Evolution or revolution?

This lecture looked at 'What If.....' scenarios. A few examples of fictional examples of future scnearios were shown. Robots of Brixton by Kibwe Tavares was a student project which won the Presidents Medal Student Award. This movie is a social comment on how technology may eventually destroy human beings.

 

When listening to an online lecture the other day, I heard an interesting phrase: 'Evolution, not revolution'. Revolution in this case, was related to Le Corbusier's 'Plan Voisin' which proposed a new administrative city masterplan in Paris. Le Corbusier proposed to replace part of the organic city layout with a new organised city grid which contained highrise buildings which contrasts with the scale of the surrounding region. The design was based around the introduction of new technologies in the 20th centurty, the car and film. Le Corbusier looked at the past patterns of humans and proposed to solve issues such as traffic congestion, providing a working district and 'improving the image of the city. This bold concept obviously never came to fruition, however, it poses an interesting question of whether the ideas generated in the design would 'solve' human issues.

Evolution is life adapting to the surrounding organisms and climate which confronts us. Evolution has presented the architecture of the past, and provides the foundations for the future.

Both these terms can arguably be considered positive for the future. In one case, revolution attempts to take past and current issues to provide a better future. On the other hand, evolution suggests we adapt and evolve to the surroundings. I think it is a mixture of the two. As mentioned in my previous blog, good design is considered and sustainable. Rather than tear up the historic city of Paris to replace with a 'new and shiny' city, relocate to an under-developed region. Perhaps also looking at the ways we live, and attempt to adjust day to day activities we take for granted. Humans for the past thousands of years managed without technology. Before we run ourselfs into the ground, serious thought has to be given to the development of technology and industrialisation of the world. The past has been built by  relatively technology free world - whether it will last is the question.....

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