Tuesday Friday Flickr Set: Improvised design from Greco2104.
Lately, we've been doing a lot thinking about what design means within the context of place. Both here and around the globe. And while our own, admittedly comfortable studio framework has been woven by the gentle ways of our clients, our families, and a bit of community work, one element is increasingly prevailing among nearly every being with whom we connect. That of fear. Governments create it and industry profits from our ability to embrace it. Once initiated, it seems, fear works its way into many a crevice, be it prodded along by concerns of financial instability, racial insecurity or cultural ignorance. Among communities and corporations alike, fear of what cannot be known remains a powerful motivator and yet, in turn, often results in extraordinary works. My post below addressed our local awareness for the concern of the future shape of our city. I believe it would be fair to say that under the auspices of examining the function of a modern urban center, our local planning movement is fueled, in part, by fear of overpopulation. The conservation movement addresses fear of the outcomes of overconsumption or misuse, in as much as necessary solutions such as alternative fuel technologies are spawned from similar concerns. It seems that beyond the boundaries of geography, politics, economics, or culture, fear begets improvisation which begets innovation. Okay, maybe that's a bit heavy for a Friday afternoon, so I'll get on with it.
During a recent blanket Web search for examples of the inventive works of Rural Studio, I stumbled upon an inspirational Flickr set from greco2104. This assembly offers found and captured sources of improvised design as collected and curated by George Agnew, a young and talented New York architect. Each study exhibits an intriguing solution to a challenging problem. From Rural's elegant reuse and rethinking of how shelter is defined, to I-Beam Design + Architecture's Pallet Housing project to Jan Kriekels' and Arne Quinze's Uchronian "Belgian Waffle," Agnew's set provides a point of departure for many who merely scratch the surface (or their heads) to consider ways to take the leap. We'd also recommend a visit to the Improvised Design Group Pool as well as Mr. Agnew's Web journal titled, most appropriately, The Fear of Architecture.