Design 21: Social Design Network

Manhattan Loft

Article on Chennai (India) published in Times of India.

Informal Cities

de.Sign is looking for architects and urban designers for its Mumbai Office. Jr Architects/ Architects/Sr Architects, 2-6 years exp. Junior Architects : Preparation of architectural & working drawings using latest version of CAD/Microstation/Revit. Architects: Excellent in preparation & checking of drawings. Knowledge of Microstation and Revit is optional. Write or send resume/portfolio PDFs to: de.Sign@deDotSign.com

LINK

India's Messy Urbanism

Like other megacities, the large cities of India are grappling with the conflicting logic of globalization and localization. As new networks of global trade and finance create new opportunities, developer-friendly architecture and planning are appropriating contemporary discourses, and producing urban forms hitherto unknown. Globalization and its influence are thus transforming the city as physical, social, and cultural boundaries are being renegotiated.
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Published in Architect's Newspaper, June 2009

Like other megacities, the large cities of India are grappling with the conflicting logic of globalization and localization. As new networks of global trade and finance create new opportunities, developer-friendly architecture and planning are appropriating contemporary discourses, and producing urban forms hitherto unknown. Globalization and its influence are thus transforming the city as physical, social, and cultural boundaries are being renegotiated.
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Spatial mapping is about interpreting data, spatially - not just documenting what we already know but to infer useful information and deduce insights. Disappointing 'much ado about nothing' is how I would describe this euphorically broadcast event by NY Times in today's issue. The project seems to be less about mapping the buzz but rather creating a buzz around mapping nothing.... unfortunately. Instead of mapping the ecology of real culture in terms of production and consumption and show how it may define, show or map culture and cultural space in the cities - the project draws swift and limited conclusions based on a very limited premise of how media views and covers the so-called high-end "cultural events". It also fails to take into account the advent of the internet and how the social ecologies of space have been transforming and generating other forms of cultural topographies hitherto unknown. Sometime this week, Facebook expects to register its 200 millionth user (Facebook amasses 200 million strong population worldwide - that would make it the 5th largest country in the world!).

Under the context of globalization and global connectivity, the question about 'culture' hangs in balance, simultaneously challenging the primary role of history, theory and philosophy. Driven by the proliferation of information and communication technologies, our spatial and visual culture is also changing. In my view, this visualization/mapping project fails to examine and explore...

photo.Graphics

Project photo.Graphics is about photography and design. The blog would continue to publish works that explore potential thematic/conceptual overlaps, blurring the boundaries as a dialogue between design, architecture and photography - flattening the syntax to define a visual language. Seeing is reading....

LINK: photo.Graphics

After the Fall

No Downtime (or downturn) for Design

The current economic crisis, combined with environmental issues poses threats as well as challenges for designers. . Tied to the question is is the issue of consumption. Faced with new realities and knowledge of the consequences of ignorance call for us to redefine or reinstate the role of design. Design as a response to necessity vs luxury, or both, prompts us to look at use-patterns in a much wider context than what the 20th century consumerism did. There is a paradigm shift..... We as a consumer society have understood how to share our resources and exploit them selfishly. Time has come to also share our risks; design must play a significant and responsible role for the collective good.

On the other hand, recession should not mean regression.... progressive ideas come from the need to be frugal and inventive at the same time; to do more with less, is the challenge 21st century designers must embrace.

cc: CarbonCities

ID: After the Fall

Pratt Institute Faculty and Students Plan Net-Zero Carbon District in Brooklyn

At Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Planning and Urban Design, Professors Viren Brahmbhatt and Meta Brunzema are co-teaching this semester an interdisciplinary graduate Urban Design Studio, a course that proposes to explore design and planning strategies for net-zero carbon development. On December 15, 2008, the students presented their work and research to a wide-ranging jury comprised of professionals, academics and city officials as well as community representatives; Daniela Morell of Metropolis was in attendance. Below is the link to the review of this project on Metropolis Blog.

Link: Central Brooklyn Design Review