http://www.cityofirvine.org/depts/cd/default.asp
This is a technical page. Dealing with permits and what not. This is here to illustrate some of the top down barriers that are in place to innovation in track housing situations.
http://planningresearch.blogspot.com/2006/04/researching-irvine.html
Interesting blog post that seems to deal with multiple aspects [good + bad] of Irvine City Planning. Lots of references Interesting Book, The Limitless City. This talks to the mindset when constructing california
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007800.html
My Other Car is a Bright Green City. This is a great article on why city planning is a form of mobility, that needs to be taken into account more often.
http://materialicio.us/2008/02/17/martin-house-to-go/
An amazing little house, on wheels! This is more for information, and relates to other aspects of technology that will be talked about.
http://designklub.blogspot.com/2008/02/kengo-kuma.html
Inflatable tea-house, again, this speaks to the possibilities of design, and agile houses.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/triple-shape.html
Heat responsive material [google: materials that change shape with heat]. A consideration for houses near wildfire areas. Incorporating the material, or its ideas, could make a house that responds to the fire.
http://qwstnevrythg.blog-city.com/the_changing_shape_of_future_aircraft.htm
Heat responsive materials used in aircraft. Similar to the previous material, a suggestion about what might be possible.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/tornados/worlds-largest-indoor-tornado-317537.php
BMW Indoor Tornado, is at the extreme end of what is possible. Another example of how we might be able to alter our environment, hopefully to work with fire and fire prevention [over working strictly against nature].
Emergent Possibilities
Looking at examples of Amorphous systems-amorphous computing, amorphous solids…- we can see good examples of bottom up deign approaches. using wind and air control as an overall system objective (in order to manipulate wild fires) one could begin to construct individual autonomous units that when acting on their own start to contribute to a greater purpose.
individual characteristics must be simple and effective, ex. the ability to move or stack-just getting out of the way of the fire. individual units acting on their own can, as a whole start to direct, disrupt or shut off the oxygen flow to the fire while maintaining their own safety. Design solutions must be simple and must contribute to a higher goal for the community as a whole
. also existing housing and infrastructure must be used and incorporated.
-Matt Reis
My research is organized into three pages:
1.a visual comparison of mammalian and human earth dwellings to suburban shelters
2. existing models that I feel could apply to mass produced housing, which afford privacy and the ability to customize
3. potential building materials (sources are italicized and in parenthesis).
books sited:
Dwellings: the Vernacular House Worldwide by Paul Oliver
Shelter by Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton
Transmaterial edited by Blaine Brownell
For the full size PDF of the above pages click here: comp.pdf
-KR
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Landscaping Defensible Space.
Improper landscaping manage can greatly increase the risk of structure and property damage from wild fire. The website calls “Colorado State University Extension”
has do research about how to manage the landscape to minimize the wildfire damage in Colorado.
Defensible Space Management Zones
Zone 1- It consists of an area of 15 feet around the structure in which all flammable vegetation is removed.Zone 2- It is a transitional area between Zones 1 and 3; the space around 75 to 125 feet from the structure.
Zone 3- is an area of traditional forest management and is of no particular size.
It gives us ideas that manage the landscape can really help to prevent the fire.
Information cited, and more information.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/natres/06303.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/natres/06302.html
Fire Resistant Plant
Some plant can contain water in leaves, stems, and roots such as succulent plants. We can use these kinds of plant to keep moist on the ground, and it can also slow down the fire spread.
Some species of tree such as baobab tree(bottle tree) can contain huge amount of water in the tree trunk; therefore, the tree itself is hard to be burn up.
Information cited, and more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succulent
http://www.localtechwire.com/lifestyles/house_and_home/story/2004351/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baobab
Idea of Green Building
To design and construct the building that save resources such as energy, water, and materials. Basic idea is to make new building more natural. The new technology and material helps the building reflect heat from the sun during the daylight. The building can save and recycle water from the rain. Inside the building, new space design helps the air circulation, and help cool down the inside temperature.
Information cited and more information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building#United_States
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Basics.htm#Benefits
http://www.constructionmonthly.com/Com-struct_01_05082007.html
Covered Housing / Fire Resistant Community Plan
Covered housing, also known as underground housing, is a very feasible and practical method of making a community fireproof. Here is an example of a beautiful and effective covered home:
Well-designed covered housing does not have the kind of lighting, wiring, plumbing, or waterproofing concerns that are typically expected. The house does have at least 18″ of turf on it’s roof, which is an extremely effective fire retardant. The huge glass front not only lets in plenty of light, but is double thick to allow for extra heat protection and structural strength. The fire just burns across the top of the house.
There are other advantages to the covered house. It saves a lot of money on energy bills, as the earth surrounding the house is a natural insulator. In typical weather conditions, the temperature of the house can be regulated by simply opening or closing windows. The house also saves money on home insurance premiums, as there is much less fire, earthquake, and storm risk. The house is very quiet, has low maintenance costs, and has a very long life expectancy. Furthermore, the roof can be used as a garden or can be allowed to grow “into” the surrounding landscape. A neighborhood of these houses would be much less intrusive than a typical suburb, and would have a far more natural look and feel. A community of covered houses could make use of the existing terrain, as houses could be built directly into hillsides. Houses could also be built into man-made hills, which make use of the earth moved from creating flat house foundations. These hills could fit into the existing terrain much more organically than dropping rows of box-shaped houses into the area. This fire-resistant community “master plan” incorporating covered housing would also include several other elements. Windbreaks of fire resistant trees such as Honey Locus or Palo Verde trees would cross the community; wind is the key element in the spreading of fire and these trees would protect the homes and surroundings. These trees need a lot of water, and the community would include small ponds for the trees. These ponds would also serve as firebreaks, and would add to the natural feel of the community. If a fire were to sweep through the area, the residents wouldn’t need to do much of anything other than replant the windbreak trees and otherwise let nature run it’s course over time.
This diagram is overlaid on a Google Earth picture of Stevenson Ranch. It contains about 75% of the houses that actually exist in this photo.
There is no reason that these communities could not be masterplanned like tract housing is today. Homebuilders could create this kind of community just like they would any other. The houses could potentially cost more, but the natural attractiveness of the community and the money saved on energy and insurance should offset any doubting homebuyers.
http://www.theundergroundhouse.org.uk/
http://www.williamlishman.com/underground.htm
http://www.undergroundhousing.com/
http://www.besa-uk.org/
http://www.subsurfacebuildings.com/
-TVG
-Movement of communities is cyclical; 10 movements complete a cycle.
-Every 5 years residents relocate and build communities based on sundial structures (Resembling crop rotation).
-Homes surround the community center, where the burning occurs; Main services and facilities are located between the homes and city center.
-Evolving technologies produce accelerated and exaggerated natural processes along with sustainable fire-resistant structures and building materials.
-New landscaping and plant adaptation to burning occurs: Trees develop bark that is adaptable to burns.
-Fires create “edges” between bordering plant communities that are beneficial to maintaining a healthy wildlife habitat.
by Yana Kramskaya, Sandra Mari Nakano, Jonathan Jarvis, Justin Grier
If a home was going to be burned down every five years, how could that change the idea of the interior of these homes? Can good design still find it’s way in?
Humberto and Fernando Campana, brothers and Industrial Designers, have created some of the most innovative furniture designs that have been inspired by the existing culture of their country, Brazil. Above you can see the “Favela” chairs which were inspired by the favelas (Brazilian shanty towns) construction in Sao Paolo.
From burning cities arises the chance for new design to form not only around the community but also within the homes too.
This is the interesting site I found.
What If New York City…
Design Competition for Post-Disaster Provisional Housing.
All valid Submissions are presented below,
and include the ten Winners and ten Honorable
Mentions that were selected by the Jury
on January 22, 2008.
Access the Jury’s full report online,
and visit the What If NYC…Website for details
on the Competition. OEM looks forward to reviewing
the Winners’ Submissions after
the Project Development Period.
There are more brilliant ideas. Check this out.
Link: http://www.whatifnyc.net/
Mira
by Yana Kramskaya, Sandra Mari Nakano, Jonathan Jarvis, Justin Grier
“Many times I was asked, ‘What is a process of changing?’ After those 32 years, I can say to make change, a real change, in a city — or in a state, or anywhere — you have to have political will, solidaristic view and an equation of co-responsibility. And when you have an equation of co-responsibility, when people understand the ideas, everyone, they know how to share it.”
This was said by Jamie Lerner, former mayor and also chief architect of the Curitiba Master Plan of Curitiba, Brazil. (Find out more about him).
Our socio-cultural group not only discussed the types of socio-cultural elements that could possibly exist in the community, but we also covered the importance of instilling values and ideas that would help residents understand and embrace the idea of change. We realized that change doesn’t just occur on an infrastructural or policy level, but it must also exist within the mentality of the people. If the people aren’t supportive of or intuitive about the idea of sustainability and co-responsibility, the infrastructure, policies and technologies will have a weak basis to evolve upon.
We looked particularly at our Burning Festival. How would such a festival change the mentality of the residents? How does the Burning Festival change the culture of the community? After much discussion, we realized that though seemingly ridiculous, the idea of a burning festival didn’t seem so far fetched. The community could benefit in several ways:
• Residents will change or reconsider the way they think about consumption. Since their homes get burned every five years, consumption of less purposeful or frivolous products might decrease. If people consume less, they will thus spend less and will benefit from saving money that they can possibly channel towards more purposeful purchases or occasions.
• Burning can make decision-making easier. Issues around such things as home improvement, landscaping, or furniture rearrangement may become easier because of the temporariness of the home. i.e. If a couple is debating on what colors to paint their walls, they might make arrangements where one person makes that decision for one five-year cycle and the other makes the decision on the new house. This also connects to lowered consumption because individuals may realize that their efforts and energy can be focused elsewhere, possibly to more important tasks pertaining to the entire community.
• The idea of preciousness and artifacts increase. Because the home is temporary, the value of the items existing in the homes may increase because residents may realize the value and preciousness of items that either survive the fires or just continue to move with them to their new homes.
• Burning can be considered a symbolic milestone – a moment people can use as a reference point in time. Residents will not only be able to reminisce about previous burning festivals, but they can also look forward to how they want to change their lives for the following five years. Teenagers can benefit from burnings and use the opportunity to channel to explore and continue to change one’s identity.
• Burning supports cycles of growth and allows residents the chance to invest in new technologies that can 1) accelerate changes in the overall community and 2) supports issues around sustainability (i.e. perhaps a new technology will be introduced that conserves water or power usage in the whole house – either the new home will already be equipped with this or the city will subsidize or provide other discount benefits to residents that purchase such technologies).
• A shift in perception of place and self. When people realize that things that were once permanent have turned temporary, the perception of place may shift. People will be more willing to move and understand that their migration will not only be beneficial for themselves, but for the entire community and surrounding environment as well. In more specifics, people might choose to focus on only making or purchasing what they need more than what they desire on a materialistic level.
Cyclical Citizens Coalition
House Burning Application
What is the problem?
20th century education:
-Conventional models place emphasis solely on cognitive (logic/mathematical) abilities, producing students that will sustain the industrial/scientific culture (of implicit Newtonian reductionist assumptions).
-Students become robots that must assimilate fragmented information: schooling consists of academic memorizing and intellectual, rational, linguistic, linear, and materialistic training.
What do we do about it?
21st century education:
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EDUCATION
What is it?
-Meeting the needs of the whole person (multiple literacies) and co-creating preferred futures through interconnected, explicit assumptions and world-views: Learning to be, to do, to relate and to know.
-Awareness of place in time, space, and community.
How does it work?
-The 5 levels of Awareness must be integrated with the 6 dimensions of thinking.
5 Levels of Awareness:
-Bottom up (think of an upside-down triangle): personal, community, social, planetary, and cosmic (spiritual)
*Note: Every level up includes the one/s below it, but adds something emergent, distinctive, and defining that is not found in the lower level.
6 Dimensions of Thinking:
-Cognitive: The capacity to reason logically: linguistic, quantitative, verbal, mathematical.
-Social: All learning is contextualized.
-Emotional: All learning is accompanied by an emotional state, which affects the learning outcome.
-Corporal or physical: Mind/body harmony: kinesthetics.
-Aesthetic: Artistic expression of inner life: visual, spatial, musical.
-Spiritual: Total and direct experience of universal love, compassion, fraternity and peace towards all beings.
*Note: All are equally weighted.
Where has this worked?
Schools incorporating aspects of holistic education:
*Unfortunately most are private, expensive, and have low acceptance rates.
MONTESSORI SCHOOLS
Based on the philosophies of the Italian educator Maria Montessori (1907).
The philosophies have been implemented primarily in preschool and elementary settings, though some high schools exist.
The approach:
-Materials (natural preferred) centered approach. Children are masters of their environment, which has been specifically prepared for them to be academic, comfortable, and allow a maximum amount if independence. All materials are designed impact motor, sensory and brain, language, mathematic, geographical, scientific and artistic concepts and skills.
-Self-directed activity on the part of the child and clinical observation on the part of the teacher: The teacher introduces the students to the materials, and then remains a silent present as they choose how and which ones to interact with.
-The child’s learning environment is adapted to their developmental level and role of physical activity in absorbing academic concepts and practical skills.
-Learning through discovery: Use of 5 senses is encouraged: kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large motor skill coordination, and concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction.
-Grades and tests are discouraged. Instead teachers create a list of skills, activities, critical points and sometimes a narrative of the achievements, strengths, and weaknesses (with emphasis on improvement of weaknesses) for each student.
-Access to outdoors.
-Belief in “Absorbent Mind:” Children from birth to around age 6 possess limitless motivation t achieve competence with in their environment and to perfect skills and understanding. Young children have a capacity for repetition of activities until competence is achieved. Children are allowed to repeat activities as often as they wish.
-Flexible learning pace: 3-year age range of pupils. Older student become teachers and share what they have learned.
-Cooperation is emphasized over competition.
-Critique: The method does not adequately emphasize social interaction and development.
Though, when compared to children from public schools, Montessori students performed better in areas such as language, mathematical reasoning, social cognition skills, and felt more of a sense of community at their schools.
WALDORF EDUCATION
Based on the philosophy and teaching of Rudolph Steiner (1919)
Anthroposophy
Objective: Intellectually comprehensible, spiritual world that is accessible to direct experience through inner development – conscientiously cultivating a form of thinking independent of sensory experience.
Aims to attain in its investigation of the spiritual world, the precision and clarity of natural science’s investigation of the physical world.
Students develop into free, moral and integrated individuals
The approach:
-Inter-disciplinary: Learning integrates practical, artistic and intellectual elements that are coordinated with the natural rhythms of everyday life.
-Schools and teachers define the curricula with in collegial structures.
-Creative and analytic component – The role of imagination is emphasized.
-Role-play and dance are incorporated into the curriculum.
-The curriculum is infused with spirituality: students are exposed to a wide range of religious traditions, without being oriented in favor of any single one.
-Most of the schools do not have a principal, but instead have a college of teachers and board of trustees.
-Parents are encouraged to take part in non-curricular aspects of school life.
-Childhood is divided into 7-year developmental stages (which are very similar to Piaget’s stages of development: sensori-motor birth-2, preoperational 2-7, concrete operational 7-11, and formal operational After 11)
Early childhood:
-Experiential, imitative, sensory-based learning through practical activities.
-The environment is homelike and children engage in guided free play through songs, poems, movement games, and natural materials.
-They experience the rhythms of the year and seasons, including seasonal festivals drawn from a variety of traditions.
Elementary school: 7-14
-Learning is artistic and imaginative, aiming to develop the child’s “feeling life” and artistic expression.
-Exposure to media influences is discouraged (feel it is harmful to cognitive development). -The curriculum is arts-based and multi-disciplinary. Activities include: visual arts, drama, artistic movement, vocal and instrumental music, crafts, and foreign language (students learn 2).
- Concepts are first introduced through stories and images and are followed by academic instruction that integrates the visual and plastic arts.
-There is little emphasis on standard textbooks: each child creates his/her own illustrated summary of the coursework in book form.
-School day: 1.5 to 2-hour academic lesson that focuses in a single theme over the course of about 1 month.
-A single teacher remains through all of the elementary years.
-Teachers use Hippocrates’ concept of 4 temperaments (choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic, and sanguine) to relate to behavior and personalities of the students.
-Variation in pace of learning.
-Cooperation is stressed over competition (competitive sports are played only in higher grades).
Adolescence:
-Abstract thought and conceptual judgment.
-Emphasis is on intellectual understanding, ethical thinking, including taking social responsibility, and spirit, soul, and body.
-Specialized teachers that focus on academic subjects. Though, students continue to take courses in art, music, and craft.
-Computers are introduced.
Historically, Waldorf schools have linked polarized communities in a variety of settings.
UNESCO (The United Nations educational, scientific, and cultural organization- correspond to the ideal and ethical principals of the Waldorf philosophy)
The teachings are incorporated into Waldorf (gov. funded), charter schools, home-schooling environments, and Waldorf for special education.
KRISHNAMURTI SCHOOLS
Based on the philosophy and teachings of J.Krishnamurti.
-Students begin to discover their own conditioning and how it distorts their thinking.
-The world is observed through with no preconceived theories, ideals or beliefs: Students learn to look at the whole man’s endeavor, his search for beauty and truth, and a way of living without conflicts.
-Freedom, order (freedom of choice is not order; order is not conformity or imitation) and importance of relationship, not based on attachment or possession, are stressed.
-Knowledge is acquired for action in the world, while not neglecting the psychological nature of man.
The approach (within the Oak Grove School):
Preschool program:
-Intellectual growth is never forced.
-The day consists of stories, art, nature, indoor, and outdoor activity and movement.
-Healthy peer relationships are established.
-Peaceful conflict-resolution skills are obtained
Kindergarten:
-A combination of whole group, small group, and individual activities, including active exploration and quiet work. Activities focus on manipulation of concrete objects and movement towards abstract thought.
-There are no more than 15 children per classroom.
Elementary:
-Non-competitive
-Focus: math, science, language arts, social studies, art, instrumental and vocal music, drama, horticulture, computer and science labs, library skills, cooperative sports, games and team activity.
-Teachers monitor student progress and wellbeing. Real grades are issued only after the 6th grade.
Junior High:
-Focus: science, social studies, math, English, interpersonal communications, and group building. Language, physical education, fine art, drama, music, and technology are also emphasized. Camping trips are often taken.
-Students develop a self-reflecting capacity.
High School: Boarding School
-College prep and deep life issues
-Students develop a global perspective, sensitivity towards the environment, human relations, and exceptional critical thinking.
-13 students per classroom
-Discussion is encouraged.
-Students self-evaluate.
-Learning is project based and deals with real life complexity.
-Holistic thinking skills (move beyond problem solving) are emphasized.
-Arts and technology multi-media labs: emphasis on global communication.
-Community events include: bike tours, promotion of local bicycle commuting, building and repairing of bicycles; Fundraising tea; Krishnamurti on Education; Earthwalk: a 2 mile walk to support sustainable living; Earthday celebration; Rockfest; etc.
-Vegetarian meals are served daily on campus – produce is grown in the school’s organic gardens.
-A trip is taken to India, which includes a community service project.
-The alumni community is fostered.
DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION
Democratic governance by children and staff together, without reference to any supposedly superior guide or system: Young people have the right to decide what, where, when and with whom they learn, how their schools are run and which rules or sanctions are necessary.
The approach (within the Albany Free School, Summerhill School and Sudbury School):
The longest running, inner city, independent alternative school in the US.
-Children chart their own course of learning. While fostering their emotional growth.
-The school is made to fit the child.
-The students choose which lessons they will attend.
-Students can participate in the self-governing committee of the school.
-Children progress at their own pace: The age range in the classroom is mixed.
-There is no concept of “year round;” Students can drop into classrooms.
-The students have constructed most of the furniture and toys within the school.
-Students are free to ask for instruction of any subject.
-There are many general-purpose rooms.
This would be a true Center, or hub for the community.
After school programs for youth
Classes for adults on how to make their home more sustainable.
Special interest clubs meeting nights – music, art, sports
Recycle Cafe within the center – Discounts given on meals for bringing in material for recycling.
Eco store within center – Sells products to reduce waste such as grocery bags, water bottles, books,
Lending Equipment center – Tools and instructional videos about how to build and improve the sustainable home are made available.
Education & Employment Service – Members of the community can make appointments with counsellors about their life goals. Information would be made available to them about how to attain what they want. This would help the psychological atmosphere of the community and make members feel their community cared about their own healthy personal growth..
