Thursday 10th April 2014
9.45am – 6.00pm

• Howe Lecture Theatre [QA080]
• Greenwich Maritime Campus
• Old Royal Naval College
• London SE10 9LS

Much of our current urban view is characterised by a swingeing human fall-back position that values sophism, tardiness and economic stringency. This view is predicated on a concern, and a commercialisation of this concern, that we have finite resources and runs hand in hand with a distrust of exuberance, creativity, for its own sake and “out of the box” thinking. This Future Cities 3 conference is themed “Abundance”. It will posit new ways to find abundance in the city, whether through synthetic technology, augmented reality, Utopian thinking or the digitally fabricated Baroque.

The conference will be an antidote to architectural urban Methodist-ism and worthy nothingness. It will be a tsunami of ideas, images and speculations facilitated by a timely optimism – an optimism founded on new materials, new ways of thinking, new tactics and protocols of space, and finally the syncretic opportunities of architecture in the 21st Century.

Keynote speaker:

EVAN DOUGLIS 
Evan Douglis Studio

Speakers:

NEIL SPILLER
University of Greenwich

MARK MORRIS
Cornell University

RACHEL ARMSTRONG
University of Greenwich

FLEAFOLLYARCHITECTS
University of Greenwich / The Bartlett UCL

MARK GARCIA
University of Greenwich

ED WALL
University of Greenwich

NIC CLEAR
University of Greenwich

MAX DEWDNEY
University of Greenwich

ELIZABETH ANNE WILLIAMS
University of Greenwich / Louisiana State University

SIMON HERRON
University of Greenwich

An accompanying exhibition is open from Monday 7th April – Friday 11th April in the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Queen Anne Building, Greenwich Maritime Campus.

Exhibition Private View – Thursday 10th April 6pm (following the conference).

To reserve a place at the conference, please contact: as71@gre.ac.uk.

Admission is free.

LECTURE@ MARITIME

Interesting story about a potential 'second White House'

 'US Senate actually voted $300,000 to build a second White House, a second one, a sanitary one, free of filth, right next door to the original White House. And the idea was for his family to just move right in there.'

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/112/ladies-and-germs?act=0#play

The Exbury Egg

Stephen Turner's Exbury Egg is addressing the meaning of place at a time of great environmental change. In the guise of The Beaulieu Beadle, he will work on, in and around the Egg for twelve months from July 15th 2013 – July 14th 2014.

Video on the Beeb here

His blog here

    NEIL DENARI - LECTURE

    TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER 18:00 - AVERY HILL

                                                            ALAN-VOO House 2007

                                           Keelung Harbor Taiwan 2012-17

   For more information on please see Neil M Denari Architects
    

Bulitan No1

Dear all,

Following the tutorials on Wednesday we were concerned at the lack of analysis, proposition and quantity of work that has been produced so far.

For next week we will have another pin up and expect to see the following from all of you:

1. Rigorous analysis of the three utopian master plans through the 'lens' of your individual section of the Whole Earth Catalogue.

•    Use architectural tools to represent and describe your findings i.e. maps, plans, sections, diagrams, axonometric, graphs. Think about the information you are trying to convey and how you might do this most effectively. Be precise and use appropriate scales and notation systems where necessary. 

•    Remember this is not just a fact finding exercise. We expect you to take a position on the work and be propositional. What is your attitude?

•    The act of drawing is an opportunity to speculate, filter and uncover. Drawings should reveal unexpected scenarios, they may suggest half-truths, and myths unseen narratives which could be imagined to exist deep within the ideological tissue of the three master plans. 

•    What did the architects / authors not reveal in their original master plans? What is the view that we never saw? Consider the paintings of Constable; images of a romanticized rustic agrarian society in stasis, whilst behind each were the intrusion of the new industrial age. The paintings documented the end of an era.

•    What would be the implications of implementing the three master-planning ideologies in the context (social, political, environmental, cultural, topographical etc) of the present? What would they look like? 

•    Be specific about your interests. 

PART 2 [In Parallel to the above]

Create a hypothetical city by taking aspects of the three utopian cities.

•    Produce 1 plan and 1 other form of architectural projection (elevation, axonometric, perspective, section etc) to describe your new city.

•    Be particular and critical about the scale of your drawings. 

•    You may use fragments, components to describe your city. You may create a holistic view. It is up to you.

•    Be analytical and critical of the juxtapositions that occur.

•    Collage may be a useful tool to assemble your city. Cut up drawings of the three master-plans and reconfigure them to create your new city. 

REMEMBER . . .

This is not a definitive list, you need to individually take charge of your work. We have been discussing additional, constructions, experiments which go beyond those suggested here.

Useful references: Rem Koolhaas - Exodus, or the Voluntary Prisoners of Architecture, Piranesi -  ‘Ichnographia’ - Plan of the Campus Maritus of the Ancient City.

It’s important you consider how you pin up your work. What is the scale of the work? Is there a hierarchy between sheets? (not all sheets have to be the same size). Which are your most important drawings? What is the order of the presentation? Use the work on the wall to help you present your ideas. 

We understand there is a lot to do for next week but believe it is possible if you are determined and work hard. It is important at this stage in the year to experiment and take risks. 

SSN

China’s abandoned cities

China's building boom has created a ton of abandoned cities and massive ruins — most of which are brand new, and have never had people living in them. Here are the deserted Chinese cities, mostly built in the last 10 years

Click here for more

New South China Mall, Living City from Grégoire Basdevant on Vimeo.

Presidential Libraries- This American Life

At some point Presidential Libraries were mentioned yesterday. This reminded me of a piece on This American Life. This was originally broadcast in Sep 2000. There is 18 years worth of great material on their archives and I would highly recommend listening to some, or like me, methodically working through from start to finish.

'Sarah Vowell visits four Presidential libraries on a fact-finding tour for...President Clinton. Not that he asked her. But she wanted to offer a little advice about what should and should not be in the Presidential library he'll soon be building in Arkansas.'

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/167/memo-to-the-people-of-the-future?act=1#play

All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace (film series)

Everybody should watch this series of documentaries - the first two are very relevant to our area of study.

They were commissioned by and shown on the BBC in, I think, 2010 or 2011. This link is to the first episode:

http://thoughtmaybe.com/all-watched-over-by-machines-of-loving-grace/

Thoughtmaybe.com is actually a really good resource for all kinds of critical documentaries from the political and academic left.

Cover image, first edition ¹

“ … When I was young, there was an amazing publication called the Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of the Whole Earth Catalog, and then, when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words "Stay hungry. Stay foolish". It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

 - Steve Jobs ²

INTRODUCTION

The following text introduced and framed the first edition of Whole Earth Catalogue produced by Stuart Brand in California, in Autumn 1968, following the Summer of Love. Seen by many as the forrunner to the Google search engine. An analogue system produced with pollaroids, hand typed cut-up text on cheap paper. Unlike any previous catalogue, no products were offered for sale. This was seen as a contemporary tool and access device and user manual to the counter-culture of the 60’s, an alternative Sears Robuck Catalogue for a new generation.

The following passages reproduces the Purpose and Fuction and Classification system for the Catalogue:

PURPOSE

We are as gods and might as well get used to it. So far, remotely done power and glory—as via government, big business, formal education, church—has succeeded to the point where gross obscure actual gains. In response to this dilemma and to these gains a realm of intimate, personal power is developing—power of the individual to conduct his own education, find his own inspiration, shape his own environment, and share his adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the WHOLE EARTH CATALOG.

FUNCTION

The WHOLE EARTH CATALOG functions as an evaluation and access device. With it, the user should know better what is worth
getting and where and how to do the getting.

An item is listed in the CATALOG if it is deemed:

1) Useful as a tool

2) Relevant to independent education

3) High quality or low cost

4) Not already common knowledge

5) Easily available by mail

This information is continually revised according to the experience and suggestions of CATALOG users and staff.

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:

1. Understanding Whole Systems:

2. Shelter and Land Use:

3. Industry and Craft:

4. Communication:

5. Community:

6. Nomadics:

7. Learning:

PART 1:

As way of introduction to this years experiments, we would like each of you to research, critically examine, represent an interpretive guide too one of the categories of the guide. There are seven sections we have assigned each of you a single category to explore.

You must have completed Part A for next Wednesday, in order to enter a constructive dialogue. You should also have started your background work on Part B.

A -

Within your allocated category you are to present a critical cross sectional survey, unpacking the attitudes, ethos, ideologies and drivers contextualized within the Whole earth Catalogue.

Remember this is an interpretive act not just FACT gathering.

-       Your survey should explore the world in which this was imagined, from 1968 – 1974.

-        Identify trends, paradoxes and idiosyncrasies. Become a fellow traveler. Your aim is decode, and interpret.

-       What is the Context that brought it about? What was the atmosphere of the time - Euphoria of technology, space travel, spaceship earth [Gaia], Do it yourself – the amateur.

-       Consider how the catalogue presents material, how it is curated, and the interrelationship within the page, typology, Cut-Ups

-       Consider “The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (Penguin Modern Classics) In a dazzling fusion of Quentin Fiore's bold and inventive graphic design and Marshall McLuhan's unique insight into technology, advertising and mass-media, The Medium is the Massage is a unique study of human communication in the twentieth century.

B.

Using the category allotted as a critical lens to explore and interpret each of the unrealized utopias. Remembering the purpose and function creating a new user manual for each of the Unrealized Utopias.

-       It’s important to appreciate your unlikely to find direct ready-made links between the catalogue and un-built utopias. This will require an imaginative act, in order to invent / uncover scenarios / objects / journey's based on the context's in which these Utopia's exist.

-       Remember context shift is critical, the perspective vantage point of any guide, explanation is interpretive, it’s never neutral.

You will need to take clear a posisition on the appropriateness of medium, and or mechanism for engaging with your topic. Works on paper, photography, cut-ups, film, moving, static images,written or spoken word or combinations of all of the above. Be explorative, take risks

UNREALIIZED UTOPIAS:

1. Tony Garnier - Cite Industrial [1898-1917]

2. Le Corbusier, Ville Radieuse (The Radiant City 1924-33]

3. Broadacre City [1932-58]

Category Distribution:

Bell	James Edmund	Understanding Whole Systems
Chapman	Drew Thomas	Shelter and Land Use
Chung	Kenzaf	Industry and Craft
Clewlow	Thomas Guy	Communication
Furzer	James Edward	Community
Iacinschi	Isabella	Nomadics
Mkrtchyan	Vahagn	Learning
Trevorrow	Charles Peter	Understanding Whole Systems
Holland	Ryan Oliver	Shelter and Land Use
Alston	Jamie William	Industry and Craft
Corey	Shaun Aaron	Communication
Dabouni	Sara	Community
Day	Harry Thomas	Nomadics
Gibbs	Nicholas	Learning
Nikjoo	Alexander Arsham	Understanding Whole Systems
Puryer	Henry William	Shelter and Land Use
Winter	Alexander  T	Industry and Craft
Bell	Adam James	Communication
Poynter	Hayley Frances	Community
Primarolo	Sarah Anne	Nomadics
York	Laurence John	Learning

Schedule:

Some useful dates and general unit programme information for the immediate future,

For all NEW sixteeners it’s important to check the BLOG regularly for updates, as we will be using this as our primary mechanism for communication.

Wednesday 25^th September Meeting No 1: Project Introduction

- ICA, "Off-Site: A journey Through London Subculture, 1980's to Now"

The Old Selfridges Hotel, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HQ.

- ‘DIG’ by Daniel Silver for Artangel

Friday 27^th September – Final Year Thesis Meeting No. 1

14:00-16:00 at QM15, Maritime.

Saturday, 28^th September: Future Fest:

We have been given free access to the first day of the two daylong event ‘FUTUREFEST’ being held at the Old Hackney Town Hall, Shorditch High Street.

We will forward further details including programme, tickets and meeting point.

In the meantime following link will provide further information and background to this event: http://www.futurefest.org

Wednesday 2^nd October

Research Show & tell North Studio Avery Hill

Unit staff

Schedule cont. . .

Wednesday 9^th October

Research Presentation of Research North Studio Avery Hill,

Introduction to Part 2

Wednesday 16^th October

Tutorials North Studio Avery Hill

Wednesday 23^rd October

Show & tell North Studio Avery Hill

Wednesday 30^th October

Tutorials North Studio Avery Hill

Wednesday 6^th November

Final Presentation Part 1+2 North Studio Avery Hill

Unit staff with invited Guests

- Followed By An Introduction to the Principle Building Project Year 1

Please note: The timetable is subject to change as is indicative only

Footnotes:

1.     Front cover from first edition of the Whole Earth catalogue, Image from space provided by NASSA from the Gemini programme. The Spring 1969 replaced this with the first earth rise photographed by Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Astronaut, 24^th December 1968.

2.     Excerpt of the closing paragraphs taken from Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address 12 June 2005. , “I wish that for you. Stay hungry. Stay foolish” the back cover to the last whole earth catalogue Oct 1974.