Capita Selecta

CAPITA SELECTA Lectures in the Academie of Architecture

1. Michael R. van Gessel. Invisible work: realizing robust but sensitive transformations 2. Jurriaan Van Stigt (LEVS architecten)_ Stichting Dogon Onderwijs (SDO)_Mali 3. Haas&Hahn_Painting Urbanism 4. Matthijs Bouw. Manhattan Case Studies 5. Shonneta. Occupying the edge

Alejandro Quinto Ferrรกndez

Hogeschool van Amsterdam 2015

CAPITA SELECTA

05/02/15

1. Michael R. van Gessel. Invisible work: realizing robust but sensitive transformations a. Summary The landscape architect talked about his work in The Netherlands and abroad. He discusses various projects he works on has worked on. In his presentation he talked and showed imagery of his projects Twickel Estate, Artis Plaza, Hermitage or Canal House Herengracht.

If would to resume their work I would use words like space, light or atmosphere.

One of the main projects was about the Artis Plaza in Artis Zoo in the own Amsterdam, in the south-western corner of the Zoo the Artis Plaza, a new public space, was created. The former aviary with Dutch birds has been extensively enlarged and redesigned with a typical ‘polder’ meadow with a row of just as typical pruned willows. The necessary indoor area is designed as a contemporary version of a Dutch polder barn. Alongside the aviary is a 62 meter long and 2 meter wide water table made of granite. This is a delightfully and avery divers playful element for visitors and small children of the neighborhood.

The plaza itself is open and spacious to give room for a variety of activities under a canopy of

1. Michael R. van Gessel. Invisible work: realizing robust but sensitive transformations

enlivens this space. Festoon lighting reinforces the festive character of Artis Plaza.

Another of the best projects about he talked was about the gardens of Hermitage museum.

I liked the intervention at the courtyard entrance of the museum, how incorporate the illumination with elegance and of course the lane entrance, which the perforated metal gateway that allows a truncted view of the background.

Twickel Estate was also a project which talked about, there’s an amazing work because he manage to transform the landscape with the minimum intervention. The foundation called for a plan to preserve the park, not by restoring it to its original state, as parks change continually, but by renovating and transforming it. I liked minimum acts as ‘palladio bridge’ that he showed, it’s an elegant intervention which achieve an certain function. Other project with a minimum of intervention it’s Stronghold Grebbeberg, I loved the way to put it the stair with the idea that always has been there. It’s like help the nature and landspace to develop those things that they don’t make it without the human knowledge.

The last and fantastic project about he talked was about the Garden of the 21st century, in Polland, a project realise to a competition which he won. The project was about a part of Lazienki Park, one of the most important touristic destinations in Warsaw. The existing gardes in the park were all designed aroun a lot of historic buildings.

The underground exhibition pavilion seems to grow out of the undulating walkway that sorrounds the garden. Two entry points are carved out of the sidewalls anda nother one out of the landscape. Both, the garden and pavilion will provide new cultural life to the park with its many museums. The pavilion will host large temprary exhibitions, whereas the garden will play a role in local environmental education as well as be an example of 21st century landscape architecture. b. Position ‘With minimum effort for a maxium effect’, how take part, how to show a lot of fantastic and beautiful landscapes, gardens with the less assault to the nature. Creating new atmospheres with nature elements like light, shadows, trees, water, spaces... How can an landscape architect show and use the maximum nature things without the minimum intervention as possible?

“The simplicity make rich the spaces” c. Reflection Probably one of the most difficult things about landscape and for landscape architects it’s their work it’s a lot of times invisible. But, sometimes the work of landsacpe architects it’s to show the things that maybe was hidden.

Moreover, a landscape architect must known when act. I mean, in some cases the work it’s only to show, or replant, or sometimes not make nothing and know when all these things must be help by other architects components without attack in a big way the nature and the good things of these spaces.

So, I think that’s the most important question to landscape architects: when act? and how act without looking like you have done? how to show the magic of nature ingeniously?

CAPITA SELECTA

19/02/15

2. Jurriaan Van Stigt (LEVS architecten)_ Stichting Dogon Onderwijs (SDO)_Mali a. Summary It was an amazing lecture. First of all the architect leads us to a recondite place in Africa, the Dogon. It was very interesting due to he explained how lived and how live all that people. How transport their food, how the childs go to school, how they built and how now build, how across a huge cliff, how there are different types of villages depends on a lot of things... It was exciting how he explain that we need to smell that air, eat that food, live how they live to feel really their lifes...

Jurriaan Van Stigt with LEVS architecten talked about the architectural designs of their to the SDO foundation (Sthichting Dogon Onderwijs), which was originally founded by his parents, architect Joop van Stigt and his wife Gonny. Also was moving the way to relate all these experiences with their parents. Around 35 years ago they developed a passion for Mali, it’s culture and it’s people. When the demand for schools and water facilities kept increasing SDO was founded in 1995 to continue the work and since 2009 Jurriaan van Stigt has been chairman of the foundation. Moreover, he talked about how contribute with the dutch construction knowledge, with some references, to help the families and all the dogon people to live better.

Later, Jurriaan talked about a lot of projects related with the life of the Dogon people. Related with the nature, the culture and especially about the education. Almost all of them keep similar characteristics like proportion, aesthetics or materials. I mean, Juriaan found a good way to work, a good work for all the Dogon people and studied with their to give to their a dignified quality of education.

One of them it’s the primary school in Gangouroubouro, similar to the primary school in Tanouan Ibi and the practical training college in Sangha. We can say that the architecture of the scools reflects a connection between the local building traditions, culture and function.

The ensamble consists of a school, blocks with sanitary facilities and a communal outdoor space.

The structure of the first school building last mentioned consists of an anlarged front porch of more tha 3 meters parallel to the three classrooms. The walls are constructed with newly developed and locally produced hydraulic compressed earth blocks (HCEB) in alternating strips. They determine the rhythm of the facades and provide a cool inside climate. The porch, which is equipped with stone benches on boths ides, forms the large terrace of the school. In that way, quite similar are the other construction.

Moreover, was awesome the project in which they are involved now, the Practical Training College in Sangha. They defines it as a “Clustering the buildings, planting trees and creating water areas in an oasis of gardening and agriculture will create an inspiring and refreshing area of learning, teaching and research for new items like beekeeping and drying vegetables”. Be able to create that environment, that atmosphere seems to be unbelievable and I’m looking forward to see it finished and transforming lots of lifes. b. Position Architecture it’s most than building, it’s life, culture, education and I love the work of Jurriaan Van Stight. No just for architecture solutions, almost more due to the sensibility of his work. I believe that this kind of work it’s no so much spectacular or impressive, but it’s a work much more necessary and which solve the problems of thousands of people. c. Reflection The effort request to transforme that villages and the life of that amount of people who live in poor conditions, the sacrifice of all these families to survive it’s enormous.

I think one of the aim’s of the world should be equality. And Africa it’s so far from Europe or Nord-America. I mean, the poverty it’s one of the most problems of the world. The contrast between different kind of people of different couentries it’s too huge. So, I consider that this type of work must be more valued, must be a work in which work more architects. Because it’s a problem that there are not solve. Because there are thousand, millions of people who die every day due to the poor conditions. We should change our thoughts and develop a most sustaniable and social knoledwge about the conditions of these people and also about the condition of our planet. I appreaciate the work of Jurriaan Van Stigt a lot and one the things more remarkable to me it’s to carry that machine which produce hydraulic compressed earth blocks. I think things like that can change enormously the experience of architects and the experience between architects and Dogon people (and a lot of people from around the world who live in poor conditions) to give their a worthy life.

CAPITA SELECTA

05/03/15

3. Haas&Hahn_Painting Urbanism a. Summary ¿What’s is painting urbanism? They say that that ‘resides in the intersection between land art, supergraphics, graffiti and urban planning. It takes the built environment as a continuous territory beyond notions of public and private; it activates the urban fabric introducing new spaces of intensity and collectivity beyond spatial conditions and denounces the underutilization of residual spaces of design and action within the city.’ Really, all the work that they showed was amazing. The way to transform a neighborhood with just simply colour it’s an exciting idea.

They talked about projects like ‘Boy with kite’ in 2007, ‘Rio Cruzeiro’ in 2008 with the help of Tattoo Artist Rob Admiraal, ‘Praça Cantao’ in 2010 and also in 2011, the project ‘Philly Painting’, in Philadephia, the largest public park organization in the United States.

I like how a neighborhood can be transformed with so little. How the image of a children, probably representing freedom can change the mind of the people and transform all those streets in a better place to live. I love the fantastic work in Rio Cruizeiro, it’s really amazing the transforming of the space with that Chinesse technic. And about the Praça Cantao it’s unbelievable how with a little over a month, a group with 25 kids were trained in paint to help transform 34 houses on the bottom of the village. And after, the project was exhibited worldwide (China, New York...). b. Position They began something that unexpectedly had an impact on many levels. Starting as a simple painting project turned into a multi-faceted case, which open windows for sociologists, anthropologists, architects and other professionals.

And today the painters has been invited to speak at an international symposiums and schools worldwide giving lectures and workshops and universities conventions.

Sometimes unexpected things can change more than we think. Small things which in appearance are non importants can transforme lifes. The power of the colour would be a cover for these painters and their work, because the colour sometimes change the way to see the life, like the music, make you feel things. Unexpected but great things. So, I think the work about the painters are more than just paint, has an important backround behind. Has so much lifes behind, a lot of people who live sometimes in poverty and has to deal with problems every day. The environment, the sensations can be change the perception of our life and make easier the problems. And that’s why the work of the painters are more than painting. c. Reflection Can as simple splash of paint change a neighborhood? Can the beauty and pride in the community support to change their minds to work together? Can be that cooperation proved to be a great importance to education and health care?

The work of that people it’s so much than simply art. All these projects has a effects, a repercussions in other aspects of live. An environment black, or grey, dirty... it’s seems to be serious, or poor...

But all these spaces, these landscapes are amazing, when you look it you can feel happyness, you can smile and forget the problems. It’s a mystery that colours can be changed the mood of the people. But each colour can transmit a different feeling.

And of course, the cooperation between different people, between different families in a common project, together, help to make easier the problems, the poverty and the circumstances that those countries like Brazil.

So, in conclusion, the question is if that intervention, just painting can change all of that. From point of view, it’s possible. But isn’t magic. I mean, the environment help to the people to get ahead, but at the end it’s their efforts that makes real the change.

CAPITA SELECTA

19/03/15

4. Matthijs Bouw. Manhattan Case Studies a. Summary Architect Matthijs Bouw (One Architecture) studied architecture at the TU Delft. During his studies, he designed his first building, the Soest Day Care Center, with four friends. This building I read that was described as ‘one of the five most important Dutch buildings of the decade.’ During his time at the university, he also became an editor for ‘De Architect’ magazine and started teaching architecture theyroy at the Tilburg Academy.

Immeadiately after finishing his studies in 1995, he founded One Architecture. One Architecture designs buildings, infraestructures and urban environments. Currently, Bouw works on such diverse projects as the transformation of Amsterdam’s oldest building, the Oude Kerk (Old Church), into an art space, the Dutch government policy on Smart Cities, and the long-term development of Delhi (Delhi 2050). He is also, with BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), co-lead for The Big U, the winning proposal for Manhattan’s flood protection in Rebuild by Design which it’s the goal of that lecture, he interweaves this story with a narrative on the parallel transformations towards a more resilient office that his firm One Architecture is undergoing.

He talked mostly about how they develop their work, how it’s the organisation about that project.

The Big U/Dryline is a protective system that encircles Manhattan, responding to the needs and concerns of the island’s diverse communities. Big U/Dryline protects 10 continuous miles of low lying geography that comprise an incredibly dense, vibrant, and vulnerable urban area. The proposed system not only shields the city against floods and stormwater; it provides social and environmental benefits to the community, and fosters an improved public realm. Coordinated plans were created for three contiguous but separate regions of the waterfront dubbed “compartments”. Each compartment comprises a physically discrete flood-protection zone that can be isolated from flooding in adjacent zones. Each presents unique opportunities for integrated social and community planning. The compartments work in concert to protect and enhance the city, but each compartment’s proposal is designed to stand on its own. Proposed solutions for the components were designed in close consultation with the associated communities and many local, municipal, State and Federal stakeholders; each proposal has a benefit-cost ratio greater than one; and each is flexible, easily phased, and able to integrate with existing projects in progress. b. Position In the lecture he mentioned the Sandy storm and their huge impact on the infraestructure, communities in America. He talked about the difficults to the collective protection. In Netherlands the people pay taxes to allow government to protect storms, they built new channels for the river to protect the floods and in America people pay to rebuilt after storms. So, that project it’s necessary. I mean, it’s logic to protect before storms against rebuilt. Consequently the project show about how integrate that protection but also with an special aesthetic design. Mix programme plus infraestructure, resiliency infraestructure plus people.

The Big U it’s a necessary project. And they play with elementos to water protection, with different kind of shapes and programmes, that ‘compartments’. I think it’s amazing and greatly complex, you has to think about networks, transport, risks, people, views, aesthetic... But sure will transform the great Manhattan in a more safe city to continue being the magnificient city that is. c. Reflection Can we use design to integrate questions of water management or other kinds of similar issues?

Can we use design to bring people together and engage community?

Can we use design to communicate the collective benefits, to disaster recovery and protection?

That are the main questions that I ask myself about the design against floods, about how desing can be support to make better the cities, the life of the people... the security against floods, storms and whatever. It’s a very complex theme in which interfere a lot of issues but necessary and fantastic for the city of Manhattan.

CAPITA SELECTA

05/03/15

5. Shonneta. Occupying the edge a. Summary I was so excited about that lecture, because I was in Oslo two years ago and was amazing. I think it’s one of the best projects (if we talk about integration of architecture and landscape architecture) that I have seen. Actually, I hthink all of the projects by Shonneta has tat characteristics, there are integrated with their environment in a spectacular way. So, first, the cover about the lecture I think was right because it’s that edge between landscape and architecture, between nature and building which do Shonneta a great studio.

First about she talked was about the already metnioned ‘Norwegian National Opera’, a huge volume situated in front of the sea, being part of the image of Oslo. It was built in 2000-2008 and also an opera it’s a public plaza where the people meet, where are organised events and simply for walk around and enjoy the views.

Another significance issue was the ecological restauration of the water, which convert that before dirty space in a fantastic landscape, edge of architecture and nature. About the construction, I have to say that when I was there, I remember to see a lot of pictures about the foundation and that was really unvelievable! Moreover, the relation between interior, exterior... the combination of the sky, the sea, the white cladding of the building... and everything reflected in the big glass that cover the buidling.

Next project was the National September 11th memorial built on 2004 to 2014. First of all, I believe that project has a huge responsability due to his meainng and which represented.

Also she talked about the Tuerrfjellhytta, the norwegian wild reindeer pavilion built in 2009 to 2011, which it’s like a visitors center, a gathering space. To comment another works which she talked about I’ll say the Times Square reconstruction in New York in the cross of broadway and 7th avenue, which is not finished yet but they’ve made some testing to prove how is the behaviour about the people against the benchs; the new presidio Parklands in San Francisco (competition) or the New Central Library and public space in Calgary, which was amazing due to they’re going to build a library above a train line, it’s a great challenge. b. Position I love the work of Shonneta. I love how they work with the edge. How landsacpe architects and architects, together can propose great solutions. The terme of ‘edge’ it‘s difficult to deal with him, because I think never it’s concrete, it’s difuse, maybe each people feel that the edge it’s situated in a different place, the edge can change in different seasons, it change with the time. For that reason I think the work by Shonneta it’s difficult to develop, they have to be a great coordination between all the professional working on. And all of this convert in amazing the projects that they develop.

From the aesthetic point of view, the results about the studio are almost unquestionable, at least I think so. But, architecture are more than that, I would like to know deeply how are the functionality of these buildings. In case of for example the Tuerrfjellhytta it’s easy because it’s just a visitor center, but in a complex programme like the Norwegian National Opera or the Library space in Calgary in which the’re working now the project has to be more than aesthetic. When I was in Oslo visiting the National Opera everything seems to be coordinated and the building hadn’t none problems, at least in a first sight and I didn’t found negative comments about the project. c. Reflection “What happens at the edge? In the space between architecture and landscape. The line along which two are related and joined together.

Edge. It’s a boundary. You has an opportunity to look out, when we walk along.”

Everywhere there’re edges. The terme it’s necessary. But my reflection it’s... Who has to work in de edge? Architects? Landsacpe architects? Both? It’s a complicated question, but from my point of view I would say that two minds are always more than just one. The complexity of de edge will do great solutions if has a lot of professionals about different disciplines working on it.

CAPITA SELECTA Lectures in the Academie of Architecture

6. One Architect. Xaveer de Geyter

(not attending due to the international workshop that week)

7. One Theme: Elements. Stephan Petermann. OMA/AMO 8. Towards a topology of landscape. Christophe Girot. Department of Architecture ETH - ZĂźrich 9. One Material: Concrete. Adrian Forty

Alejandro Quinto FerrĂĄndez

Hogeschool van Amsterdam 2015

CAPITA SELECTA

07/05/15

7. One Theme: Elements. Stephan Petermann. OMA/AMO a. Summary

Everything is composed by elements. And elements make architecture. Petermian, who since 2006 works with OMA talked mainly about the Bienal of Venecia, which is made mostly to show whats is happening on the architectural world at that moment, called this time ‘Fundamentals’ talking about the elements of architecture, all those single elements which beyond to the art of building.

He talked about National Pavilions, each one present somehow the thinking of their country. Sometimes comparing the old architecture with ones that has being built for now.

Moreover all of these pavilions are concern about politics, cultures, what is directly relationed with architecture, more even nowadays. He showed some of them like Chile one, Japan and their special way to project, Korea, Russia and their comunism ideas, Canada, Belgium or Germany.

Moerever he talked about ‘Arsenalel’, a complex urban estate of high historical importance which is the largest pre-industrial production centre of the world.

About the ‘elements of architecture’ they designed ab ook with the elements. Every element had moreover their book in a big complete one. In that pavilion each room has their own element. So that’s go into historic use, historical design, kinds of, regulations in different countries and times, ways to use and even more of every single element of architecture. For instance he bvegan talking about the windows, a collection of windows (Charles Brooking).

Therefore he showed as well a contemprary windows and also something about the factory, how is manufactured, etc. Also he talked about the ‘floor’, the ceiling, the balcony, higlighting the interesting issue about outside - inside and the connection with the city, political balconies, how they had had a big repercussion historically, even talkeda bout complex mechanism to design new kinds of balcony and news ways to use it. The roof, again kinds of roof historically and culturally. He showed chinesse roofs. Even there was a section talking about the ‘toilet’, the history of the water or even crazy apps which analyse your rests. Elevators, the box that goes up and down going now in a horizontally way. Fireplace, as an abstract element, since the fire to the microwave, how produce hot water and the changes that these provide to the life of the people in the past. Stairs, walls, ramps in an endless list of elements composing architecture. b. Position

Then, I believe thinking elements of architecture instead architecture as elements together can give us an interesting point of view, because at this way we can focus in the detail, design carefully things that normally we don’t. Or even noticed about how much improtant are all these elements which belong our houses and our lifes and provide us facilites to live every single day.

So, like a study of it I think they are very interesting and there are a lot of awareness in the past so it’s a way to study and rehinking the way to use it and consequently to do architecture. c. Reflection

Lately and each time more architecture is not just about architects, there are a lot of professionals involved and the elements of architecture a prove of htat, every single piece is designed, manufactured and used. So eleements of architecture give us a new vision of architecture field. Look your environment and think about how that environment would have been in the past. Increasingly we have more devices, technologies in our sorrounding. And obviously all of these elements of architecture that has been always there (windows, stairs, ceilings, floors, walls...). But what I mean is that all these knowledge together, endless elements designed in a milimetric way is such a complex that we’ve to know about that complexity and architects increasingly have to be helped by some other people, working together to make the puzzle of the elements work in a best way possible for the life.

CAPITA SELECTA

21/05/15

8. Towards a topology of landscape- Christophe Girot.

Department of Architecture ETH - Zürich a. Summary

Tectonics. Thinking landscape as a body. Topology as abstract term designating a continuity of surface. Topology, to Christophe is not just about descriptive geometry and does not only deal with technical questions about continuous surfaces in mathematics, it also pays greater attention to the deeper poetic and philosophical meaning of a landscape, and help us grasp as much about its making as about the perception of intrinsic beauty. And to deal with that, poweful software, amazing the tools, the technology that they use for study and analyse a landscape. Scanning with drones the results are incredible, grpahically and in a level of technic because of the dates even can be managable after that to use it to a posterior project for instance. So, we have a new technology, maybe revolucionary, which can transform the way to analyse, design and project landscape in a field of architecture and more when we talk about landscape architcture. Moreover, is not just about landscape architecture, is also about landscape infrastructure, technology.

To say some about interesting project he talked about, I can say ‘the Gothard project Göschonen, or the ’Alptransit project’, which is currently in construction phase. 3.7 millions cubic meters of inert stone material coming from the Alp Transit high speed railway tunnel will be amassed on the Sigirino-Depot site; the Zimmerman Private Garden in Brissago (Canton Ticino), or experiments like the ShiHudo Experiment in Kyoto or the lake landscape acoustic experiment in Zürich, aim of both to understand the importance of acoustic phenomena in landscape architecture, and their meaning in the context of different cultures. To end he talked about the workshop in Yakarta, in which students from the ETH travelled to Jakarta to tacke a large scale urban and hydrological challenge. The Landscape Architecture Studio of Christophe Girot proposed to investigate the future architecture and landscape adaptations in the area of Kampung Melayu on the Ciliwung river, at the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia. The design studio addressed the contemporary challenge of architectural design and landscape architecture in a flood prone area of Jakarta. He talked about the improvement in the water quality and biodiversity of the river, a really challenge for him and all the students who participated in. b. Position

The point of all of these projects and experiments and I think the most interesting issue to discuss and think about is the possibility of a new way to understand the landscape, maybe even a new field of study in landscape architecture can be emerging. A new measure of quality in landscape, with new tools of 3D - observation, representation, and modeling its possible and I think is really interesting when an architect can work with all of these elements. I mean, is not just about architecture landscape, there’re a lot of issues involved: infrastructure, engineering, technology, even sound of smell but also concern about architectural topics like the aesthetics, poetics, ways to live, feelings, etc. That’s why I think is a really interesting emergin field that can develop in amazing projects mixing specialities making complex projects. c. Reflection

If that new kind of architecture infraestructure landscape in which so much people are involved in I ask myself how would be the organisation of the studios to deal with? What paper plays the architect in that work? what others professionals have to help architects?

And, with drones and all of these sofisticated stuff, with drones ‘drawing’ in that amazing way, where is the papel of the architect? Obviously the work of the architects is transforming now, but in which way? Can dissappear? Or maybe can divide it in more specialized themes? architecture work is developing increasingly faster and we have to be with our eyes opened to realise about complexity of that.

CAPITA SELECTA

04/06/15

9. One material: concrete. Adrian Forty a. Summary

Concrete gave a lot to talk. We can begin like that. Adrian forty is a proferssor of architectural history at the Bartlett and authour of “Concrete and Culture: A Material History”, which questions the long-standing assumpations about the medium and argues that concrete is as much un-modern as it is modern. The book traces concrete’s relationsihps to modern culture since its reinvention in the later nineteenth century, and looks at how it has changed our understanding of nature, of time, and of materiality. It also discusses how architects have acted as the interpreters of concrete, while also looking the roles it has played in politics, cinema, religion and labour-relations, as well as in present day arguments about sustainability.

In fact, every history of twentieth century architecture states that without concrete, modern architecture would not have happened. So why were architects throughout the twentieth centry so determined to promote the modernity of concrete? And what have the consequences of this fixation been - for architecture, and for concrete?

Adrian told us that architecture is important, but architecture is on a society, in a city.

And concrete is more than a material. The concrete is social, is telling you things, for instance while it has transformed the lives of many people, in Western countries it has been widely vilified, blamed for making everywhere look the same, and for erasing nature.

But then is concrete old or new? What represent? Sometimes we can think represent magnanimous, progress, future... But also maybe can represent a stop in a process, an unfinished or incomplete project.

Fifty years ago it was iconic but then later in the north of Europe was becoming no used.

People didn’t want to use it. Nowadays the new ones contiuning and, what is the meaning of the concrete in a culture right now?

Can mean heroic, precise or inexact, is able to be an exterior and interior material, and even can be natural, sustainable in someway.

Concrete can be quite precis and technical and it’s effective in the minimum use of.

He showed some examples about all of this cultural projects which concrete take part and in which concrete can talk in differents ‘languages’. MASP in Sao Paulo, where concrete challenge the gravity; SALK institute in La Jolla (California), representing a massive in an exterior view; Silver Towers in New York ; Crematorium in Turku (Finland); South bark center in London, where everything, each part, is becoming be one or the crazy habitat 67, the community and housing complex in Montreal (Canada).

These are just a few of examples that prove that concrete is in everywhere, in all kind of projects and can become whatever, can be rude but smart; can be strong and clean, social and residential, politician, can be expensive and cheaper at the same time... b. Position

Undoudtedly, concrete is one the most important elements of last century. Nobody refuse that. An universal material, which can represent differents ideologies, different ideas in each country. It’s like an architecture language that talks about the country and their models and I think is a beatiful work to make a biographic for now to tell us so much important element was for the past, is in the present and will be in the future. It will be? c. Reflection

Almost three tons of concrete are produced every year for each man, woman and child on the planet. It’s now second only to water in terms of human consumption. Yet how has the astonishing take-up of this new medium within little over a century been accommodated into our mental universe? Will be in a future an different element/material comparable in terms of significance in the planet like concrete? How would be the life without the use of the concrete?

How would change the mind of architects and engineers? And although we have primary responsibility for ‘interpreting’ concrete, we’re not the only people to employ the medium, so how would change so many occupations - politicians, artists, writers, filmmakers, churchmens for their purposes without the use of concrete? All in all, how would be the life?