Colour Your World!

Vaike's recent lecture on colour has increased my own interest in the psychological effects of colour on humans. Her descripitions of the historical significance of colour, of its ties to individual landscapes, and of our own bodies inherent relationship with colour, have made me aware of the relevance of colour in our environments. I now believe that in architecture colour can and should be as important as form, to shape the intention of a space. Bright energetic colours might increase productivity, while calming colours could be used in environments where stress is a factor, such as hospitals. Check out the Bioscleave Fun House designed to help people live longer, healthier lives. This project employs bright, lively colours to give life to a space and the people who inhabit it.

Somewhere over the rainbow....

It seems as though color can provide more than just therapy! New photo-voltaic panels have been designed that capture a broad spectrum of light, creating naturally occuring instances of refracted light. The future of this technology suggests actual rainbow farms! Can you think of anything more fantastic!? It is amazing what humans have accomplished, and that things that once would only seem like a dream are actually becoming reality. If only Dorothy could see us now....

Sleeping our way to a better future

Ever since entering into the Faculty of Environmental design I have been grappling with meeting deadlines and functioning off little sleep. The question that often pops into my head after a 16 hour school day is WHY? Why do we need to do so much in so little time? This question doesn't only apply to this faculty, but in all different professions, life styles and cultures throughout developed worlds. Just looking in the past 100 hundred years we see such an explosive rate of technological advancements and change. Twenty years ago most people didn't even have a cell phone, now most people don't keep the same phone for more than one year. I'm not suggesting that human development is something that is negative, but perhaps the rate that we are developing at is just too fast. The rest of planet earth is struggling to keep up with our needs and demands. Ground water aquifers are been pumped so fast they can't be replenished, soil erosion is happening at a rate where nutrients in the soil can't restore itself, forests, wetlands aren't given enough time to regenerate leaving many species of animals homeless and vulnerable to extinction. Is it absolutely necessary to have twelve hour plus work days? 

Reflecting on our own North American culture, why are we so keen on having everything as fast as possible and why have we built a consumer culture that only wants to consume more? This 'have it now' mentality resonates throughout a variety of aspects in our culture. From our food sector with fast food restaurants where a full meal is ready under one minute, to electronics where after a year a technology is considered 'outdated'. With all the gizmos, gadgets, toys, and things to do in this day and age, we feel like there's so much that needs to be done and so little time to do it. This way of living isn't good for our health or our mental state. What I would like to really know is does it have to be this way (I'm open to anything)? I've been dabbling with the idea that if everyone got more sleep, it would be better for the environment and the overall health of people in general. When we sleep we use minimal amounts of energy compared to when we are awake. No lights, t.v.s, laptops, Blackberrys, etc. are in use consuming energy. With more sleep, people would feel healthier, more alert, and probably more productive. I understand that the production and flow of goods might be slower if we all slept a bit more and worked less, but the slower rate of production could mean a slower rate of consumption. With happier, healthier workers the quality and life span of products would be higher. 

 

I know this more sleeping solution is unrealistic to many people, but I think we do need to start asking more questions about why the way things are and ask if they can be changed to create a better functioning society? When creating new technologies and products we should keep in mind if the product will take time away from the consumer or will it make their lives easier? And there is a difference between a product that is an unnecessary distraction and products that are designed for the health and well being of people. For example, instead of creating more fast food joints, why not have more locally produced food markets so it's more accessible and affordable to cook you own meals? We shouldn't be afraid to question anything and everything. If more questions are being asked, more answers will be produced. Being complacent is no longer an option for the challenges we must face in the years to come. 

In relation to our last lecture about colour, I cam across another blog which touches on the subject of colour and sleep. The blog describes the different effects different colours have on the body. They also give examples of architecture specifically designed for sleep and napping rooms running at $12 for a 20 min nap.

skeletons aren't only in our closets.

I recently read a review of SmartCity a Festival Emergencies conference held in Paris. Festival Emergencies is an 'international festival of electronic cultures and new art forms', which this year is focused on “urban activism and artistic interventions in public space”.

One of the presentations that really interested me was mOmentoMoNUMENTO put forth by one of my favorite architectural firms, Exyst and an equally interesting Brazilian collective, Coloco.

Coloco have, for the last seven years, been studying the phenomena of skeleton dwellings. These dwellings have emerged because industry and housing, as a result of urban sprawl, are being pushed further and further from the cities core and have left large buildings that once defined the cities central area vacant. Groups of individuals have begun to inhabit these dwellings and organize the space to suit their needs. Government sometimes will intervene and other times allow the individuals to occupy the space in an effort to re-establish the cities center.

Exyst utilizes temporary interventions mixing experimental architecture, graphic art instillations, film, music and even food-related programs together to impact and diversify the urban environment. They are also hip to the skeleton dwelling phenomena and have recently began to focus on alternative cheap housing and as an experiment sent 450 architecture students to inhabit one of these skeleton dwellings the project: Republique Ephemere is definitely worth a gander.
Together Exyst and Coloco are combining their experience-based knowledge and teaming up with Cultures France, a French arts initiative to engage with other nations (for those of you who don’t speak French), to offer a traditional French monument (eg. The statue of liberty) to Brazil. The Sao Paulo government has offered up an abandoned building built in 1965 to the two architectural forces to be reckoned with to do what they please. The architects have a year to make it work.

I really like the idea of collaboration between those in need and the government on such a grassroots level. The inhabitation of abandoned buildings also seems like a good way to get things moving in a positive direction. Individuals living without a fixed address or in dismal public housing situations would be able to take control of their living situations, and abandoned city buildings could once again serve a purpose. Perhaps this notion may seem somewhat un-realistic in a city like Winnipeg I truly believe that with a little bit of guidance, collaboration between government, individual and design professionals, successes like what Coloco and Exyszt have observed may be possible.