Post Peak-Oil
Oil Production
Oil Price
World Urban Population
Influence “The Death of Grass� is a piece of dystopian fiction following one man in his journey through a collapsing society. The premise is that all species of grass are being killed off by a disease epidemic, meaning that crops such as wheat, barley, rice and corn cannot be grown. At first this is hidden by governments but, as food shortages become more common, a plan is developed to reduce population levels by bombing domestic cities, with the government killing its own people. When word of this plan leaks, there is an expected level of backlash. What this novel illustrates so well though, is the degree to which things break down. That something as small as a crop disease leads to anarchy, murder and vigilantism highlights the fragility of society. If lack of grain crops is able to tip the balance in such a way, then so could lack of oil.
The breakdown of infrastructure removes the medium through which authority holds control over the people. All access to support and services fails. This fractures the population, formerly a homogenised community, into several heterarchical groups; each one having their own agenda and independence of action.
Reversing Urbanism
Three models illustrating the fracturing of communities within Nottingham, and the migration of groups to rural areas in search of a safer, self-sufficient, agrarian lifestyle. The set shows the reversal of urbanisation, as urbanism ceases to be viable without infrastructure.
People of Crisis
Salvaged Materials
Within this scenario, materials cannot just be bought or ordered, they have to be scavenged. Designing around standard sized components means that suitable materials will be easier to find. Around the site there is a mix of residential and commercial areas providing a variety of materials. Nottingham train station is less than a mile from the site and would be a good source of steel.
Changing Urban Morphology
Cities develop one building at a time, usually with a flat site for each building. If a building becomes obsolete, it is razed to the ground and a new structure is built up in its place. We are stuck in a cycle of taking flat land and performing vertical adjustments upon it. However, if an entire city becomes obsolete due to a massive change in the needs of society, then buildings cease to be buildings, they have no meaning or purpose. In this case we are presented with an artificial landscape which requires a new form of adaptation. Rather than beginning with flat land and building upwards, we begin with an orthogonal landscape and construct diagonally; exploiting the possibility of the oblique function.
Defensive Typologies
In this new, anarchic society, the defence of your community is paramount. Easily defendable locations will be sought after and then fortified. Developed in the 16th Century, bastions are a defensive typology that provide clear lines of sight all round the fortification. Attempts to eliminate blind spots resulted in complex star forts.
Those that remain within the city will seek out defensive locations to protect themselves from the dangerous conditions surrounding them. Historic and significant buildings are prime choices due to their scale; providing fortification and symbols of resilience.