhumance, today constitutes a large rural civic living environment , founded on a network of small ancient villages and rural areas, all linked to hilly landscapes and historic Farms and Villas today surrounded by the rampant growth of the Lucca suburbs. The hilly landscape still maintains its prerogatives, but the plain has been gradually invaded by factories, new residences, and the ancient roads have been invaded by dangerous traffic.

The quality of life of the local community is exasperated, while the territories are now a sort of no man's land, usable for any type of activity (agriculture, traffic, industry, urban waste incineration and so on). These rampant phenomena towards the living environment have provoked reactions among citizens, increasing the desire for autonomy in the management of their territories, which has materialized through new participatory planning experiences (zero waste / circular economy, alternative traffic management, food self management). This collaborative responsible condition suggested the idea of a new ethical / aesthetic condition of their Landscape considered as a new Common Good where solidarity, economy, beauty, mutual learning can be intertwined in a continuous interactive dynamic practiced by Citizens, with Public Bodies, and Economic Operators.

This holistic vision leads to a new configuration of rural and urban Landscape City, a City where complex social dynamics interact to transform the present situation into a new condition, rural and urban at the same time, where the Rural Contexts (partially abandoned or hyper exploited) and small urban dwellings (peripheral urban fabric) could be reorganized as Landscape Areas (villages, mountains, hills, plains, groundwater and wetlands mutually linked and ecologically integrated) where contemporary rurality and urban activities combine to create a new quality of life within

a new evolving Bioregion. The groups of citizens, experts and promoters of the Short Chain Market, Zero Waste Management, Alternative Mobility could propagate and intensify their activities as territorial Project Laboratories. Their purposes could refer to the entire municipal area and intertwine with other activities already underway, as parts of the relational structure of Landscape City.

The interaction of all these initiatives could take on a new aesthetic, educational, economic, and experiential configuration. like City / Landscape. On these Textures and Relational Fields, the City / Landscape could develop and resonate.

Unfortunately, this proposal was not accepted by the local Political Administration while the Community that still wants to implement it was disappointed and dispersed.

Nevertheless, the interaction between citizens and experts remains active and the ternary system remains ready for new opportunities for forthcoming transitions...

Once again, the System can evolve and from destruction hope can be reborn, as evoked in this work by Paul Klee (1916) titled “Destruction and hope” “

This message, referring to the time of the First World War, has an extraordinary significance also for the times we are living in.

Destruction and hope are still today the extremes of the paradoxical exasperation into which the world systems of government and their games have brought humanity and our planet. To overcome this condition, we can only 'change the game' and orient ourselves towards the Play of Human Ecology, of experiential Democracy and of relational ecosystem reconstruction.

So, let's go!!!

References

• R. Micarelli, G.Pizziolo L’arte delle Relazioni and Dai margini del caos, l’ecologia del progettare, it. ed 2003

• M. Pascucci, La Potenza della Povertà, it. ed.2006

• M. Pascucci Causa Sui, it. ed. 2009

• Lucia Maiorfi, Doctoral dissertation, University of Florence, 2010

• K. Hiwaki, CULTURE AND ECONOMICS IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY, UK, 2010

• The Voice of Kibera, online Magazine 2017 2021

• Fresh Water Cleveland, online Magazine for the week, 2014- 2022

• www.graspthefuture.eu

• www.civilscape.eu

• G. Parisi, In un volo di storni 2021,

• Kensei Hiwaki, From Growing to Maturing Integral Harmony and Global Integrity. International Journal of Human Sciences and Education, (IJHSSE) Vol. 8, Issue, February 2021

• E. Marinari, La Fisica dei sistemi complessi, 2022

Creativity versus Build, Destruct, Re-build

Hiltrud Schinzel hiltrud.schinzel@t-online.de

After WWII in western art, it got more and more the habit to introduce and proclaim unshaped reality as art-material. Initiators were provocative so-called ready-mades consisting of banal utility objects, first one Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel 1913.

In the 1960ties and 70ties natural material was added to the use of such media. At this time the general background of western art was a search for ideals, needed after half a century of global destruction by two world wars that crowded places with debris.

One of many examples for this kind of aims is the artist Wolfgang Laib, who while installing an exhibition explained his personal artistic intention. The name of the exhibition was without form, without place, without bodyx . Laib prefers simple forms, because “the more simple, the more essential” is his credo. Simplicity is his tool to search for the essence of our lives. He thinks that the individual is part of something bigger and that the essence of life is not always about yourself as a person. He found a medium for illustrate such essence in pollen, which he used to put as heaps of pigments, or scattered in rectangular shapes on the exhibition floors. This art medium and its presentation technique he developed out of his life experience: he studied medicine and sickness, which made him, quote: “reflect what life is about and what life is. Art stands for something new, something fresh and something for the future”. Such philosophy of nature, of course, must be visualized in that unstable way, that in the context of art perception and research is called ephemeral. The material instability of many such installations might be influenced by still lively consciousness of past WWI and II’s dangers and losses. Growth and decay processes were also addressed by artists in the second half of the 20th century. These aspects reflected the increasing speed in all areas of life. Natural materials were included in the spectrum of material and medium, and soon such processual art provided further insights that led in many directions.

Unfortunately, the human brain is not holistic and thus its shaping cannot meet all tasks demanded to keep up with nature’s challenges. This unwelcome truth has been mainly known and still is recognized by the hardships of living in rural environments. One artist knowing this from personal childhood experiences was Luis Weinbergerxi. His conclusion for contemporary perception of nature is develop a culture of gardening with the tough natural plants called weed. The examples he gives are aimed at rise awareness for the environment. One of his installations called Good Space he commented as followsxii : The installation is made of yellow pots filled with soil and blossoms lined up in rectangular shape. This looks like a rape field in far view. The closer you get, the more the status, content, and values of the installation materials change. He predicted that the Natural Plants in the arable earth will overgrow the man made pots, they will discolor and eventually dissolve. This in his view demonstrates change of givens by the passing of time. The artistic aim is to provide a room for such change leading to understand vanishing as memento mori for both: the man made material as well as all life including the artist creator.

Help understand nature by direct point the finger at natural processes being neglected and/or disturbed may be called socio-political. A well-known known artistic environmental action was Joseph Beuys’ performance 7000 Oaks City Forestation

Instead of City Administrationxiii. This work was publicly installed in 1982 at the documenta 7 in Kassel and still grows on.

Such artworks and their experience contradict the rules of holiday mentality esteeming nature’s beauty pleasant yet disregarding the challenge of rapid natural changes concerning the living environment. Contemporary artists by all these different visual ceterum censeos again and again are warning that the threatening rise of natural catastrophes is no longer compatible with plunder the natural. This, however, concerns any aspect of contemporary living. In the future it might no longer be possible to preserve cities, cultural heritage and life forms.

The uniting aim of all three artistic examples was support awareness of nature’s character and change human attitude as regards consciousness i.a. by show cultural misuse of nature. Many similar actions up till now can be subsumed under the name Environmental art. They are artistic practices that include phenomenological, ecological, and politically motivated art making. The tenor can be described by the following sentence: We must learn mourn when a flower dies instead of picking it up and sell it with profit as long as it is in blossom.xiv

In conservation such artistic concepts and illustrated aims to visualize change both as regards natural as well as man made materials make traditional professional concepts questionablexv. It is interesting that in relation to medicine, whose aims are analogue to conservation as regards human life, a Goethe quote: Formation, Transformation, Eternal Mind's Eternal Re creation might be updated by another translation, namely: shape and reshape, the eternal (human) attempt to make live eternal. Anyway, all these artistic aims are trials to get in line with nature whereas conservation shows the human urge to survive culturally, however today more or less conscious of the fact that natural processes inflict changes as addressed for instance by Weinberger. In that this art and its care by conservation can reconcile with changes that are necessary for guaranteed survival of living entities, although being aware of the destruction of live by death being a natural process.

Insofar such art and its conservation are opposed to human destructive action, concentrated on survival of oneself by eliminate the fellow being human as well as other living entities and their culture. As regards the latter the means of destruction can be multifold, ranging so to say, “from tanks to banks”. In this context, it is interesting to note that the quest to be recognized in some field seems to be more important than life itselfxvi

Destruction in war and trade are often linked. They result above all from human character traits, which culturally manifested themselves in so called class systems. Historically this unfolded between individuals, then small groups and states, as was the case in Europe until the industrial revolution. Later, conflict affinity spread internationally via colonial history through global trade. It is interesting to note that in earlier times the direct oppression through "caste systems" such as serfdom directly enabled the financing of wars by aggressive individual profiteers, whereas in the modern state financing functions more indirectly for instance through tax revenues often used to support the so called national interests of one's country. Now the profits of the international arms trade and wars justified by nationalism are in a very paradoxical way related to their fiscal financing due to global economy and trade: larger assets of private individuals as well as states can be deposited in exploited as well as exploiting foreign countries. This has led and continues to lead to confusion. Outcome

is that the poorest, for whom no way of life sponsored by global trade is possible, still are saddled with the financing of own suffering, while the better off continue to benefit. Nevertheless, even in this economically global acting world, nationalism of the socially neglected seems to be one of many paradoxical outcomesxvii .

Even if economic globalization seems to have been absorbed into nationalism, its communicative traces cannot be erased. One is the development of visual languages and the effect this trend has on verbal languagesxviii. These get shorter and more abbreviated by the development of signs and symbols replacing more complex and refined expressions like sentences. A loss of verbal complexity makes all languages in a way more feasible and in this way uniting. This outcome could be called communicative functionality, useful for global trade and other travel motivations. Since neither trade-oriented travel nor individual tourism necessarily promote empathetic communication, this type of function is limited and therefore cannot raise awareness of global issues such as climate change and social diversity. Thus, the age old scheme of suppression by social inequality is not expected to change unless, perhaps, climate change related catastrophes eliminate population on such a large scale that financing war for lack of people can no longer take place globally. Then, however, also the international trade suffers from both lack of trade goods producers and trade goods buyers, and any economy based social life will get unsustainable. Wars then might structure according to the “survival of the fittest single warrior” principle again.

The difference between the destruction caused by war and that caused by live-death-sequence in nature reflected by some contemporary art is to be sought in the dialectic that consists here in enrichment at the expense of others, there in "disinterested pleasurexix," understood in our context as "selfless benevolence." Both character traits besides many others are present in any personality to a higher or lesser degree and often cannot be balanced in a harmonious way in a single personality even. Nevertheless, it is a fact that any “unselfish goodwill” probably corresponds to a mainly creative and/or artistic character, which seems to be more interested and curious about exciting discoveries than compete by show off wealth and power. This character assemblage is probably also rather studious. Any mainly war-focused character on the other hand prefers promising repetitions for profit and might be rather retrospective and lazy. Yet, let us stay aware of the fact that connect social behavior in such a way positively and negatively valuing at character could be a speculative thinking trap in the direction of only temporarily valid nativism. Then it turns out that, for example, fables such as cricket and ant or myths such as Abraham sacrificing Isaac can be seen as constructs to confirm evaluative, that is, interest led hierarchies.

Fact is that the invention of tools in engineering stays in continuous, even accelerating development right from the start due to its roots in human forward directed creative character traits that run parallel to certain human character traits acting repetitive by clinging to war-promoting dualismxx . One might ask, what good is accelerating development in engineering, if humans cannot keep up with own invention because of rather static and unbalanced human character traits. The sad answer is that the use of ever more sophisticated tools might lead to a disproportionate increase in aggressiveness in a self destructive way, precisely because the spirit of invention initially acts for human benefitxxi

What does this constellation mean for architecture in terms of all today's problems? In my opinion, architecture will have to adapt to an ever faster change of construction and destruction sequences in terms of any material, if materials are available. The social questions of cheap building will become more and more urgent, as rising poverty is accompanied by the close living together without hygienic

protection, that will produce more and more epidemics. It is likely that these consequences on architecture will be increasingly accompanied by the admonitions of some artists, which in turn will make the abyss between care culture and war culture more obvious. Thus, more and more “careers” in due course will probably have to join the climate and war refugees with their influence diminish. “History shows that change is only possible when social and political struggles coincide with fundamental ideological reorientation”xxii .

On the other hand, climate change could hopefully set in motion a general process whose roots can be found in the arts: there are artists for whom nature is linked to their lives as a matter of course and who therefore connect with nature and technique in a playful aesthetic way. Some examples by Slobodan Dan Paich

Titles from left to right: Story of every creature; Snail’s story; Unreal and real only possible in a drawing.

Plants and tea (one favorite medium of Slobodan), animal and fabric, life and imagination linked in paper napkin size, in short everything that lies along the path of life in such way can be brought into attentive harmony with oneself and lead to happiness of both artist as well as viewer. In such way the joy of creativity can embrace both creator and receiver, maybe as meant by so called Kantian “disinterested pleasure”. However, rigid deductive categorical imperatives based on purpose are not relevant to such a culture that lives and develops anyway. The described harmony is rather linked to what in Letter XVII, Schiller puts forth as thesis that seems astonishingly relevant to our time: Beauty, he suggests, can restore harmony in the tense person as much as it can energize the relaxed person. It transforms these respective unbalanced and therefore constrained conditions into an absolute, aesthetic condition in which a person becomes one with their nature, whole and complete in themselves. Only in this state can freedom be experienced.

Most of the time these artists use multimedia, often their trouvailles are accompanied by music and body moving actions referring to past local history. Although this art is particularly aesthetic, uniting and thus soothing, it probably cannot have much recognition by the art market, because the market is oriented to trade, and trade is rarely inspired by the harmony expressed in seemingly modest everyday pick upsxxiv. Any market is more affine to the, often aggressive, growth inclinations of competition. In my opinion, however, being close to nature and man made materials with such effortless ease is the best way to make the challenges of climate change universally understandable through artistic means. The harmonious happiness that such art triggers can, in my opinion, generate more understanding than any theoretical pedagogy and/or scientific Cassandra's threats. In comparison to such effortless ease Romantic ideals of the arts embodied in the example of Laib seem to be too little generally communicable to be able to achieve a role model function. Demonstrative acting like that of Beuys, on the other

hand, is too war like by socio political attitude and thus too intrusive to be generally acceptable. Weinberger seems to mediate between this duality, alas his art is not easily detected. Because the works integrate into habitual life by their processual character, they are not recognized as being art, their message if not known beforehand remains locked.

Rapprochement, mutual exchange and, if possible, collaboration of architects and harmony-oriented artists could be, in my opinion, a future option to maintain awareness of the necessary harmonious coexistence of living beings with nature.

A very charming example of such cooperate is a place called the poolxxv , a former bathing facility for the residents of a high rise building designed in 1962 by architect Paul Schneider von Esleben. Its demolition is planned. During the interim status the still usable rooms are taken as exhibition space.

It is amazing what new possibilities arise from the previous utilization, if you can look attentively and associate by think flexibly. You see pictures from an exhibition HIC SVNT LEONES by Heinke Haberlandxxvi as example, topical by their global historical and contemporary cultural references touching current problems.

Conceptually, the new use of the pool can stand as a paradigm shift. The repetitive dialectic of destruction - construction is replaced by the concept of creative conservation with changing functionality. In the process, old functional elements, unnecessary for new uses, can be diminished up to eliminating and new options can be integrated into the existing architectural space. In such way find a functioning aesthetics of “prolonged permanence”xxvii is possible. Such re use can animate thinking, promote education and is a precious tool for develop that sensitivity for the environment that is needed today.

The law of competition: fight till the winner gets it all and can commit suicide in solitude in my view is and has always been very much out of time.

i Wolfgang Laib Wikipedia Photos as displayed at the Museum of Grenoble, southeastern France, July 5 to September 28, 2008

ii Lois Weinberger (Künstler) Wikipedia

iii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fve8GbuNms

iv German: 7000 Eichen Stadtverwaldung statt Stadtverwaltung

v Example tulip crisis in 1637

vi Interesting in this context is Haizea Salazar’s PHD thesis BioVanitas. Reflections on the Materialization of Time. 2022 at Departamento de Pintura Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales Arte Ederren Fakultatea /Facultad de Bellas Artes Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea/Universidad del País Vasco

vii Goethe Faust II A DARK GALLERY Faust Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (levity.com)

viii An example is the academic, for whom it is more important to be recognized through publications than to live according to own standards.

ix Thomas Piketty, Capital et Ideology, 2019, part IV

x Interesting in this context is The role of Typography in Visual Design by Ewa Grabska, Iwona Grabska Gradzinska & Teresa Frodyma as well as other contributions edited in Craft, Technology and Design by Tarkko Oksala, Tufan Orel, Arto Mutanen, Mervi Friman, Jaana Lamberg & Merja Hintsa, Häme University of Applied Sciences, HAMK, 2022

xi Kant, Immanuel: Aesthetics | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu) xii seemingly Dionysian and/or hedonistic xiii Analogue to the development of allergies: due to body reaction against toxic attacks its defense strategies can get self destructive. xiv Piketty p. 686 German version

xv Prof. Slobodan Dan Paich Academic Career Summary (designspektrum.com); Artship | Research; xvi Über die Ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen, 1793 (published in English as On the

Aesthetic Education of Man, trans. Reginald Snell, Mineola/ New York 2004) xvii Related to Kurz Schwitter’s “Merzart”, quote artist: "concept of the greatest possible unreservedness and artistic freedom in the choice forms of expression. Merz art is abstract and characterized by the way it crosses borders within the media." (Kurt Schwitters. Merzkunst: English Edition Isabel Schulz Google Books) xviii the pool | Art and Exhibition Space Düsseldorf (the pool.space) xix Art Heinke Haberland xx analogue to restoration/conservation aims

Architecture at a Critical Threshold: Meaningfully Migrating from Luxury to Essential Services

Dr. Brian R. Sinclair School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape (SAPL), University of Calgary + sinclairstudio inc.

ABSTRACT:

Our contemporary ethos is complicated, at times confusing, and undeniably escalating in negative implications around our quality of life (QoL). While tremendous advances have been made over recent decades in many realms, such as technology and science, there are growing problems in other spheres, such as conflict, inequity, abuse, and the violation of human rights. Climate change is wrecking havoc in all countries on, and into corners of, our planet. Global tensions increasingly tip from threat + rhetoric into the brutalities & indignities of war. Health crises, such as the pandemic, have upended world order, damaged economies and decimated populations. A growing wealth divide continues to separate the disenfranchised south from the privileged north. The reliability of information is aggressively shaken and the worth of truth is continually assaulted. Into this mix of uncertainty and instability we find architecture, as both discipline and profession, and as both process and product. Historically the conduct of architectural design has been clearly aimed most notably at the wealthy (i.e., patrons) and at the provision of luxury services. Architects, as professionals, continue to touch an exceedingly small percentage of the built environment. Compared to engineers whose numbers are large and whose scope is far reaching, architects tend to have reduced impacts, less voice and limited power. Of course, this imbalance does not speak to the relative importance nor the potential influence of the profession of architecture, but rather highlights some clear quantitative differences in play. A major limitation on the potency of the architecture profession pertains to its subscription to a model of luxury versus essential services. As long as society (aka ‘the public’) views the profession as catering to money, power and prestige, architecture will continue to be arguably weak, ineffective and impotent in its efforts to change society in good ways. Given the many daunting challenges on our doorsteps, it is undeniable that architects could, should and must be more committed to making meaningful changes and realizing positive impacts. To reach such objectives

the profession, and the education that supports it, must migrate from the provision of luxury to essential services. Other regulated professions, including medicine and law, are seen to deliver essential services as such their impacts, profile and reputation are all elevated. Architecture unquestionably is well positioned to have demonstrably positive impacts on the world, including reducing global warming, improving public health, and providing shelter as a human right. To do so warrants a rather radical reset. The present research, considering case studies, literature review and logical argumentation, addresses steps supporting the migration to essential services, delineates means of shifting the focus & priorities, and develops a conceptual model that links reconsidered architectural services to higher quality of life. The present situation is dire, the needs are urgent, and the timing is right to reset, reform and redesign the system.

Keywords: Architecture, Society, Quality, Systems, Education, Culture, Innovation, Profession CONTEXT:

“At some point architecture lost its mission to change society. It is largely because architecture has become a tool of capital. But I believe that, limited as it may be, architecture still has a power to propose something to society, or has some role to play in society.” Ito, 2012

When we think of professions, as a particular form of occupational control or management, several qualities often come to mind. For example, professions typically have well bounded and highly specialized knowledge that has developed over time. They usually demand intense levels of accredited education, preparing practitioners for the complex and daunting demands of practice. They tend to have regulation, often self administered but enshrined in legislation, that delineates expectations. They normally have set standards that dictate behaviour, including codes of ethics. And they often tightly restrict entry based on established hurdles, such as examinations and other requirements. In exchange for ‘guarantees’ around competency such self regulated professions often hold monopolies on both title (name) and scope (practice). Professions, as a unique stratum of occupations, arose in North America in response to the growing complexities of society, the burgeoning volume of knowledge, and a need to protect the public (for example, from incompetent charlatans). Early professions, such as medicine and engineering, offered highly focused services that required intense training, great expertise, and perfected skills to execute. Such fields were informed by rich knowledge bases, shaped through rigorous research, scientific study, and a shared understanding of values, means and methods. In many instances, medicine, law and dentistry as notable cases, the services rendered were deemed essential. In other words, such services were rendered across all sectors of society. Whether an appendectomy, a mortgage or a root canal, people needed to access duly empowered professionals to address their particular needs. These were all deemed to be essential needs, with the professionals seen to deliver essential services therein. In most cases such professionals delivered high numbers of services to large numbers of clients. Income for the provision of essential services grew with an increasing volume of clients.

Architecture, as a profession, found itself in another camp in a different situation from sister professions like medicine and law. As opposed to delivering essential services to seas of clients, architects offered luxury services to select patrons. Rather than income generated from scores of clients needing an array of services (some more general and some more specific), architects received remuneration based on a percentage of construction costs for major projects. Early in the evolution of the profession the focus went to large work commercial, cultural, institutional versus single family homes. If architects were involved in residential, it tended to be multifamily or high end custom homes. Early on architects distanced themselves from the shelter needs of the masses. In fact, to the present time architects have only a limited involvement and impact in the built environment writ large, with an even more miniscule engagement in single family homes. As a result of this isolation and detachment, much of society does not come into contact with architects and do not solicit their services. In fact, many folks do not understand the roles that architects play in society nor the services that they provide. Few are the families that would consider engaging an architect to design a home. And fewer are the privileged who dwell in architect designed houses. Typically, the services of an architect are seen as expensive and prohibitive, with only the wealthiest sliver of society able to afford the luxury of a custom designed building.

CHALLENGE:

“A connected curriculum would encourage the integration, application and discovery of knowledge within and outside the architecture discipline, while effectively making the connections between architectural knowledge and the changing needs of the profession, clients, communities and society as a whole.”xxix (Boyer, 1996)

The present paper considers this unique situation and explores the dilemma architects confront vis à vis luxury versus essential services. Modern times are very different than those the profession confronted during its establishment, in North America, well over a century back. Today, with crises abounding, from global warming and resource depletion to health threats and a widening wealth gap, architects need to ask tough questions around relevance, values and worth. Critics have blamed architects, and the construction industry, for a major role in climate change. With poverty in abundance and homelessness a severe predicament, architects need to decide if they will be part of the problem or generators of solutions. Core to all this discussion stands architects’ willingness, or unwillingness, to pivot from positions of exclusiveness, prestige and power to places of humility, humanity and service to society. Tough choices need to be made, dramatic changes should be realized, and clear positions ought to be delineated. The world is encountering unprecedented upsets, leaving architects to decide where they stand and how they can best contribute.

LUXURY VS ESSENTIAL:

“In that context, and in practice, the process of individual creativity was imbued with a certain utopian potential and intrinsic positive value and universal social dimensions. Today, however, that ‘creativity’ is reduced to a caricature of aesthetic forms, expressionistic objects, or sculpture and is mobilized in the service of the dominant power structures.”xxx MacDonald (2014)

When services are deemed to be a luxury, versus being essential, the profession gets more removed from the everyday concerns of society and the common needs of people. With such distance comes concerns around relevance, importance and worth. If architects continue to focus primarily on services that cater to wealth and commissions that pander to prestige, then they risk being evermore marginalized, dissociated and dismissed. Already in numerous jurisdictions we see engineers, and non-professionals, filling the void. While many acts of legislation control title and scope, they tend to provide monopoly only on larger projects. In other words, literally anyone can design and build a single family home and single family homes comprise a serious volume of North America’s built environment.

There are complex issues at play that serve to perpetuate this separation from the average person and a detachment from their everyday needs. The architect tends to be somewhat romanticized in fiction and in poplar media the image of Howard Roark in Ayn Rand’s ‘The Fountainhead’ for example, pitting the intellect and ideology of the elite designer against the group think of common people. The profession in many ways builds on such nostalgic views, celebrating the minority ‘starchitects’ and holding them out as exemplars. And, of course, the education of architects inculcates the importance of the divine spark, building as object and the novel as ideal. Habits are hard to break. That said, there is a slow build towards awakening to shifting societal expectations, global responsibilities, and the plight of growing numbers of disenfranchised, uprooted, impoverished and unwell people. Architects are creative people equipped with knowledge and skills to solve complex and ‘wicked’ problems. However, too often these talents have been directed towards big capital, big power and big politics. Clearly, we stand at a perplexing and precipitous moment. Architects, as a profession and as practitioners, need to decide which direction they will follow as the fork appears in the road. Educators and students, as well, will need to interrogate values to inform them how best to participate in a world that is intensely troubled and how best to help communities and cities in dire need.

RIGHTING THE SHIP:

“Typically, theory is understood as an overarching philosophy governing certain aspects of practice. The objective of theory is to establish something fundamental about how we act in the world, a result of considerable analysis and rationale.”

Lucas, 2016

In our very complicated, and overwhelming, ethos it is far easier to ask questions and delineate problems than it is to produce answers and generate solutions. Each day we are bombarded with negative news stories of disasters, predictions of catastrophe, stories of war, warnings around health, tales of deterioration, and so forth. A natural reaction, for many, is to turn down the volume and tune out of the feed. However, and as history instructs us, turning a blind eye in no way limits the negative outcomes.

As professionals, subscribing to codes of ethics that highlight the public good, it seems imperative for architects to take a stance, develop plans, and act. At a global scale our civilization is in urgent need of viable paths forward. Global warming and resource limitations call upon architects to find building solutions that do no harm and that ideally prove regenerative and restorative. Health crises call upon designers to craft

environments that nurture, protect and support populations as they work and play. Rising homelessness, including climate migration, warrants architects to find affordable, accessible and viable solutions to shelter. The urgent and widening gap between the rich and the poor begs for design approaches that afford dignity, promote inclusion, and impart hope. The public realms in our communities and our cities need creative attention to highlight notions of fairness, to promote social justice and to ensure a sense of belonging for all.

To begin a recovery to right a ship that is arguably wildly off course requires bold vision, strong traction and real resolve. A key starting point is education as Plutarch noted “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” To transform, or reset, the profession of architecture demands a rethinking of education. Education of architects must hold, at its core, concerns about the planet and its people. Not merely capital and construction driven by power structures, but rather genuine care for the needs, dreams, obstacles and opportunities of everyone. Also, a deep awareness of and respect for nature is essential, shifting from hierarchical posturing that places man with dominion over the planet to a more Indigenous informed view of Mother Earth and our humble co existence with all creatures. Further needed is a shift from the view of the hero architect creating everything from nothing to a model of co creation whereby architects collaborate with communities in creating buildings and blocks that prove welcoming, healthy and supportive. Given the untenable and unsustainable path of buildings as permanent and fixed monuments, the education of architects must move to embrace models of agile architecture and flexible design, whereby buildings adjust to changing needs and shifting requirements.

The author proposes an approach that places research, and the generation of knowledge (as pervasive and accessible) at the core of a go forward strategy. If architects are to migrate from luxury to essential services, then the milieu must be one driven by evidence, awareness and empathy. To arrive to such a place, research needs to flood the profession with facts. While there will always be a vital role for art, creativity and innovation, first and foremost is the overarching need to generate solutions that work. Our profession must learn from mistakes, benefit from discovery, and share with one another. Architecture, to be relevant, potent and respected, needs to find that place of balance between art and science. It must bridge school and practice’, ensuring that theories find application to solve real problems and to improve Quality of Life (QoL) for a much greater spectrum of society. Key to knowledge generation, as noted, is the conduct of research. To achieve such ends will demand the promotion of a research culture in the academy and in practice. Accredited programs must incorporate the development of research skills (Sinclair, 2020xxxii) in concert with studio teaching and design thinking. To date research training and development in many schools is sadly lacking, with severe implications downstream in terms of practice. While some progressive firms are embracing research, and establishing research arms, they are in the minority. Many firms operate without access to leading research failing to deploy research findings and evidence in problem seeking, problem solving and solution generation.

To see demonstrable progress in the shift from luxury to essential services, and thereby heighten impact and increase relevance, schools must work in concert with practice. For too long schools have been too removed from the profession. While accreditation and other mechanisms provide some bridging, it is arguably insufficient

given the gravity of problems on our doorstep. Schools should explore creating more ‘practitioners in residence’ positions, and, conversely, firms should open ‘researchers in practice’ roles for educators. Students should enjoy greater mobility between the classroom and the office, under the guidance of academics and practitioners alike. At the present juncture, considering the overwhelming, often incomprehensible, crises in our world, architects must work more collaboratively within and beyond the profession,

TOMORROW:

“In the beginning, new ground must be carefully prepared; the old growth and underbrush removed; the soil tilled and raked; seeds planted; fertilizer spread; water provided in adequate amounts, while the sun provides ultraviolet and infrared rays creating a warm environment. When all this has been done through long hours of labor and required intervals of germination, a new young tree emerges. Eventually this young tree will bear fruit to reward those who have labored in the vineyard. It would be foolish to chide those who are preparing the soil and planting the seed because there is yet no fruit. It would be unwise to water too much or allow the sun to parch the land. When the time has come, the fruit will be ripe and its substance will sustain those who harvest it. So, it is with knowledge.”

Eberhard, 2007 xxxiii

While the future, by some estimations, appears bleak if not frightening, it also presents opportunities and hope if we are able to see through the darkness. Clearly the profession of architecture has pursued, to date, quite narrow paths to success. These paths, often in association with those in power and with prestige, seemed sensible when capital was abundant, resources were ample, and barriers were few. However,

as we now painfully understand in our present world, capital has limits, supplies have restrictions, and obstacles are substantial. Naïve attitudes around endless growth and unconstrained resources, that drove rampant development and unprecedented expansion though the last several centuries, took us into places that now, in hindsight, are problematic if not catastrophic. Architecture, for many reasons including its unique place at the nexus of art and science, the subjective and the objective, and the poetic and pragmatic, stands well positioned to help society find viable routes forward. Such territory is largely uncharted its navigation demands courage and determination. However, creativity and innovation, if informed by research and knowledge, empowers the profession to advance with vision, values and the potential to make a difference.

NEXT STEPS:

“Interweaving of humanist principles and architectural design appears to be a fruitful and optimistic path for designers.” Lyon (2017) xxxiv

“At the heart of our contemporary ecological focus are human beings. The human dimension of design, and architecture, is fundamental. People must be at the very center of the pursuit, in the forefront of the process, and at the core of the activity. Architects must not design for design sake, or for their own egos, but rather for the health, wellbeing, and happiness of others. Architecture must act in selfless service to humanity. Sustainability is about the human condition and the human spirit.” Sinclair (2015) xxxv

Given our extraordinary times, it seems imperative for the profession of architecture to dramatically interrogate its trajectory considering historical posturing and future potential. Contemporary problems are unique in character and disturbing in possible outcomes including of course the existential threat to the planet’s survival given acute global warming. From environmental decay, species extinction and rising sea levels to escalating pollution, depleting resources and burgeoning landfills, our planet is under severe assault.

Beyond physical crises we are hit with political instabilities, local wars, economic imbalances, health emergencies, growing intolerance and intense inequities all generating great uncertainty, growing stress and debilitating fear. Into this mix and mess, architects, architecture and the profession need to find their place, consider their potential, and realize some impact. While such prognoses may generate fear and anxiety, it is better to aggressively confront an uncertain and seemingly dark future than to run and hide.

Returning to the overarching concern, and theme, of the present paper namely luxury versus essential services hopefully the writing is on the wall. Architects, and architecture, need to urgently shift attention from places of prestige and pillars of power to address our communal circumstances, our mutual calamities, our shared journey and our common future. People count. Tomorrow beckons. Design matters.

xxviii Ito, Toyo. Forces of Nature. Princeton Architectural Press: New York. 2012.

xxix Boyer, Ernest L and Mitgang, Lee D. Building Community: A New Future for Architectural Education and Practice. Princeton: Carnegie Institute for the Advancement of Teaching. 1996.

xxx MacDonald, Robert. Foreword. In: Design for a Complex World: Challenges in Practice and Education. Graham Cairns Editor. Libri Publishing: Oxfordshire. 2014. Page vii.

xxxi Lucas, Ray. Research Methods for Architecture. Laurence King Publishers: London, UK. 2016. Pp 9.

xxxii Sinclair, Brian. R. AWOL: psychology, business + research in contemporary architectural education. EAAE ARCC International Conference. European Association for Architectural Education + the Architectural Research Centers Consortium. The Architect and the City. 2nd Valencia International Biennal of Research in Architecture. Valencia, Spain. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2020.

xxxiii Eberhard, John P. Architecture and the Brain: A New Knowledge Base from Neuroscience. Ostberg | Greenway Communications: Atlanta, GA. 2007. Page 19.

xxxiv Lyon, Corbett. “Humanistic Principles, Sustainable Design and Salutogenics”. In Design for Health: Sustainable Approaches to Therapeutic Architecture. Editor: Terri Peters. Architectural Design. No 146, March/April 2017. Pp 56 65

xxxv Sinclair, Brian R. “Integration | Innovation | Inclusion: Values, Variables and the Design of Human Environments”. Cybernetics and Systems: An International Journal, 46:6 7, 2015.

AUTHORS

Dr. Greg Andonian is professor of architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His philosophical dictum is keeping the focus of architectural design on what the designer can control as necessary programmatic aspect of the artefact, and the integration of narrative as its sufficient augmentation to stage the projected dwelling. Has been the founding editor of the RAIC Journal Electric Architect, organized chaired and edited 50 international symposiums on the Future of Architecture in North America and Europe, and published numerous technical and philosophical papers on Architecture. He is member of the Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (IIAS).

Dr. Karel Boullart is professor emeritus of the Faculty of Letters of Ghent University, Belgium. Lectured on Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art, Philosophy of Culture and Literature, and Metaphysics. Wrote some 140 articles and essays in Dutch, French and English on a variety of subjects, including Philosophy of Tragedy and Comedy. His most important book is on “Philosophy as a Culturally Foundational Endeavour.” Since 2003, together with Dr. Hiltrud Schinzel, he has organised the Annual Symposium on Art and Science at the IIAS Conferences in Baden Baden, Germany.

Dr. Taha Duri is the Dean of the College of Design at the American University in the Emirates. He is a published author, translator, artist, and educator, having taught at Schools of Architecture, Interior Design, Health Sciences, and the Built Environment, and lectured on History and Theory of Art and Architecture. As an artist, Dr. Duri had his own art exhibitions, and participated in others, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, New York City, and London, in addition to the acquisition of some of his paintings in the permanent collection of the Fischer Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nooshin Esmaeili is PhD Candidate at the University of Calgary and a Registered Architect with the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA). She has been intrigued by the quality of space and its impact on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. She aims to explore the concept of “harmony” along with “Flow & Unity” in the design of transcendental places, through the lens of mysticism in the wisdom tradition with a focus on Persian Architecture.

Dr. Kensei Hiwaki is Vice President of the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics (IIAS, Canada) and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo International University (TIU, Japan). He has researched in Sustainable Development, International Economics, Japanese Economy, Integral Education, Celtic Civilization (among others). One of his representative works is an award-winning book, entitled Culture and Economics in the Global Community: A Framework for Socioeconomic Development, Gower Publishing, England (2011).

Prof. Torben Larsen is retired researcher in Health Economics and Neuroeconomics. Has been Chief consultant of Health Economics at the University of Southern Denmark 2000, and Health Planning Consultant in the Southern Region of Denmark 1975 2000. Awards recipient, including Norwegian Hospital Administration 1978, Lundbeckfonden 1990, and European Association for Medical Informatics 1995. He is Guest Professor at International Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) 2000 2022.

Prof. Rita Micarelli is IIAS professor, Human Ecologist, Landscape Architect, retired professor of Architecture Technology at Milan Polytechnic, Italy. She has taken part in Participatory Projects and Research Actions activities, and collaborated with Social Communities in the Planning and Management of their Living Environments. Awarded for her contribution to the Advancement of Human Ecology by IIAS InterSymp 2019.

Prof. Tarkko Oksala is practicing architect, researcher, and educator. He was the founder of the computer aided design (CAD) lab at Aalto University (former HUT) in 1968 in Finland and later the leader of the post graduate program in the Department of Architecture. He has received several prizes in design competitions and written over one hundred papers on design and technology in leading conference venues and publication series. He is co-editor of the book “Knowledge-Based Systems in Architecture”. Currently his interest is focused on the promotion of electro mediative design, art, and architecture.

Prof. Giorgio Pizziolo is IIAS professor, Human Ecologist, Landscape Architect, and retired professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Florence, Italy. He has coordinated numerous Environmental Projects and Research Action activities addressed to Man / Society / Environment Ecosystems, aimed to develop a participatory Planning and Management of Contemporary Living Environments. Awarded for his contribution to the Advancement of Human Ecology by IIAS InterSymp 2019.

Dr. Hiltrud Schinzel, Magister Artium, is art historian, and artist. Her research is focussed on mediation of arts, sciences, and aesthetics. Main book publication: Touching Vision Essays on Restoration Theory and the Perception of Art, Brussels, 2004 and 2008. Since 2003, together with Dr. Karel Boullart, she co coordinates the Symposium on Advances in Art and Science, and since 2015, she has been communicating cultural ideas pictorially through "visual lectures" at the Symposia on Personal and Spiritual Development in the World of Cultural Diversity at IIAS.

Dr. Brian R. Sinclair is Professor of Architecture & Environmental Design and Former Dean in the University of Calgary, and President of sinclairstudio Inc., a Canadianbased multi disciplinary design and research corporation engaged in a broad array of projects around the globe. He has been Chair of the Architecture school at Ball State University, USA. An educator and practitioner, Dr. Sinclair`s expertise + engagement spans from science to art. He is widely published on many topics, including numerous academic articles, exploring culture, design, obstacles, and opportunities.