Towards an Ecology of Tectonics : The Need for Rethinking Construction in Architecture

Anne Beim

ISBN 10: 3936681864 / ISBN 13: 9783936681864

Editore: Edition Axel Menges Okt 2014, 2014

Riguardo questo articolo

Neuware - The global resources situation and the climate crisisare amongst the biggest challenges faced bymankind today. In the years to come, these issueswill no doubt have an influence on societal evolution,on urban and rural land development, andhow we define our cultural identities. These andrelated issues will be reflected in the world of architecture.In recent years many countries with highenergy consumption have made the energy-relatedrequirements for buildings more stringent; thenew rules apply to the resources used for constructionas well as to those used in the operationof buildings. In the future, these new requirementswill have a major impact on the design of buildings.It will not be sufficient merely to increase the insulationthickness or to make the building envelopemore airtight. Solutions of this type have an adverseimpact on the architectural design, on theconstruction practices, on the indoor environmentand on options for making buildings flexible so thatthey can be adapted for diverse uses over time.Equally important in terms of its impact on architecturalquality is the challenge posed by the continuousgrowth of industrialisation. The move fromcraft-based construction methods to computercontrolledproduction processes now used in industrialisedmanufacturing has resulted in strictstandards, established at design level, being imposedon the process as it takes place on thebuilding site, creating an 'assembly architecture'that no longer depends on the locally availablematerials, on local cultural traditions or on thespecific physical context.In this book, ideas, design principles and practicesthat relate to tectonics in architecture are explored,and a series of themes are discussed in relationto various concepts of ecology. Ecology is,in this case, defined in its widest sense, which includesthe cycling of resources, systems of socialorganisation and the environmental context. Tectonics- a concept with a long tradition in architectureand architectural theory - is comparable toecology. It relates to the design and assembly ofstructural elements, and implies a holistic approachto materials, to construction technology and tothe design of structures. It is more than merely aninstrumental strategy: it extends into the poetic,which elevates it to the status of a cultural practice.This book is part of a research project conductedby leading academics associated with the RoyalDanish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture,the Aarhus School of Architecture and theDanish Building Research Institute. With a collectionof 13 essays by academic experts and practicingarchitects the book provides the first comprehensiverepresentation of contemporary tectonicthought and practices in architecture.

Codice articolo 9783936681864

Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: Towards an Ecology of Tectonics : The Need for Rethinking Construction in Architecture
• Editore: Edition Axel Menges Okt 2014
• Data di pubblicazione: 2014
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 3936681864
• ISBN 13: 9783936681864
• Rilegatura: Buch
• Condizione: Neu
• Dimensioni: 270 L x 210 A x 21 P (millimetri) 270 millimetri di larghezza per 210 millimetri di altezza per 21 millimetri di profondità
• Peso: 1152 grammi

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto

The global resources situation and the climate crisis are amongst the biggest challenges faced by mankind today. In the years to come, these issues will no doubt have an influence on societal evolution, on urban and rural land development, and how we define our cultural identities. These and related issues will be reflected in the world of architecture. In recent years many countries with high energy consumption have made the energy-related requirements for buildings more stringent; the new rules apply to the resources used for construction as well as to those used in the operation of buildings. In the future, these new requirements will have a major impact on the design of buildings. It will not be sufficient merely to increase the insulation thickness or to make the building envelope more airtight. Solutions of this type have an adverse impact on the architectural design, on the construction practices, on the indoor environment and on options for making buildings flexible so that they can be adapted for diverse uses over time. Equally important in terms of its impact on architectural quality is the challenge posed by the continuous growth of industrialisation. The move from craft-based construction methods to computer-controlled production processes now used in industrialised manufacturing has resulted in strict standards, established at design level, being imposed on the process as it takes place on the building site, creating an "assembly architecture" that no longer depends on the locally available materials, on local cultural traditions or on the specific physical context. In this book, ideas, design principles and practices that relate to tectonics in architecture are explored, and a series of themes are discussed in relation to various concepts of ecology. Ecology is, in this case, defined in its widest sense, which includes the cycling of resources, systems of social organisation and the environmental context. Tectonics a concept with a long tradition in architecture and architectural theory is comparable to ecology. It relates to the de-sign and assembly of structural elements, and implies a holistic approach to materials, to construction technology and to the design of structures. It is more than merely an instrumental strategy: it extends into the poetic, which elevates it to the status of a cultural practice. This book is part of a research project conducted by leading academics associated with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, the Aarhus School of Architecture and the Danish Building Research Institute. With contributions from a wider network of academic experts and from practicing architects, it provides the first comprehensive representation of contemporary tectonic thought and practices in architecture.