I am a designer that is part of and for the new generation, a generation known for being superficial, self-obsessed ‘snowflakes.’ I reject this label. Instead, I believe, we are a generation of change, of passionate activists. Members of Generation Z are using their heritage to make political statements and implement necessary change for a collective future. In Brazil, the first ever march by indigenous women took place in August 2019 to denounce president Jair Bolsonaro’s ‘genocidal’ Amazon rainforest policies. (Friend and Houghton, 2019) We are a united generation, focused on balancing the environment and humanity, our past and our future.
As a designer my focus lies within sustainability and humanitarian duty. We are now in 2020 and I think it is crucial for designers to practice sustainable methods. It is up to provide sustainable alternatives for consumers in order to implement the essential change; to rewild people’s minds. My work is underpinned by the studies and writings of Michael Pawlyn, Neri Oxman, George Mormoit, David Peason, Braungart and McDonough, and their attitudes towards rewilding and the wellbeing of people, but more importantly working with the planet. Identifying as an Interior Architect, my passion is the adaptive reuse of derelict buildings; using biophilic design, the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ process and the use of renewable and living materials. Sustainability transcends saving energy or careful sourcing of green materials however, recycling and rejuvenating historic and derelict buildings is fundamental. Sustainable interiors address people’s emotional connection to the buildings they occupy and create environments that can host different identities over time. Old buildings are ingrained with wisdom and footsteps of many generations, which I am fascinated by and from which I draw design inspiration.
The fundamental question facing designers is what their moral responsibility to society is. I align myself with humanitarian architect, Shigeru Ban, believing that architects and interior designers have an obligation to improve well-being and quality of life universally. Ban suggests, “We have a responsibility to work with people who have problems, too, because we have an opportunity to provide them with something beautiful and comfortable.” (2014:14). If architectural design primarily concerns the living conditions of communities, then in the current state of the world I believe that designers have a duty to design for humanity.
The impacts of the impending climate catastrophe; more frequent natural disasters, disease, diminishing resources, water scarcity, and more, will trigger greater migration and population displacement. Environmental migrants are forced to leave their homes because of environmental changes, which risk their lives or livelihoods. Every second someone is displaced by climate change or a weather-related disaster. (Friends of the Earth, 2017) The International Organisation on Migration predicts that by 2050 up to 200 million people could be displaced by climate issues. (UNHCR, unknown) The UN Refugee Agency offers some protection for refugees, as international law prevents them from being returned to danger, giving them access to fair asylum procedures. However international law doesn’t recognise people forced to move because of climate change, even though their move was also involuntary and also a matter of survival. As architects and interior designers, we should aim to make our cities more adaptive to migration, removing physical and non-physical barriers.
Little has been done to cater for the quality of life for migrants and refugees. It is argued that “Art often eschews pragmatism” (Zatarain. 2022:29). Now and again art and design can cloak humanitarian crises in a “feel-good narrative of playful cause and effect”, argued by journalist Ana Karina Zatarain referring to Ronald Real’s installation along the Mexican US border. (2022:29) The installation, located where Ciudad Juáez meets El Paso, comprises a series of fluorescent pink see-saws, with each half on the side of its retrospective country. It received mixed opinions from the media and architecture critics, being described as “endearing and sinister”. (Zatarain, 2022:30). The installation does little to resolve the suffering of those detained. At the Good Design for a Bad World talk, held at Dutch Design Week 2018, when discussing the refugee crisis, the panellists proposed that designers should stop proposing “gimmicky solutions”. (Fairs, 2017) Instead, “efforts should be made to shift the negative narrative around population movements” and to “make cities better able to absorb incomers”.(Klienschmidt, 2017) We need to abandon such ideas as ‘tech for refugees’ or ‘design for refugees’ and have ‘design for civilisation’. We need to develop designs giving migrants a sense of identity, when theirs has been taken away.
When considering refugees, typically the architects and designer’s response never goes beyond the immediate, practical needs, so they forgo from asking fundamental questions about what has been lost. “We have to know from where we are coming to know where we are going” (Correa, 2005:121) Cultural values are essential in every aspect of our life, not only do they shape the way we perceive and environment, but they are directly interrelated with each other, “culture shapes the environment; environment shapes the culture” (Ayalp, 2011) Culture is the main element shapes how people behave in a certain environment. People take comfort in environments that are concurrent with their place identities. It gives them a sense of self, who they are and who they were, and it gives them a sense of community. The profession of interior design is foundational to forming lifestyles and providing people with a space to belong. “Cultural tradition needs to be considered as more than just frivolous nostalgia”. (Day, 2002:147) In order to retain cultural diversity and identity, we must be using vernacular knowledge as a foundation to our designs.
Society appears to be entering a period of massive change, there is an environmental awakening. We see that it is no longer acceptable to reside in habitats that make little or no reference to environmental issues, or cause problems with our health, wellbeing and sprit. Our ancestors were more aware and in tune with the environment and understood the importance of honouring primeval forces; the sun, earth and water. This is shown through remaining indigenous building and cultural traditions which strive to form harmony with land, humans and cosmos, linking earth and sprit. Exampled through the Eastern practice of Feng Shui or Maori indigenous buildings. The rise in biomimicry and biophilia used throughout designs today is a modern return to natures ways, both of which advocate wellbeing as one of their many benefits. Biomorphic patterns are known to reduce stress and induce creativity. Exampled in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Center, Melbourne. The architects wanted it to be instantly recognisable with “dynamic, fluid and organic” forms. (STH, 2017) The shapes and materials used throughout the design are, taken directly from nature to symbolise progress, “evoke optimism and inspire hope”. (Mcaughlan and Pert, 2017) When we reach a level of contentment and comfortability in ourselves identity naturally forms around that.
Our time is a globally mobile one, we are less and less anchored by location. Buildings need to provide people with a sense of community, whilst balancing the constant flux and influx of people. In a global world the challenge is to be local, to be in the place you are now, to re-find roots and anchor connections with a place and its people. As globalisation displaced nationalism there grew a uniformity, driven by the global markets, which disregarded local identities. However, internationalism has recently become a dominant trend. (Pearson 2005:121) Seen with the rise of cultural pride in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, as well as campaigns for recognition of ethnic and territorial rights of India cultures in North and South American, and Australasia, it is clear that local identity is re-emerging. The more communities and customs which exist in a process, the more culturally meaningful, sustainable and identity confirming the outcome is. “The quest for tradition and roots appears to anchor humanity within an ancestral continuum”. (Heathcote, 2020:36) Local identity has become about social inclusion, and valuing people, culture and place.
The International Federation of Interior Architects and Interior Designers, widely known as the IFI, define the profession as “A creative enterprise, interior design and interior architecture are a mode of cultural production.” (Alalp, 2013) We are in the position to be creating and developing new cultural influences. The western industrial society has generated an international design media, modern technologies and new materials to ‘advance’ them in building anonymous blocks; apartments, airports, factories. These buildings often tend to be ill-adapted to their local social and climate conditions. Contrasting, there are strong regional cultural traditions of indigenous building using vernacular knowledge, forms and materials that have been well adapted for thousands of years. By Westerners, the former is seen as ‘progress’ towards a more educated developed world, and the latter could be considered a regressive past associated with rural poverty. In a globalised world, designers should be working to resolve these polarities. Is it possible to work with a creative blend of modern technologies and traditional forms? “Tradition and modernity are merely two sides of the same coin” argues Former MIMAR editor Hasan-Uddin Khan, (2005:121) “It is my belief that architecture rooted in cultures and traditions must extend them to reflect contemporary concerns and expectations.” Perhaps then, instead of rooting ourselves back in time, we should be using Charles Correa’s philosophy of “transfer and transformation”. (2005:124) Correa has devoted much of his career to finding the solution to the enormous problem of urban and shanty town growth; which will only increase with climate change. Although deeply committed to the problems he draws most of his inspiration from traditional values and the India climate. In doing so he is reintegrating many older fundamental ideas into his modern designs, recognising issued of the day, whilst showing a deep respect for India’s culture and traditions.
Technologies have been developed in efforts to develop materials, particularly in the sustainable world. The speed and efficiency of technology could be used to build low cost housing quickly during natural disasters. When considering indigenous materials; bamboo, coconut and earth, it is not only important to know how they were used in the past, but how they can be improved and developed to meet contemporary needs. Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa has done much to transform the popular opinion of bamboo. Bamboo is a plentiful and obvious sustainable building material but was considered by most to be of ‘poor’ quality technically and socially. However, using modern research to improve durability and by incorporating it into aesthetically appealing designs. As an answer to the Pinatubo Volcano, Mañosa eveloped a low-cost bamboo housing. Working closely with a company called Intechdev, a new product ‘plyboo’ (plywood and bamboo) was developed as a major building component. (2005:128.) Over his career he has helped to reintroduce bamboo as an economical and sustainable resource, ideal for structure, finished and furniture. If the Western world is really striving for ‘progress’ then as designers we need to be questioning the ‘what ifs’ and ‘what nows’ in order to push the preconceived idea of progress. With the modern and globalised world, we question to notion of authentic architecture and design. The world needs to be reminded that we no one ‘owns’ design and it should constantly be evolving with us. I argue that authencity of a place isn’t just about the aesthetics and fixings, but it is why they are the way they are, determined by the historical roots of the present. In order to create comfort for humanity in an ever changing, globally mobile, environments ned to create a sense of identity to its user in order for spaces to be considered genuine.
Located at Swan Wharf, Hackney, London my design intends on creating individual and collective identity for its users. I would like to transform my site into a unique centre for community, education and culture. Swan Wharf is a turn of the century Victorian warehouse complex with some modernisation covering just under 29,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Using the metaphor of a palimpsest, there will still remain traces of the buildings previous usages, however these will be slightly ‘erased’ and drawn upon again using building techniques and materials rooted in the vernacular knowledge from the diverse range cultural backgrounds that make up the Hackney locals. The idea proposed is a community centre, the building will be made up of communal areas, educational spaces, an art gallery. Users are encouraged to communicate amongst each other, learn from people in similar situations, teach wisdoms and knowledge from their ‘lost’ culture, or express them in the gallery. Even if we don’t agree with it or had no say in it, we have no choice but to build upon the past. Contemporary processes such as globalisation and digitalisation will simply add more layers to the palimpsest which will enhance the overlapping links between past, present and future, which will hopefully unite the buildings users and indicate towards a global culture, and therefore global identity.
We are entering a new geographical era: the Anthropocene, in which human activity is a dominant influence on the earth’s geology and environment, indicating that we have the power to redesign our planet. With a general focus on wellbeing, self-identity and having an understanding of ancestral knowledge of the Earth we have the power to influence a global culture and personal identity, whist also mitigating the climate issue altogether.
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