RE[ ]: a reflection of past through present

Rethink, Relearn, Redefine, Revive, Rediscover, Realign, Readapt, Reconnect, Retransform, Recreate, Regenerate _____:  these are a few of the “REs” that are fundamental principles to reshape our built environments. These principles are pivotal in driving the conversation of a paradigm shift of perspective of how we conceive, design, construct, curate, and knit our cities, towns, neighbourhoods, buildings (commercial, residential, retail, etc.), and individual dwelling units; for the future of architecture(built), unbuilt, human beings, nature and world.

BASE SCENARIO: “Humans: a component of the ecosystem?” 

For thousands of years, man sought shelter under trees or in caves, always adapting to different settings, understanding the surroundings, and mending the way of living to get accustomed to the setting. Nature has always been a significant factor in human survival as man depended on nature for food, shelter, and clothing thus being a part of the ecological food chain, and we always co-existed with nature.

SHIFT 01: “Humans at the apex” 

During the Industrial Revolution in the early 1700s, a spate of urbanisation began. The cities where industries happened, developed, and became city centres thus attracting more people, further increasing the load on the city fabric. Together with the advent of new materials, such as concrete, steel, and glass, and the necessity of accommodating the increasing population; a race of urbanisation began where buildings upon buildings were constructed and cities were erected with no heed to the thousands of years of building intelligence that utilised local context.

(Present) URBAN SETTINGS :

The architecture in most of the cities is similar to each other; Barring a few iconic structures, which are associated with that particular city. The Time and Space crunch and, the need for accommodating more and more people and satisfying commercial requirements, are the factors that are catered to as the priority; without paying any heed to the environment or the end users of the project.

In general, in present-day practice, the world is incrementally leaning towards mass standardisation, mass production, and high-rise: high-density buildings. This often leads to over-extraction of resources, energy, and non-renewable materials, leading to a built environment that competes with nature rather than complementing it. The built infrastructure (buildings, roads, runways, etc.) sits; thus causing a conflict between the two entities; human development and the environment. This shift in design methodology has resulted in excessive use of energy and resources[extractivism], significant biodiversity loss, pollution and contamination, atmospheric degradation, climate change, and going away from nature. This (design) approach is not an inevitable by-product of development, but a fundamental design flaw.

(Present) RURAL SETTINGS :

Today, rural settings and villages to some extent preserve the traditional contextual architecture, and the notion of being more inclined towards inclusivity, co-existence, and how the built-forms can least harm nature, use of locally available materials, building such that they respect and respond to the locale.

But as the world has come closer, modern technology and construction methodologies have been influenced in the smallest of small villages. The aspirations of people or society and the definition of permanence across the globe have risen in terms of lifestyle, which leads to taking inspiration from already developed cities and considering those to be archetypes for development. Unfortunately, the local, traditional, and vernacular architecture has become progressively less appealing to people and it is associated with poverty, thus insubstantial.

“ Their [house] owners were forced by their poverty into genuine design.” – Hassan Fathy. 01

01: Fathy, H. (2016) Architecture for the poor. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press. 

(re)SHIFT 02:

Rethink:  Questioning the traditional methods and exploring innovative solutions; thus integrating multiple disciplines and perspectives to create comprehensive and holistic designs. Rethinking also brings in a shift of perspective towards the design practice as a whole, giving us (as a fraternity) a scope to address challenges such as climate change, habitat regeneration, lack of resources, over-extraction, etc.

Relearn:  

This principle gives importance to educating ourselves with the traditional architectural practice (built and unbuilt), understanding the methodology of bioclimatic design,  site conditions,  community needs, and ecological requirements to readapt those practices to the present-day practice for the betterment of the future. Resilience and efficiency can be learned from nature as well. (biomimicry) 

Redefine: A change in the definition of words such as development, sustainability, net-zero, and energy efficient will allow us to reinterpret the roles of the built and unbuilt spaces. This redefinition can happen on different levels: a. Policy level – Changing governmental norms and rules so that the architecture for the future can be moulded in a way that it becomes regenerative, ecologically sensitive, and more sustainable in the real sense; b. Societal level – slowly and steadily changing the way we perceive architecture, the ideas of permanence and temporality, and creating awareness concerning material practices, the impact of the built, etc.

Revive: Revival can be looked at through the lens of historical preservation; tangible which includes the built (restoration and revitalization), and intangible which includes knowledge, skills, practices, methodology, etc, and passing it on to future generations.

Realign: Aligning the current architectural practices back to the principles of regeneration, sustainability, and resilience, and ensuring that the built-form is in harmony with the natural environment and local ecosystems.

Reconnect: This principle could throw light on the connections of people, communities, and natural ecosystems, thus linking urban areas with natural landscapes and encouraging social interactions.

Regenerate: Embodies the idea of restorative design, such that the built form becomes a catalyst for the health of the environment, allowing the creation of microclimates and ecosystems within thus leaving a positive ecological footprint.

The Future of architecture will be transformed by the principles that emphasise ecology(nature) as well as humans. Thus Re-creating a symbiotic relationship between the two entities. Environmental equity, ecological responsibility and sensitivity, natural integration, and community engagement, should be at the core of the re-conceived architectural practice. By embracing the concepts of “RE-” we (architects) can create built environments in harmony with nature, fostering community and enhancing the quality of life. This comprehensive and transformative approach ensures that the future of the built environments will be more sustainable, regenerative, resilient, adaptable, and inclusive [designing for all (micro to macro-organisms)].