In his article “The Shape of Energy”, Sean Lally advocates for a new architecture that is based on “material energies”. We are constantly surrounded by different energies – thermodynamic, electromagnetic, acoustic, chemicals – and we take them for granted, but in reality the role which they play in our lives and in influencing our behaviours are just as, if not more important, than our concrete environment. Material energies create boundaries that are fluid and responsive, resulting in a vernacular that is intimately connected to both regional and climatic conditions.

So how would one apply these intangible energies? Unfortunately, while he brings up some very interesting points, Sean Lally has failed to address the practical application of his ideations. One cannot just take energy and build with it. Humans exist in the physical domain, and we do not have a physical grasp on energy. In order to use something as a building block, one must first gain an intimate understanding of the material at hand, and while we may have an intuitive sense of different energies since we are surrounded by and interact with them on a daily basis, we are a far cry from being able to control them, not to mention manipulate them for careful study and experimentation, and eventually incorporate them into our architectural realm.

What I find fascinating is the physical manifestation of energy. Every energy somehow influences the physical environment. Tree wells form because heat generated by trees melts the surrounding snow, and compass needles point north because of the Earth’s magnetic field. Paying attention to changes in the physical environment provides information about surrounding energies as well as changes in energy conditions. A person putting on a sweater might signify a drop in temperature, while the same person, now reading a book, moving from one room to another might suggest an increase in noise or a decrease in light in the former space. By observing such changes in our environment, one can gain much insight into the invisible forces that surround us.

Another compelling thought is that architecture based on material energies would be able to adapt almost instantaneously to changes in the environment or in social programming. Through a feedback relationship between material energies and existing climatic context, an active dialogue would emerge between a building’s environment and its building blocks, with architecture that can either “dissipate on command” or respond accordingly in its shape and configuration. Of course, such a fluid reality is still far away.

It is interesting to view Sou Fujimoto’s House N in light of material energies. The house itself is purist and minimalistic, and in the physical domain it might seem like a purely spatial exercise – that is, three shells nested one inside the other. However, it is not just the walls that create an increased sense of privacy and separation as one moves deeper into the house; the change in light, sound, view planes, temperature, bodily sense of enclosure, etc. all contribute to the gradient that exists through the spaces.

I am of the strong opinion that so long as we do not transgress the physical nature of our corporeal existence, neither will our architecture. However, this does not mean that we cannot study and become more in tune with the forces that we cannot readily control, because we can certainly shape existing energies with solid-state building materials. An example that comes to mind is Philippe Rahm’s Convective Apartments, in which the architecture is designed according to the principle of convection. In this case, it is the existing thermal landscape that has shaped the resulting configuration of the building’s solid elements. Even though the architecture remains static and potentially iconic in its form, this is the first step towards an architecture informed by energy. I would be interested in examining such basic physical and climatic principles in order to generate systematic, vernacular designs that directly reflect their environmental conditions.

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The Never Never land house, a party house conveniently located at an elevation in the lush vegetation of Ibiza. This construction represents certain desires and fettishes that only translate into reality through synthetic drugs and romantic prespetives. The catalyst for the design process is unclear and premature, trying to apply positional and metaphorical relations but failing in terms of completion when it comes to sound reasonings or patterns of nature. The architect claims that the structure is interactive with the surrounding nature, that the design conserves yet interacts. However, this conversation is yet to be audible.

Switching gears into more technical literature, the “Form & Function Follow Climate” text by Philippe Rahm, explains briefly yet explicitly the relations between climate and architecture throughout time and scientific progress. He believes that meeting the needs of today should not compromise the needs of the future. By reducing the consumpiton of non renewable energy through studying the basics of space, levels and relevant variations of temperatures, man can in fact use nature to his advantage without exploiting its resources. Giving examples of how humans through time have adapted and harvested different kinds of energies from different resources without the aid of technology. As the Afghans leveled their houses and moved through spaces according to time of day or climate. To constructing mashrabeyas in Islamic regions to ventelate and circulate air. Then to the French who used “vaults” or stables as living areas to benefit from their animals heat emission.

This line of research in the broad sense is interesting as it studies the simplest ways architecture and energy harvesting correlate in different angles. To take advantage of old methods renewed through research and technology and consequently shape the future in terms of energy consumption and architecture. “Form vs Function”, and in turn, vs “Nature and Energies ” might be the simple equation superficially, yet the succesful connection between all elements would be the in depth research.

In his writing form and function follow climate Philippe Rahm suggests a new architectural concept which differs from classical approaches such as form follows function or function follows form. Rahm claims that form has to be developed in response to climate conditions and that sustainability is due to be the guideline for architectural advancement.
Rahm investigates the relationship between human and nature. He advocates a transformation of conventional spatial organization into a free space which is not limited by specific functions.

In his work, Rahm identifies sustainable development to be the essential challenge of architecture in the 21st century. In his view we have to reconsider conventional habits and patterns to establish innovative and sustainable buildings. He considers advanced technologies as part of this changing process which will eventually affect the form and function of prospective architecture.
Rahm investigates the relationship between form and function by referring to Louis Sullivan’s statement of form follows function which simplifies architecture as a spatial expression of the functional program on the one hand and Louis Kahn’s contradicting concept of function follows form which defines the functional program as flexible in response to a system of hierarchies on the other hand.
However, Rahm proposes an alternative perception of spatial organization considering the climate as a leading factor for architectural design. He states that form and function have to follow climate. In Rahm’s point of view space has to be adaptable according to season and weather conditions as well as to human needs and desires. Rahm proves that our built surroundings can be reinterpreted and functionally changed as for example the campi in Venice which were originally meant to be catching systems for rainwater, but serve as social and cultural meeting points by now.
According to his work, Rahm considers the climate as crucial for any future architectural development.
Furthermore, he questions traditional spatial organizations and proposes a concept of interpretable architecture to liberate space from function and provide individually adaptable space instead.
In conclusion, Rahm suggests to emerge function and form spontaneously according to the climatic conditions and individual needs. Architecture has to be a response to changes of the physical and cultural environment.

The case study deals with a project called Never Never Land designed by Andrés Jaque Architects located in San José, Ibiza. About 80% of the building has been raised above ground in order to preserve the natural environment. The geometric configuration is intended to sustain most of the existing trees which indicates a positional relation.
The spatial organization of Never Never Land is very unusual. Exterior and interior spaces are strongly connected to establish an interaction between architecture and the surroundings. The rooms for intimacy and those for group actions are assembled to create an open living zone.
Reconsulting the writing of Philippe Rahm it is noticeable that some of his basic ideas about advanced architecture are matching the case study project. The Never Never Land project deals with sustainability and environmental responsibility as well as with unconventional spatial planning.
Nevertheless, the project of Andrés Jaques Architects relates to the natural surroundings only superficially which is why I would not consider it as advanced architecture.

The climate change and the greenhouse gas production are currently increasing the global warming more and more. Acting environmentally respectfully and taking concepts as Rahm’s form and function follow climate in consideration during the design process has become crucially relevant. In my opinion preserving our environment and investigating in our natural surroundings is an essential part of advanced architecture.
Architecture of cities and buildings has become an element of the “ecosystem nature”. In my point of view advanced architecture means respecting this system we live in and relating to it.
I consider it as an opportunity as well as a duty to preserve our natural environment and in the best case improve it.

personal research proposal:

Rhizome is a philosophical concept developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari as part of the Capitalism and Schizophrenia project. Rhizome is defined as a system of interaction based on the botanical rhizome. The Rhizome Theory provides a multiple, non-hierarchical classification system which follows no specific pattern or organizational regulations.
During my research I would like to investigate in the Rhizome Theory considering how it could be related to spatial and urban organization as well as to human society. In this context it will be challenging to discover how the Rhizome Theory can be related to the concept of Relational Logics.

photo credits: www.philipperahm.com

The construction industry leaves a significantly negative environmental footprint.  It is one of the main contributors of greenhouse gases production, which leads to a global environmental disaster.  How should we act to stop the ecosystem devastation before it will be too late?  What our priority should be nowadays during the design process? Phillip Rahm answers this question with two simple words:  sustainable development.

The idea of sustainability is to ensure that our present actions would not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.  Sustainable architecture must take into account future forecasts.  It should also take into consideration a limited capacity of the ecosystem and the necessity to maintain its functioning.  Nowadays, an architect has to adjust his role to space and energy use manager.  His goal is to reduce building’s non-renewable energy consumption.  His focus is not only on the esthetical aspects of the building, but also on its guts and skin.  In other words, his role is to optimize the functioning of the building as if it was a complex organism.

In the essay “Form and Function Follow Climate” Rahm presents designing priorities of the last century:  Sulivan’s dictum “form follows function” – a credo of functionalism and “function follows form”- a doctrine of Luis Kahn, who treated architecture as a system of hierarchies and relations.  Rahm opposes above statements to his designing philosophy in which form and function follow climate.  His objective is to literately built space from functional determinations, to leave it interpretable, to permit architecture to be driven by climate, leading it to discover innovative forms and functions.  The following quote is a thorough summary of his thesis:

“What we are working towards is a reversal of the traditional approach to the design in order to achieve a new spatial organization in which function and form can emerge spontaneously in response to climate”

Form and Function Follow Climate, Phillip Rahm

Case study house related to Rahm’s philosophy is called Never Never Land and was designed by Andres Jaque in 2007 on Ibiza.  It corresponds perfectly with the idea of interpretable space, liberated from functional determinations.  The main assumption of the project refers to sustainability philosophy.  Never Never Land maintains the continuity of the valley’s natural base, its arboreal mass and the cycles of matter in the soil. Designing process was started by making accurate path analysis which took into account all existing arboreal mass. The building is fitted into the free space between the greenery, raised on piles, which minimizes trees removal and disturbance to the ground.  In terms of relational logics that are given between advanced architecture and the environment, in this case we can explore the existence of positional relation.  The form put between the trees stays in strong relation with them e.g. in terms of shading.  In my opinion, there is also a disturb relation- Never Never Land shows how we can alter the relation with nature and its elements.

Is the Never Never Land a good example of advanced architecture?  In my opinion, it is not.  Architecture is always connected with other various fields.  The more connections it has, the more advance it is.  In Jaque’s design I cannot notice many other aspects than maintaining the continuity of the valley’s natural base.  Moreover, his assumption is realized without consistency.  The house is raised on piles to avoid disturbance on the ground and at the same time a huge concrete cube with tank is installed in the ground.  Other drawback is a lack of eco construction materials.  Sustainable house should not be made from tons of steel and glass.  I think that advanced architecture is about complexity which is perfectly described by the following quote from the Metapolis Dictionary of Advance Architecture: “The complexity of a real object is measured by the wealth and variety of the parts that make it up and by the wealth and variety of the different states it can take on”.

In light of the above conclusions, the area of my personal research which I would like to explore deeper is a relation between function, form and climate in housing.  This would help me to understand how these connections were established during the history, what events triggered those transformations, how these relations would look in the future and what would be their consequences.