29.1.10

appropriating the urban via the natural; or visa versa: part 1

"What is most striking in conceptions of nature, even mythological ones, is the yearning for purpose and order; perhaps these notions of order are, basically, analogies derived from orderliness and purposiveness in many outward manifestations of human activity: order and purpose in the roads, in the grid of the village streets and even winding lanes, in garden or a pasture, in the plan of a dwelling and its relation to another."


To appropriate something is to make it ones own. The urban environment — space accommodating a density of human activity — has been appropriated in many ways. It has been planned, documented, represented, inhabited, left vacant, and destroyed, all depending on what that city is thought could, should, or seems to be.

For this series, a discussion on the topic will be maintained by looking at certain canonical texts:

Collin Rowe and Fred Koetter, Collage City
Aldo Rossi, The Architecture of the City
Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau, S,M,L,XL
While there are many other texts that could be analyzed, I see the distinctness of these three revealing a range of understanding through comparison.

As a means of maintaining clarity and direction, each text will be treated as an appropriated city itself - it setting the limits for the discussion. As indicated by the opening quote, specific interest will be paid to how ‘nature’ is understood in each text, with ‘nature’ being treated as highly a subjective concept. I find this significant to keep in mind when looking at texts such as these; the core arguments are based on differing understandings of how the world 'naturally' works, ideas of human 'nature', 'nature' of time and space, 'natural' progression, 'natural' reactions, and countless other assumptions used as tools to assert a certain 'truth'.

Our yearning for purpose and truth creates an ordering of 'nature', an ordering of the 'city', and an ordering of the 'text' - a constant effort to make all things belong and relate to us - to appropriate.

11.1.10

the universe wants me in berlin

I want to move to Berlin for a few reasons: my lovely new German friend speaks very highly of it - I want to learn German proficiently so I can translate Richard Neutra's 1927 book, "Wie Baut Amerika?" - Kate Baily has always wanted to move there, and since I am hopelessly in love with her, we made a pact to move there as soon as possible - I recently got in trouble for having an inappropriate conversation with someone who is moving there, and me going would cause scandalous speculative gossip... seems to me like the universe is telling me I HAVE to go!

neutra's kaufman house

10.1.10

29 in 2010

I turn 29 on Wednesday.
I am feeling pretty good about it, and wanted to put a little time into thinking about what I have done over the past 29 years, and what I want to do in the future... I heard somewhere you are supposed to do that.

Past:
- Underwent a lot of schooling: Elementary, Middle, High, Undergraduate, Graduate... glad that's over.
- Traveled a fair amount: Europe, Indonesia, all over the US.
- Learned a few things: My family will always be there for me, it is much better to give to givers... they never leave you feeling empty and used, it makes me really happy to make things [buildings, jewelry, blog postings... whatever], it also makes me really happy to make things with others and learn what others are making, and, I am slightly ridiculous... but learning to embrace it.

Future:
- Live in NYC, London, and/or Berlin... preferably with Free Time Industries and ARM ARCH Inc.
- Travel to and through South America.
- Write a few books and become a professor - i.e. put more focus into my academic pursuits.
- Become a licensed architect by 2011/30.