Evanescing Ecologies

The Architectures of Nature

film depicting the impacts of architecture on nature. By reviewing five cities in four different countries, we were able to collect a range of footage, which all illustrated different styles of ecological urbanism and how nature is handled and ignored within large urban areas.

The text, “Why Ecological Urbanism? Why Now?” aims to discuss the ways architecture has influenced ecology and nature both positively and negatively as well as explaining different cultural styles and how they impact the way a city is built. The author, Mohsen Mostafavi, also explains the relationship between the built and natural environment, which we were able to portray in our film through footage of unpleasant areas allowing us to see issues in our own natural environment. The contrast between the untouched natural areas, and the crowded, unpleasant cities created an eye-opening revelation of what we, as future architects, need to strive for our growing cities.

Extractions from the reading:

“The city, for all its importance, can no longer be thought of only as a physical artifact, both visible and invisible, that exist among the various domains of a larger terrain of urban as well as rural ecologies”

“Given the limitations of space, perhaps it is not unreasonable that we do the same today, not just with the bodies but also with the waste of our own consumption”

“The question is: Could such efforts be transformed by the approach of ecological urbanism? Couldn’t the everyday elements, needs, and functions of the city be creatively imagined in new and unconventional ways that not simply subjugated to the imperative of the ecological?”

locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Dammam, Saudi Arabia Manchester, United Kingdom Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Lebanon Dubai, United Arab Emirates