Z O O P R A X I S Non-human oriented methodology within architectural practice.
Malgorzata Nicoll Szarnecka 150079239 ARC8060 Stage 6 Thesis submission 2020/2021
Part 1 Project overview: redefining architectural practice methods through attentiveness to the non-human, structured around chapters of proposed office manual. Pages: [ 4-69 ]
Part 2 References and extended research supporting main project overview, structured around six chapters.
Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Chapter 5: Chapter 6:
[ [ [ [ [ [
page 74 ] page 82 ] page 92 ] page 110 ] page 126 ] page 144 ]
[ PART 1 ] [ THESIS ABSTRACT ] This project focuses on the concept of non-human within the context of architectural practice and profession. It aims to ask questions about current methods of work within the industry and outline a scope for redefining the processes to create a notion of care towards the nonhuman. The project is analysing current design methods in context of the ongoing climate emergency and epoch of the anthropocene. It aims to highlight the anthropocentric approach to architecture, which is currently dominating the industry and proposes a series of interventions that could redefine methods embedded within architectural practice. Exploring the relationship and social role of non-humans within cities is followed by close examination of their experience within the urban environment. The study of the experience of the other is illustrated by focusing on one particular species: feral pigeons. Identifying impacts of physical elements of cities onto the wellbeing of the other, allows the drawing of connections between anthropocentric design choices and their impact onto the urban non-humans. The thesis document is structured around a concept of an alternative architectural practice, focusing on a methodology of attentiveness towards the other. It follows a structure of a speculative office manual, outlining proposed methods of working, within the context of current workflows, technology and software. The office manual aims to re-frame current design methodology and propose a series of adaptations which would encourage designers to position their practice within the framework of environmental awareness.
[5]
mission /ˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ : a strongly felt aim, ambition, or calling.
The office manual aims to introduce the mission and stance of the practice as well as outline ways in which current working methods can be re-defined to create systems which encourage attentiveness towards the non-human. SEE PAGE: 166-167 [6]
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Vibrant matter
The relationship between human and non-human is often defined by an anthropocentric approach, a notion of privilege of human existence. The equality between human and the other, creates a base for a development of an alternative perspective on the role of the architect in the wider context of the interrelated mesh of animate and inanimate elements of the world. We see objects as individual, independent entities, not defined by our human cognition. We reject the Cartesian dualism, that differentiate between human beings (res cognitas) and non-human entities (res extensa). We believe that the attentiveness to nonhuman can paradoxically have a crucial impact on the humans and understanding of our impact onto the reality around us. Jane Bennett suggested, that there is a level of ‘thing-ness’ to humans, and we do not contain distinct substances that differentiate us from our surroundings, quite the opposite, we share the same elan vital as other organisms. The awareness of our interconnection with nature raises questions about our approach to designing the reality around us. It redefines the importance of civil responsibility of an architect.
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VIBRANT MATTER
ETHOS
The practice is shaped around themes of non-human and vibrant matter, with focus on impacts of human design choices onto the wellbeing of the other. The practice aims to raise awareness of climate emergency and work towards design methods rejecting the anthropocentric approach to architectural practice. Jane Bennett introduces the concept of vibrant matter, as a thing-power and argues the public value in studying the agency of the non-human. She suggests that there is a level of thing-ness to humans and that understanding the matter will paradoxically help us understand ourselves. SEE PAGE: 76-77 [8]
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STANCE: ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS At the core of the practice is the concept of lack of ontological difference between humans and non-humans. Anthropocentric hierarchy and Cartesian dualism is rejected in favour of care and tending towards the needs of both human and non-human on equal levels. The question of impact of our actions is prominent in writing of Tim Morton, who talks about a concept of a mesh; a large set of relations connecting each living and inanimate object on Earth. Morton suggests that by trying to understand and de-tangle the mesh, humans can understand the impact of their actions on other beings and position themselves within the natural environment rather than outside of it, encouraging development of environmental awareness. SEE PAGE: 78-81
RES EXTENSA
RES COGNITAS
REALM OF ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSIBILITY
We believe in flat ontological hierarchy. We reject the notion of ontological difference between human and non-human. We care and tend to the human and non-human. Our responsibility to either is equal. Our designs are driven by the pursue of flattening the existing hierarchical differences.
Fig. Rejection of Cartesian dualism
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practice /ˈpraktɪs/ : the customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing of something. [ 12 ]
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NON-HUMANS AMONGST US The practice is especially interested in exploring the impacts of the current anthropocentric architectural approach on non-humans, which adapted to living within the urban areas. Due to rapidly rising level of urbanisation in majority of world’s regions, the issue of increasing habitat destruction and migration of wildlife to urban areas is more prominent than ever.
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FERAL PIGEONS AS URBAN DWELLERS Feral pigeons adapted to living amongst humans and developed a series of behaviours shaped by urban conditions. They often occupy plazas and squares due to abundance of food and historical architecture. Highly ornamental, institutional buildings provide the bird with nesting grounds as they resemble natural habitat of cliffs and rocks. Additionally, historically used lime mortar provides pigeon with source of calcium, crucial for their diet. SEE PAGE: 110-121
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100m_1min at 6km/h
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FERAL PIGEON AND ITS SOCIAL ROLE To contextualise the research of impacts of urbanisation onto nonhumans, the social relationship between wildlife and human urban dwellers had to be taken into account. The relationship with feral pigeons is an interesting example due to its polarizing nature. Pigeons evoke strong emotions from urban dwellers, from love to hate; they are either under constant attack from local authorities or under heartfelt care of locals. SEE PAGE: 84-89 SUNBATHING
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FEEDING
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SOCIALISING
0k
m/
h
CONTEXTUALIZING PRACTICE To contextualise needs and requirements of the other within the urban environment, it is important to understand the experience of the non-human within a city. Pigeons adaptation to living within the urban, prompted a study of materiality of Newcastle city centre with focus on scale of a pigeon.
Main tasks
We work towards the following objectives: •
Comprehensive study of urban nonhuman inhabitants
•
Understanding non-human behaviours and requirements
•
Comprehensive study feeding grounds etc.
•
Mapping impacts of current architectural choices and processes
•
Comprehensive environmental studies of prospective sites
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Changing workflows within the industry with focus on introducing comprehensive set of guidelines towards more caring design
•
Redefining the way we specify materials
•
Creating and constantly expanding a library of non-human oriented architectural materials/components
•
Testing materials and construction solutions to encourage their use within the industry
of
needs, habitats,
NON-HUMAN SCALE OF ARCHITECTURE The study focused on identifying key materials with which pigeons interact within the area of Eldon Square Shopping Centre. The materials are represented on a scale of pigeon-object interaction rather than humanobject relation, shifting the focus towards the experience of the other. SEE PAGE: 128-133
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You know… back in my day we were celebrated, cherished, named as war heroes. We were the key to communication, assisted in medical emergencies, not to mention the racing guys, they were real superstars!
Next time I will just go on my own and not waste time waiting for her.
I am so, so sorry! You know my time management, I just once again left everything too late and had to run so many errands before I could get a break for lunch!
You remember my words, give it another few years and they will treat us worse than rats!
Our position in the society was drastically changing and soon there might be no space for us left in the cities.
I will worry about it later, now it’s time for breakfast Oh! I cannot believe it! Look Lily, we are going to have a feast!
Just like the good, old days…
NON-HUMAN STRUGGLES
Additionally, a study of ‘personal experiences’ of feral pigeons, portraying everyday struggles faced within the city, further explored their experience. Key issues such as access to food or nesting spaces has been addressed through illustrated short stories. SEE PAGE: 104-109 [ 20 ]
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NON-HUMAN AGENCY IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE The study of feral pigeons experience of the urban became a base for exploring how current architectural methods of working could be adapted to respond to the needs and requirements of the non-humans inhabiting the cities. Development of attentiveness towards non-human could lead to increase in the agency of the other. SEE PAGE: 92-103
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METRIC MEASURE Changing the perception about non-humans is a first step of developing better understanding of their experience. Understanding their behaviours, needs and requirements can help in re-defining design methodology. From a first day within an architectural school students are encouraged to study the proportions of human body, developing understanding of measurements of spaces through prism of human size. The anthropocentric approach is embedded in architectural industry, with majority of databases, standards and measurement principles based around human body and human perception. Encouraging the study of the other, through analysing the proportions of bodies, behaviours, thermal comfort requirements etc. could oppose a human-centred approach. Developing set of guidelines based on detailed studies of physical requirements of non-humans, such as birds, insects or rodents can redefine the human based standards currently used within the industry.
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NOTES: 1. Metric measurement scales 2. Wall opening allowing non-humans access to the outside 3. Observation study spaces 4. Nesting platforms 5. Weight scale 6. Circadian optics lumine lights 7. Hand operated pulley for wall flaps 8. Small natural habitat for observational studies 9. Nets minimising risk of collision between birds and ceiling 10. Observation equipment, eg. cameras, noise recorders
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NEST STRUCTURE
UNDERSTANDING THE ARCHITECTURE OF ANIMAL BUILDERS
A FLAT, LEVEL SURFACE OF A BUILDING RIDGE OR A ROOFTOP PROVIDES THE SITE FOR THE PLATFORM NEST
TWIGS ARE MOSTLY BROUGHT TO THE SITE BY THE MALE, WHO CAREFULLY INSPECTS AND CHOOSES TWIGS. THE FEMALE LAYS THE TWIGS ONE ON THE OTHER, AS SHE TURNS AROUND.
PILED LATTICE OF UP TO 200 TWIGS AND STEMS
EXCREMENT
The nest is bound with natural material over the course of usage.
LINING OF THE NEST IS CONSTRUCTED BY COMBINING THINNER TWIGS WITH THE MAIN STRUCTURAL LATTICE
OVERALL WIDTH: UP TO 36CM Radius: 15cm Depth: 5-8cm Main material: needles, twigs, grasses, leaves and natural binding materials
LATTICE
10cm
15cm
Needles, grasses and straw is incorporated into structural lattice of the nest.
5cm
[PRIMARY STRUCTURE]
DEPTH UP TO 17 CM
Thicker twigs, ranging in size from 5 to 15 cm in length, creating a structurally stable base lattice platform.
[SECONDARY STRUCTURE] Smaller, flexible twigs as well as grass, straw and peduncles, infilling the main lattice structure and providing insulation and stability. peduncle grass clump
DIFFERENT MATERIALS SUCH AS LEAVES AND FEATHERS ARE USED AS PART OF THE NEST CONSTRUCTION. IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT MATERIALS SUCH AS PLASTIC, INSULATION, CARDBOARD AND CLOTHES ARE INCORPORATED INTO NESTS
[TERTIARY STRUCTURE]
COMPLEXITIES OF A NEST The study of birds behaviours, such as nest building, can lead to growth of understanding of relations between non-humans and the environment. The methods used by birds to construct their nests, reflect methods utilized within the construction industry, leading to question whether that approach could be translated into building industry. SEE PAGE: 146-149
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soil
Small clumps of soft grasses entangled with soil and bird excrement create soft insulation infill, providing thermal and physical comfort as well as binding the main structure of nest together.
excrement
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workflow /ˈwəːkfləʊ/ : the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion. [ 28 ]
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DIGITAL WORKFLOWS Around 70% of UK based practices utilise 3D modelling software on majority of their projects. In order to develop practices that could be incorporated within the industry, the reframed methods of working had to be embedded within the digital realm of 3D modelling programmes such as Revit. SEE PAGE: 150-151
Digital realm
The architectural and construction industry has been operating within digital realm for over three decades. Recent shift towards BIM systems and cloud based modelling software changed the way in which we design, communicate and collaborate. We aim to embrace that change and work with it, rather than against it. We have developed a workflow system, to allow us to utilise the technology available to the industry for the benefit of more sustainable approach. We have developed a three step approach to our workflows: building a nest, designing and adapting. We were inspired by the sustainability and resourcefulness of birds and the nest building process. We want to translate that approach into the way we are approaching design. The project brief should be assessed against locally available materials to promote idea of degrowth. The design should make use of carbon neutral or upcycled materials, minimising the impact of the industry on the environment. Finally, the design should be evaluated against a number of factors to ensure that the proposal creates sustainable, carbon neutral, non-human oriented architecture.
NON-HUMAN ORIENTED DIGITAL TOOLS The methodology is structured around current Revit workflows such as material and component library and databases. It operates around a three step approach: building a nest, designing and adapting, in order to embed attentiveness to non-human within the software itself.
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[SOFTWARE DATABASES]
[non-human oriented design] [DEMOLITION] NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM
[1] LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS
BUILDING TYPE: office
The DEGROWTH and ANIMAL ORIENTED plug-ins enrich the experience of Revit user. They encourage sustainable approach to new-build proposal while promoting care and attention to non-human inhabitants of the city.
[2] UPCYLING TECHNIQUES [3] RECYCLED MATERIAL BUILDING REGS [4] SUSTAINABLE BUILDING LIBRARY
STRUCTURE: concrete frame YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 1965 RECLAIMED MATERIAL: glass, concrete substrate, floor finishes, pre-cast staircase TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT: TBD
[5] NON-HUMAN ORIENTED MATERIALS
COST: TBD
[6] HABITAT COMPONENT LIBRARY BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS [7] LOCAL WILDLIFE DATA [8]
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POPULATION NUMBERS [9]
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[DEMOLITION]
BUILDING TYPE: STRUCTURE: YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: RECLAIMED MATERIAL:
[workflow]
TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
PROPOSED DESIGN IS CHECKED AGAINST A NUMBER OF FACTOR TO ENSURE THAT IT CREATES ANIMAL ORIENTED ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSAL.
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MATERIAL TYPE: AMOUNT: PROPERTIES:
CHECK
ADAPT
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TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
Database will improve communication between a number of local construction sites, increasing opportunities for exchange of goods and use of surplus materials within the construction industry.
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[BIM software, eg. Revit]
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MATERIAL TYPE: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: CONDITION: POSSIBLE USE: TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
LIST
INCORPORATE
DESIGN
[DESIGNER] 69% of practices in UK are using established BIM standards
REUSE
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+ + +
COST:
MATERIAL DATABASE The country-wide database could be introduced within the BIM system. It would enlist available building materials such as recycled components from demolition sites and resources available from local architectural salvage yards and recycling centres, that can be used as subsidiary building materials.
THE BRIEF IS ASSESSED AGAINST LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS TO PROMOTE THE IDEA OF DEGROWTH WITHIN ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY.
LOCATE
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Local scrap yards and recycling centres could use the database to advertise unique and alternative materials that could be incorporated into a building, such as wires, metal parts, different types of glazing etc.
[1] BUILDING A NEST [DEGROWTH plug-in]
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[SUBSIDIARY]
THE DESIGN IS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MATERIALS. SOFTWARE SUCH AS REVIT CAN BE USED TO CREATE A DATABASE OF MATERIAL AVAILABLE.
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COST:
[2] DESIGNING
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[SURPLUS]
CONDITION:
CARE
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COST:
[3] ADAPTING
[ORIENTED plug in]
Local demolition and refurbishment sites could list materials reclaimed from the site. Additionally, designer could enquire about possibility of reclaiming certain components based on demand.
CONSTRUCT
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DESIGN SPECIFICATION
NBS SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION OF CARE
Historically architectural specification were produced in-house either by an architect or the practice clerk. Since 19th century the specifications included detailed description of processes of construction, emphasizing social relation and mutual understanding between an architect and a builder. Setting out in writing the work of architects, builders, surveyors etc. rendered the construction of a building as a social process between a variety of workers, forcing architects to develop expertise and understanding of different building processes.
Following the changes within the industry in 1960s, a streamline system, NBS, was introduced to unify specification production across the country. The building specification system focus on the end means, describing a building as a series of materials and products rather than a number of processes, alienating the architect from the process of construction. National Building Specification is widely used within the architectural profession by over 5000 offices, creating a base for the practice of specification for majority of UK based architectural practices.
NBS provides access to specifications of thousands of products related to architectural industry as well as provides access to National BIM Library, a collection of BIM objects ready for inserting into 3D BIM modelling environment. The computer based workflows define the architects approach to specifications and often determine choices of materials and finishes chosen. The NBS specification includes 69 products which are bird related as well as 3 BIM objects, with majority of them used to deter birds or stop them from nesting.
WRITTEN WORK OF ARCHITECTURE
BUILDING AS AN OBJECT
NON-HUMAN FOCUSED PRODUCTS
[material library]
WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM The plug-ins are supported by a number of databases and material/ component libraries helping to incorporate specific materiality and elements within the building at design stage.
[workflow] [ 1 ] material settings ACCESS MATERIAL SETTINGS WITHIN MANAGE TAB. OPEN PROGRAMME MATERIAL LIBRARY.
[ 2 ] material browser OPEN MATERIAL BROWSER WITH PRE-LOADED GENERIC REVIT MATERIAL LIBRARY. EACH MATERIAL COMES WITH A NUMBER OF DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION AS WELL AS AN OUTLINE OF PHYSCIAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES.
NBS Source Search [Find, Select, Specify] The NBS Source provides information about construction products included within the NBS specification software, allowing designers to add 3D models and specification straight into the projects, by using NBS Chorus or Revit plugin. The search returned 69 bird related products, however only one, swift brick, was bird friendly while the vast majority was used to deter birds.
DEFINING THREAT LEVEL REFLECTS THE IMPACT OF THE CHOSEN MATERIAL ONTO URBAN WILDLIFE SPECIES
+channel glass
BIRD MESH/SCREEN
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+UV film glass
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+transparent glass
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low level threat
Gas Flue Ridge Terminal Half Round BIRD SCREEN
WCO natural ventilator BIRD MESH
Outa-Dor - Double - Solid Panel BIRD SCREEN
Comar-DucoClose Window Ventilator BIRD MESH
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high level threat
REVIT SOFTWARE COMES WITH A PRE-LOADED ‘REVIT CONTENT’ SPECIFIC TO LANGUAGE, REGION AND DISCIPLINE, REFERENCING APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR EACH GEOGRAPHICAL REGION
LOUVRES
[ 3 ] non-human library
Italia-100 Cladding And Screening REQUIRED BIRD SCREEN
Italia-80 Cladding and Screening REQUIRED BIRD SCREEN
Universal Louvre BIRD GUARD
THE NON-HUMAN MATERIAL LIBRARY SHOWCASES A RANGE OF MATERIALS THAT ENHANCE THE WELLBEING OF NON-HUMAN INHABITANTS OF THE CITY, SUCH AS BIRDS, INSECTS ETC. EACH MATERIAL COMES WITH DESCRIPTION AND THREAT LEVEL RATING SIMILARLY TO THE GENERIC REVIT LIBRARY.
Italia Wheelie Bin Stores BIRD DETERING ROOFING
MISCELLANEOUS PROPERTIES
IMPACT
THREAT LEVEL
NATURE OF SPECIFICATION
Armour-Flex Coating BIRD STRIKE PROTECTION
Lambeth Litter Bin BIRD PROOF FLAPS
Airtrak CS Comb Strip PREVENT ENTRY OF BIRDS
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Historically architectural specifications were prepared within an architectural office and reflected the expertise of an architect in building processes. The specification included description of construction methods and highlighted a social relationship between an architect and a builder. Current methods of specification focus on end means and portray a building as a sum of standalone products. SEE PAGE: 160-165
Swift Brick BIRD HABITABLE SOLUTION
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MATERIAL TESTING The material testing workshop will allow designers to develop materials which suit the needs of a specific project. The workshop will act as testing grounds, either for exploring the impact of commercial materials such as glazing or cladding panels onto the wellbeing of non-human or for developing sustainable material alternatives. Due to lack of research on long term physical properties of certain alternative materials such as mycelium or bacterial cellulose, they are not widely accepted as a suitable construction material. The workshop will allow the designers to study different physical properties of materials in order to compose industry standard specification and encourage use of alternative materials. The properties will be included within material specification which can be accessed by the designer through BIM software such as Revit. NOTES: 1. Bio-gas system operational board 2. Wall openings allowing animals access to the outside 3. Individual work bench 4. Bio-gas heating system 5. Testing lab 6. Hand operated heavy goods pulley 7. Non-human material testing
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convention /kənˈvɛnʃ(ə)n/ : a way in which something is usually done.
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Family: GLAZING
Family: ARTIFICIAL HABITAT
Glazing unit with UV coating
Uninsulated loft access tunnel
Minimises the risk of collision between birds and large glazed areas, improves thermal performance.
Provides access to loft space through an insulated masonry wall
PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION Size
max. 2800x6000mm
Thermal Performance
0.6-1.1 W/m
Light Transmission Glazed Options
Coating
UV mesh coating
Size Position
2
70%
Material
Single Glazed, Double Glazed, Triple Glazed, Low E Coating, Solar Control Coating UV-reflecting coating is applied to any thickness of glazing, creating a mesh visible to birds
glazed unit
400x400mm clay tunnel 215x215mm opening on outer wall
450x450mm, length dependent on cavity size Inserted into cavity wall at loft height Fired clay tunnel with landing/ take off area
Thermal Performance
Tunnel leading to uninsulated cavity above occupied floors
Opening
Minimum size of 200x300mm
Landing/take off area
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DIGITAL SPECIFICATION Additionally to material library, a database of building components will be created to encourage designers to incorporate sustainable, non-human oriented elements within projects. The components library will contain a number of different families related to specific construction elements such as glazing or artificial habitats. The components will aim to address issues caused by current construction methods which impact the wellbeing of urban non-humans. The products will be developed on the basis of studies of non-human behaviours and requirements. The database of metric non-human standards will help in defining specification of the components. The products can be develop and tested within the digital specification zone, which also contains a number of computer stations allowing designers to create digital models and write specification of the studied components.
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NOTES: 1. Hand operated pulley for wall flap 2. Wall flap allows access between in and out 3. Raw materials for modelling and testing 4. Archives of specification of developed elements 5. Bio-gas heating system 6. Models of developed products 7. Products impact guides 8. Workstations for digital specification
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HABITAT LIBRARY The components library will also include a series of habitat elements, which will aid designers in creating bio-diverse, suitable habitats within the urban environment. The library will consists of natural elements such as snags, log groups and plant species as well as larger, more complex habitats including multiple elements which can be adjusted to local environment and wildlife species. SEE PAGE: 158-159
[habitat components ]
WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM
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The habitat component library can be adapted and expanded to take into account a number of different species. The components can represent both natural (logs, shrubbery) and artificial (fountains, bee hotels) habitat elements.
THE COMPONENT LIBRARY COULD FACILITATE THE PROCESS OF INCLUDING SUITABLE, BIO-DIVERSE GREEN SPACES WITHIN THE CITY. EACH FAMILY OF HABITATS WILL INCLUDE A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS SUCH AS SNAGS, WATER FEATURES ETC. THAT WOULD ENHANCE NATURAL HABITATS WITHIN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
Family: NATURAL HABITAT Bio-diverse green space component Provides a diverse habitat within the urban environmnet
[workflow] [ 1 ] project browser ACCESS PROJECT BROWSER TABLE WITHIN THE MAIN INTERFACE OF THE REVIT SOFTWARE. THE BROWSER ALLOWS THE USER TO ACCESS ALL PRE-LOADED COMPONENT FAMILIES WITHIN THE PROGRAMME.
[ 2 ] family browser FAMILY GROUPS CORRESPOND WITH HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIFIC ANIMAL GROUPS. A FAMILY INCLUDES A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS RANGING FROM ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANTING, LANDSCAPING PROPOSALS AS WELL AS ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS FOUNTAINS OR HUMANMADE NESTING STRUCTURES.
HABITAT component family
THE HABITAT COMPONENTS CAN BE EASILY EDITED TO SUIT THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE PROPOSED LOCATION. THE COMPONENT COMES WITH PRELOADED PLANTING PROPOSAL, UTILIZING PLANT SPECIES LISTED WITHIN ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANTING FAMILY.
PROPERTIES
NATURAL WATER FEATURE
SPECIFICATION
[ 3 ] planting THE COMPONENTS LIBRARY WILL ALSO INCLUDE A FAMILY OUTLINING A NUMBER OF ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANT SPECIES THAT CAN BE USED WITHIN THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE BIO-DIVERSITY AND FOOD SOURCES FOR THE SPECIFIED ANIMALS.
CARE
CHECK
Size
5000x5000mm, can be adapted to bigger sizes
Location
Position within parks, green areas or built up zones
Condition
Semi-shaded space, plant species can be adapted to differnt conditions
Upkeep
The area will have to be water during the first year in situ and dry months
Species
Plants can be adapted to suit the size and climatic conditions of the brief
ADAPT
PLANTING component library
RODENT FRIENDLY PLANTS
variety of larger trees and shrubs
undulating terrain creates diverse habitat
[50] MAIZE Zea mays
FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare
SAGE Salvia officinalis [ 44 ]
SUNFLOWER Helianthus
logs and woodpiles provide habitat and bacteria ecosystem
WILLOW TREE Salix alba [ 45 ]
SPECIMEN ROOM The architectural industry often overlooks the importance of planting and landscaping within the urban environment. Majority of human-made green areas within the cities are monocultural and do not offer a suitable habitat for urban wildlife. The specimen room aims to develop an understanding of planting by introducing designers to a collection of local, native plants. The collection will include a number of plant species which are beneficial to local urban wildlife. Developing knowledge of the plant’s requirements, appearance, maintenance level and properties will aid the designers in specifying correct planting for habitat components. An understanding of symbiotic relationship between animals and plants is at a core of creating successful man-made habitats. It encourages better understanding of needs of animal wildlife as well as introduces the notion of attentiveness towards the plants themselves. NOTES: 1. Planting specimen boards 2. Hand operated pulley allowing lifting plants between floors 3. Bio-gas operated heating system 4. Local, native plant species
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standard /ˈstandəd/ : something used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations
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URBAN FEATURES Physical and experiential features within urban built environment that affect well-being, habitats and population growth of urban wildlife: URBAN BIRDS
form
Please feel free to highlight and mistakes, grey areas or confusing parts of our guidelines and help us in developing up to date set of baseline ways of working for current and future members of our practice.
Large area of glazed surface, especially on tall buildings. Large windows without visual divisions or markers.
Newcastle City Library
GLAZING
Glazed surfaces lead to an increase in deadly bird strikes, as the flocks are confused by reflections of natural habitats on façades. Indoor lighting left overnight draws birds to the light source, increasing the number of collisions.
Unused areas within urban environment, often used for plant rooms and services. Harsh surface finishes eg. concrete or metal.
Eldon Square roofscape
ROOFS
Due to low level of human activity, roofs are often occupied by birds, however they do not provide suitable habitat for nesting and breeding, due to material finishes and general lack of natural components.
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WATER SCARCITY
+ Small number of natural water features and water sources such as ponds, rivers or fountains.
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Birds require water sources as part of their habitats, for drinking and bathing purposes. Additionally, certain urban species, such as ducks, nest and breed in close proximity of water bodies.
Quayside
We hold frequent reviews of our guidelines to address changes such as technological advancement, regulatory and legal modifications, new scientific findings etc. We are collaboratively working with a number of organisations to help us stay up to date with recent developments in field of construction, material development, zoological discoveries etc. Our set of guidelines covers three sections: site surveys/field work, drawing conventions and specification.
impact
MONOCULTURE
Lack of biological diversity within specific green area, examples include grass lawns or private city gardens.
Old Eldon Square
We encourage all our members to explore their own ways of working and methods that will allow them to work in an efficient and productive manner. However, as an office we have complied a set of guidelines to help our new members adjust to different ways of working. Whilst these are not exhaustive and can be edited, modified and upgraded, they serve as a baseline starting point for developing your own ways of working.
urban scape
Monoculture areas do not provide birds with suitable habitats, leading to lack of breeding and nesting areas as well as poor nutrition.
SEALED SURFACES
Large areas of artificial ground covering, such as roads, paved squares or transport infrastructure.
Northumberland Street
Set of guidelines
example
+
The surface is not permeable and does not support bio-diverse habitats. Additionally, it leads to micro climate effects within the city such as urban heat island.
IMPACT OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT To establish which elements of practice should be redefined, it is important to realize which current design choices have the most prominent impact onto the non-human. The anthropocentric approach to urban planning reflects the lack of care towards the other embedded within the methods currently used within the profession. SEE PAGE: 154-157
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Existing ecosystem groups
Air quality index
Placement and strategy for light pollution reduction
Defining zones within the proposal eg. bird free zone
01 SERIES_ HEDGES
01-1 Hedge
3.2
01-2 Maintained hedge
01-3 Proposed hedge
01-4 Hedge boundary
01-5 Removal of hedge
02 SERIES_ SURFACES
400 lux 02-1 Slate
02-2 Rock
02-3 Permeable
02-4 Sealed
02-5 Landscaped
02-6 Green
03 SERIES_ MARKERS
8.4 Light pollution level: 300lux Desired level: 100lux Strategy: movement operated lights, time operated light system, internal black-out blinds
03-1 Nest
03-2 Breeding
03-3 Water source
03-4 Tree group/ bushland
03-5 Loft access
03-6 Food source
03-7 Flight path
03-8 Bird protection needed
Fig. Drawing conventions _ non-human series
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Bird mesh preventing birds from getting trapped behind the louvred facade Spec: 1.3mm aluminium mesh, fitted within louvre
04 SERIES_ MISCELLANEOUS
450 lux
04-1 Netting barrier
04-2 Artifical habitat
04-3 Flight corridor
04-4 Green roof
5.1 04-5 Proposed nest
04-6 Light pollution
04-7 Day only light
04-8 Targeted light reduction
05 SERIES_ ZONES AND LIGHTING
05-1 Artificial light
4.6
05-5 No bird zone
05-2 Natural and artificial light
05-3 Solar simulation light
05-6 Bird allowed
05-7 Bird only zone
05-4 Heat source
05-8 Natural light only
06 SERIES_ BOUNDARY LINES
Marking habitat components
Defining light source type and strength
Description and placement of nonhuman oriented design solutions
06-1 Habitat boundary
06-2 Nesting grounds boundary
Drawings
Site surveys
06-3 Feeding grounds boundary
Fig. Drawing conventions _ non-human series
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DRAWING CONVENTIONS Developing office based drawing conventions will allow practice members to efficiently communicate design choices that are supposed to create non-human oriented architectural environments. Based on the impacts identifies in urban studies such as light pollution or protection of flight paths, the drawing conventions create a method of representing non-human oriented choices in architectural drawings.
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structure /ˈstrʌktʃə/ : the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.
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WORK ORGANISATION The practice is structured around two ways of working, the IN and OUT, allowing the office members to chose a way of working which better suits their design methodology. It allows architects to practice in a flexible environment, not constrained by traditional ideas associated with architectural industry. SEE PAGE: 170-171
Fieldwork Site visits
Surveying
Central headquarters WFH
Futher education
Research International members
Office structure
We believe that it is important to have a central space for our office to allow creative collaboration between team members. We do not have a seating plan or individual offices, we invite you to make the space your own. We treat our office as a communal creative effort, allowing our members to design their own work stations. We created three zones within the space: making, thinking, designing. The making space can be used for model making, material testing, quality checks etc. The thinking zone provides access to thematic libraries, databases, physical samples as well as large collaborative working zone. The design space is set up with drawing boards, computers, VR zones and small work stations. All zones are non-human friendly.
The OUT workspace is whatever you make it. It might be your office within an educational institution, dining table at home, meadow, forest or a cafe around the corner. The OUT is whatever you want it to be. It can be used as part of your further education or when you chose to move houses. It can be in the comfort of your home or out in the wild in an undocumented part of the Amazon. We want you to embrace the OUT so that you can come informed and invigorated into the IN. The work you carry out within the OUT can be fed back into the IN headquarters and shared with fellow team members.
IN
OUT
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IN
OUT
The main office provides a central space for collaborative practice between practice members. The space can be used for testing ideas, model making, meetings and any other activities related to development of projects. It is a base for coming together and translating knowledge and skills gathered during fieldwork into methods of architectural practice.
The OUT refers to any work performed outside of the main practice space. It serves as a process of understanding habitat of the non-human through observational studies in-situ. It offers the designer an opportunity to work within the world of the other, without restrictions of anthropocentric spaces associated with architectural practices.
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BASE FOR COMING TOGETHER AND TRANSLATING GATHERED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS INTO METHODS OF ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE
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tool /tuːl/ : a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.
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within the environment of the other.
FIELDWORK SUPPORT The toolkit represents the architectural equivalent of doctors bag - a mobile workstation which can be taken to site and allows designer to practice outside of their office. The tools range from traditional architectural tools to tools whose role is to aid designers to recognise the experience of non-human. SEE PAGE: 172-175
[ TOOLKIT ] The toolkit backpack allows the designer to work from any place, any time. It incorporates a foldable table and stool allowing the designer to set a mobile workstation within the environment they are working in. The toolkit can be taken on site visits or fieldwork as well as used as the main, mobile workstation of a designer. It can be adapted to needs of the owner, with flexible compartments that can be filled with tools required for specific jobs, from traditional drawing tools such as tracing paper, compasses and pencils, to non-human oriented tools such as emf wave measurer, anemometers and nonhuman experience devices. The toolkit backpack allows the wearer to gain better understanding of the site as well as creates a standalone working space within the environment of the other.
Front compartment
Side compartment
Side foldable seating
Front compartment
Adjustable triangle
Measuring tape
Protractor
Laser measuring device
Digital calliper
Animal and aviary scale
Laser 3D scanner
Air quality recorder
Pencil
Drawing board
Fountain pen
French curves
Computer mouse
Leg gauge
Side compartment
Digital anemometer
Technical pen
Scale rulers
Drafting template
PC
Laptop
Scalpel
Foam cutter
Laser cutter
Steel ruler
Cutting mat
Glue gun
Glue
Bandsaw
3D printer
Drill
CNC
Plywood
3D printer filaments
MDF
Vac-form sheet
Card
Office chair
Straw
Clay
VR experience sets
Architectural magazines
Data collection devices
Side foldable seating
Rhinoceros
Field emission detector
AutoCAD
Revit
Photoshop/Indesign
VR set
3D scanner
Digital camera
Mycelium
Bacteria
Cellulose
Non-human office members
Toolkit _ MEASURING
Toolkit _ DRAWING
Toolkit _ MODEL MAKING
Toolkit _ MODEL MAKING MATERIALS
Toolkit _ SUPPORT
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Sofa
Acrylic Architectural books
Mud
Office desk
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Specimen boards
Experience devices
NON-HUMAN PERCEPTION
UMWELT /ˈʊmvɛlt/:
The UMWELT tools are based upon research into perception senses of urban non-humans such as pigeons or rats. The tools allow designers to position themselves within the ‘umwelt’ of the other in real time, creating an understanding of the studied area in context of perception of a non-human. SEE PAGE: 134-143
plural: umwelten; from the German Umwelt meaning “environment” or “surroundings” (in ethology) the world as it is experienced by a particular organism.
PIGEON UMWELT
The tool mimics the experience of a pigeon allowing the user to position themselves within the perception of a pigeon. The mirrored surfaces within the oculars extend human vision to translate pigeons wide scope vision field of 3100, whilst the UV tinted filters change the colour perception reflecting the visual experience of pigeons.
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BIRD UMWELT
RAT UMWELT
The projector tool allows the user to redefine the space around them by projecting a layer of bird experience invisible to human eye. In conjunction with field meter, the tool can be used to visualise the bird’s perception of magnetic field forces, allowing user to visualise the effect of proposed design on existing magnetic fields.
The tool encourages the user to use alternative perception senses, reflecting the perception scope of a rat. The blue tinted filters reflect colour perception whilst also decreasing the sharpness of vision, forcing the user to rely on the sense of smell, touch and hearing as primary sensory sources, mimicking the perception of a rat.
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NON-HUMAN EXPERIENCE
SUPPORT TOOLS
MODEL MAKING
POSITIONING WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT Architect positions themselves within the environment rather than outside of it, leading to development of equal responsibility towards humans and non-humans. Reframing the position of an architect can lead to a more sustainable relationship with the environment and help in developing design methodology withdrawn from anthropocentric ontological ranking. SEE PAGE: 177
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“To what extent can the posthumanist framework help us develop a better vision for the human, if this human is to unsee himself in his own narcissistic parochialism and develop what we could call a truly ecological vision of selfhood?”
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Joanna Zylinska
[ PART 2 ]
Part two of the thesis document acts as an appendix, outlining all additional research conducted in the course of the year on themes introduced within the presentation. It is divided into six thematic chapters and follows development of thesis narrative throughout the year.
1. VIBRANT MATTER
74
2. SOCIAL ROLE OF A PIGEON
82
3. NON-HUMAN AGENCY
92
4. ADOPTING TO AN URBAN HABITAT
110
5. NON-HUMAN EXPERIENCE
126
6. NON-HUMAN IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE
144
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
178
Morton: environmental awareness
KEY READINGS Non-human as a subject Agency of storytelling
Pigeon as an urban dweller
Nature/culture discourse
OfficeUS : guides of architectural professional practice
01
VIBRANT MATTER
Jane Bennett in her book “The Force of Things: Steps towards an Ecology of Matter” introduces the concept of vibrant matter, the concept of thing-power and argues the public value of studying the agency of materials. She argues that there is a level of thingness to humans and that understanding the matter will paradoxically help us understand ourselves.
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[...] there is a thing-ness to humans, the human contains no distinct substance, but shares the elan vital of less complexly or differently organized things Jane Bennett
The relationship between human and non-human is often defined by an anthropocentric approach, a notion of privilege of human existence. In “Hyperobjects” Tim Morton introduces the concept of Object Oriented Ontology (OOO), a Heidegger-influenced philosophy that rejects the human privilege over the existence of non-human entities.1 The equality between human and the other, together with the notion of non-human narratives, create a base for a development of an alternative perspective on the role of the human in the wider context of the interrelated mesh of animate and inanimate elements of the world. The OOO focuses on bringing the non-anthropocentric thinking into the realm of materiality and reality, highlighting the existence of objects independent from the human perception and not defined by their relation with the human. The objects are seen as individual, independent entities, not defined by human cognition.2 Graham Harman, one of the precursors of the OOO, discusses it in the context of its critique. He argues that OOO is not representing ‘flat ontology’, however it rejects the Cartesian dualism, that differentiate between human beings (res cognitas) and non-human entities such as inanimate objects, non-human beings or physical human body (res extensa).3 His understanding of an object is anything that cannot be reduced downwards to its components or upwards to its effects, an object is an individual entity entangled in the mesh of interrelations although not defined by them.4 For Harman the core of the OOO is focused on the interactions between nonhuman objects, he criticizes Spinozist and Deleuzian studies due to their lack of focus on the interactions of the inanimate world, creating anthropocentric situations, where the human is always fifty percent and the rest of reality is packed into the other half.5 In the “The Force of Things: Steps towards an Ecology
1. Morton, Timothy. Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World. University of Minnesota Press, 2013. 2. Ibid. p.4 3. Harman, Graham. “Object-Oriented Ontology.” In The Palgrave Handbook of Posthumanism in Film and Television, 401-09. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 404 4. Ibid. p.402 5. Ibid. p.405 6. Bennett, Jane. “The Force of Things:Steps toward an Ecology of Matter.” Po-
of Matter” Jane Bennett raises the point that the attentiveness to non-human can paradoxically have a crucial impact on the humans and understanding of our impact onto the reality around us.6 She builds upon Hylozoism, an early Greek doctrine, that all matter has life. In her book “Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things.” she explores the concept of thing-power and the public value of studying the power of agency of materials, objects and non-human artefacts. She aims to highlight the active role of the non-human elements in the public life of society, giving them agency.7 Bennett showcases a number of examples of theoretical as well as scientific thinking about the nature of the vibrant matter and our, human, position in the ecological system. She quotes Spinoza, who stresses that: “not only do human beings not form a separate imperium unto themselves; they do not even command the imperium, nature, of which they are a part.”8 Similarly in works of Vladimir Vernadsky the human and non-human are portrayed as a specific distribution of materials, minerals and water, emphasising the relationship between the matter of living organism and inanimate ones such as rocks or fossil limestone.9 Bennett argues that there is a level of ‘thing-ness’ to humans, and we do not contain distinct substances that differentiate us from our surroundings, quite the opposite, we share the same elan vital as other organisms.10 The awareness of our interconnection with nature raises questions about our approach to environmentalism. The notion of materialism tends to horizontalize the relations between flora, fauna and human species, taking us away from the anthropocentric ontological ranking. The growth of understanding that the human is not exclusively made of human, but of a complex combination of ‘its’, raises the growth of the new self-interest, where to care for humans, means to care for materialism of things.11
litical Theory 32, no. 3 (2004): 347-72. Accessed November 29, 2020. p.348 7. Bennett, Jane. Vibrant Matter : A Political Ecology of Things. Durham [N.C.]: Duke University Press, 2010 8. Ibid. p.8 9. Bennett, Jane. “The Force of Things: Steps toward an Ecology of Matter.” Political Theory 32, no. 3 (2004): 347-72. Accessed November 29, 2020. p.348 10. Ibid. p.350 11. Bennett, Jane. Vibrant Matter : A Political Ecology of Things. Durham [N.C.]: Duke University Press, 2010
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ICE WATCH BY OLAFUR ELIASSON (2018)
Ecological aw
areness
Thirty block of glacier ice has been extracted and placed in public areas in London to melt away. It serves as a visual reminder of the impact of human-induced climate change onto the environment.
We are alerte d by the mode rn ecological crisis. The fra gile relationsh ip between human and nature has be en over the re destroyed cent decade s in capitalist gr name of owth. Morto n str interconnected esses the ness of mater , describing the relation as a ‘symbiotic re al’, a sensitive relationship in which we cann ot define a top entity. The we b of relationsh ips within the ‘symbiotic re al’ connects all the animate and inanimate objects in our reality. As architects we are given power to shap the reality, an e d that powe r comes with environmental responsibility. to understan By starting d our position environment rather than ou within the tside of it, we can start to re cognise the im pact our actio carry. We be n lieve that bu ild ing ecological awareness ha s to come fro m of impacts of recognition our past actio ns, be it posit or negative. We ive encourage ou r members to reflect and ev aluate their pa st designs an see a building d as a process in time rather than a fixed en tity within a tim e frame.
Similarly, the OOO builds a base for raising awareness of the modern ecological crisis. In an interview with CCCBLab, Timothy Morton discusses the interconnectedness of humans to their environment. He calls the web of the relations the “symbiotic real”, as the relations between beings can be best described as symbiosis; a fragile relationship in which we cannot define which entity is the top entity.1 Deleuze and Guattari in “Thousand Plateaus” similarly to Morton stress the interconnectedness of matter; “a fiber stretches from a human to an animal, from a human or an animal to molecules, from molecules to particles, and so on to the imperceptible”2 The web of relationships or as Morton calls it, mesh, connects all the living and inanimate objects in our reality, and by starting to understand and de-tangle the complex connections, humans can position themselves within the environment around them rather than outside of it. This positioning within rather than on the outside, showcases that our actions interfere into the balanced mesh of the natural world, ultimately interfering into our own relationship with our habitat. This positioning creates the base of ecological awareness. James Nash describes this awareness as ecological frugality: “ ‘sparing’ in production and consumption - literally sparing of the resources necessary for human communities and sparing of the other species that are both values in themselves and instrumental values for human needs. Frugality minimizes harm to humans and other lifeforms, enabling thereby a greater thriving of all life. At its best, therefore, frugality can be described paradoxically as hedonistic self-denial, since it is a sensuous concern, or, as Alan Durning notes, ‘a true materialism that does not just care about thing, but cares for them.’”3 The care for the matter and the non-human could create a basis for a more symbiotic approach to resource usage, the construction industry or education of new
generations. The introduction of attentiveness into the institutional fields of life such as education or politics could be a starting point for creating a more aware and conscious society. While an immediate, complete shift in a way our society is functioning nowadays is almost impossible, changing our positioning in the environment from outside observers to embedded protagonists can lead to a better, more sustainable relationship.
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1. Morton, Timothy. Timothy Morton: Ecology Without Nature. CCCBLab Interview with Roc Jiménez de Cisneros, 2016. 2. Deleuze, Gilles, and Félix. Guattari. A Thousand Plateaus : Capitalism and Schizophrenia. London: Continuum, 2004. 3. Nash, James as cited in: Bennett, Jane. “The Force of Things: Steps toward an Ecology of Matter.” Political Theory 32, no. 3 (2004): 347-72. Accessed November 29, 2020. p.366
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ATTENTIVENESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
ATTENTIVENESS IN POLITICS
ATTENTIVENESS IN EDUCATION
Attentiveness to non-human in everyday life situation could reappropriate the anthropocentric relationship between humans and their environments, allowing humans to position their action within natural realm rather than outside of it.
The introduction of conscious approach in the legislative sector could help in reinventing the way that the governments and local authorities deal with the issues of global climate change and sustainability. The understanding of the interrelations and effects of legislative actions could open up possibilities of more symbiotic relationship between society and environment.
Reinventing the educational sector could lead to a more conscious future generations, creating an understanding of the natural resources and limits of the natural environment. The attentiveness to the non-human could teach a better, everyday life approach to the nature.
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02
SOCIAL ROLE OF A PIGEON
WORLD WAR II AND BEYOND
“
A series of collages exploring the social relationship established between pigeons and humans following World War II. The perception of pigeons changed from relatively positive following their involvement in military manoeuvres during occupation, to a mostly negative perception due to impact of pigeons excrement on buildings and risk of disease spreading.
From a scientific or a merely a popular ornithological point of view these colonies of Pigeons do not possess any great interest.
Charles Dixon
The naturalist Charles Dixon once wrote: “Brief allusion must be made to the many colonies of semi-tame Pigeons that are such a prominent feature in the bird-life of a Metropolis...From a scientific or a merely a popular ornithological point of view these colonies of Pigeons do not possess any great interest”1 Yet the pigeons adjustment to co-existence with man is often called a triumph of evolutionary adaptation.2 The street pigeons are direct descendants of the wild rock doves, whose natural habitat are sea cliffs and caves. The first proof of domestication of pigeon can be dated back to 4500BC, Mesopotamia, where terracotta figurines of pigeons were found.3 Many reliefs and frescos portray pigeons as symbols of love and fertility, as well as symbols of peace and hope as seen in the biblical story of the Flood. In ancient times pigeons were often used in religious sacrifice as well as a general food source, which can be confirmed by many examples of technically advanced pigeon towers in Turkey and the Middle East.4 Pigeons were also used as messengers in the ancient Olympic Games, a practice which is still visible nowadays, when doves are released at the beginning of the modern Olympics. In the Middle Ages pigeons were mostly treated as a food source, with many fortifications integrating dovecotes in its structures, such as the Westington Manor near Chipping Campden.5 Dovecotes were later raised from their purely functional role to an ornamental one, and the trade in birds grew considerably in the 15th century, as both birds became valuable as well as their droppings which were used for fertilising gardens and fields. From the beginning of the 18th century, pigeons were mostly used as messengers as well as kept as ornamental pets. Their role as messenger was most prominent during World War I and II. Approximately 200 000 birds were used during the occupation time of the
second World War. The pigeons were used for a number of different manoeuvres, including parachuting nearly 17 000 messenger birds over the ground of occupied Germany, in order to establish contact with the Resistance groups.6 Following the World War II, pigeon racing, originating in Belgium, became a common past-time of the working class. Many of the racing pigeons got lost or were abandoned by their breeders, joining the population of feral pigeons. The birds became a familiar sight in many European and British cities, they were often fed and cared for in the cities, especially public squares and plazas, leading to an increase in their urban population. Recently, pigeons became more of a nuisance, with many local authorities trying to limit their numbers. A variety of methods are used; from installing spikes at the ledges of buildings, to introducing natural predators of the pigeons, such as falcons, into the urban environment. The drive to limit the pigeon population in the urban environment is motivated by a number of factors such as limiting the bird droppings in central areas and protecting listed buildings from erosion as well as the risk of diseases that could be potentially spread by the birds.
1. Dixon, C. The Bird-Life of London, 1909, as cited in Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. 2. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.1 3. Ibid. p.35 4. Eda Elif Tibet (2018) The sentient ecology of Cappadocia: dovecote paintings, pigeons, vineyards, cave dwellers and fairy chimneys, Biodiversity, 19:3-4, 225236 5. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.40 6. Ibid. p 49
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This photograph titled simply ‘Jimmy Dodds, Albion Row Allotments (Byker)’ taken by Finnish photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen is part of an extended series ‘Byker 1969-81’. It explores the everyday life of residents of Byker, primarly working class community, focusing on their hobbies, social relationships and community building.
“
Pigeon racing was thus a route to a more positive selfidentification that was too often denied in even skilled manual work.
Martin Johnes
Pigeon racing was a popular hobby in England from the end of the 19th century to around the mid-20th century. Keeping of the pigeons was intertwined with many themes that defined the working class in the 20th century, such as the notion of masculinity, voluntary association and material constraints.1 Pigeon racing was a part of the complex social environment of the working class. On one hand, the pigeon lofts provided a masculine enclave for the breadwinner of the family, a retreat from the pressures of the everyday life and the domestic reality. However, the lofts were also a centre for social life, an opportunity to share time with the family, as often both children and wives were engaged in small task around the lofts.2 There has been links drawn between occupation and the choice of pigeon racing as a hobby. Peter White suggests that men who worked in coal or metal industries tended to choose a livestock-based hobby, as they filled their emotional needs, by raising and caring for animals.3 Pigeon racing was also an opportunity to define a positive self-identification, which was often denied in a manual work environment. As pigeon keeping before the 20th century was predominantly an upper class activity, the act of raising and training a pigeon allowed the workingclass to create a more favourable image of themselves.4 The decline of pigeon keeping came with inter-war slum clearance and movement of the working-class into council housing estates. Many local authorities were introducing bans on pigeon keeping, as they saw them as dirty, unhygienic nuisances. Many pigeon associations raised the points of benefits of pigeon keeping, the International Pigeon board said that banning pigeon keeping was “wholly unnecessary and in the nature of a penalty to what had been conclusively proved a national asset.”5
1. Johnes, Martin. “Pigeon Racing And Working-Class Culture in Britain, C. 1870-1950.” Cultural and Social History 4, no. 3 (2007): 361-83. p.363 2. Ibid. p. 368 3. White, Peter. Portrait of County Durham (London, 1967), p. 173. 4. Johnes, Martin. “Pigeon Racing And Working-Class Culture in Britain, C. 1870-1950.” Cultural and Social History 4, no. 3 (2007): 361-83. p.368 5. International Pigeon Board to Minister of Health, Walter Elliott, 20 Oct. 1938. NA: HLG 52/1298
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“
While some things become the symbols of urban and nature corresponding with each other and living in harmony other instances of wildlife are controlled and considered as pest. Paula Escobar
The understanding of the non-human geographies and their role in the human environment affects the politics of the public, posing a question of who belongs to the public. Looking at a case study of the regeneration of Trafalgar Square, it is clear that the role of the non-human objects, in this example pigeons, have been overlooked in the discourse of the urban regeneration. Two strategies for urban redevelopment have been favoured in recent years; the first looks at a programme of cultural events whilst the second, alongside the image of a cultural life centre, focuses on creating a ‘continental ambiance’ underpinning the imagery of the ‘urban village’. However, this style of redevelopment has been under criticism, as it leads to spatializing class polarization and exclusion of the less powerful social groups, as they do not fit the proposed narrative.1 In the case of Trafalgar Square, the dualistic representation of nature in the city, as both sublime and unclean and unhealthy, led to the displacement of the pigeons from the square, as they were deemed an infestation, mutually exclusive to the narrative that the GLA wanted to create. The displacement of the birds led to the marginalization of certain social groups, such as the seed-sellers and their clients, who were not only deemed unappealing but also anti-social. 2 In that sense both the pigeons and their feeders not only lost access to the public space, they also lost their position in the local community. Whilst pigeons have been described as an infestation, the social group of bird feeders were marginalized and criminalized, their identities changed by the new narrative of the square. The presence of the birds in our cities challenges our perception of the city as a human-only space and our need to control the environment. The Trafalgar Square redevelopment fits Madden’s definition of ‘publicity without democracy’ as it speaks about freedom and access, however it is still centred around control, surveillance and order. 3
1. Escobar, Maria Paula. “The Power of (dis)placement.” Cultural Geographies 21, no. 3 (2014): 363-88.p.369 2. Ibid. p. 373 3. Madden, ‘Assembling the Public’, p. 188.
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GUANO ERA
5th century: indigenous use
Political and social timeline
Archeological evidence suggests that bird dropping have been excavated and used as agricultural fertilisers for 1500 years by Andean people. The rulers of Inca Empire valued guano and punished any disturbance to birds by death.
Alexander von Humboldt
1802: Western discovery
Chincha Islands
1840: nationalising guano Guano mining
Prussian geographer Alexander von Humboldt began investigating properties of guano and his writing on the topic made it well known in Europe, scaling the import of Peruvian guano.
Francisco Quirós y Ampudia negotiated a deal to commercialize and nationalise the export of guano to Europe. It allowed Peruvian government to collect royalties, becoming the state’s largest revenue source, leading to abolishing head tax on indigenous citizens.
coast of Namibia, served as a main guano import source for the British Empire, with an estimated 462,000 tonnes of guano imported every year4. The trading connected to import of guano led to many socio-political events both in South America as well in Europe. The Great Irish Famine of 1845, was caused by a strain of potato blight from Peruvian guano.5 It also led to the US passing a Guano Island Act, which gave US citizens who discovered guano on an unclaimed island exclusive rights to the material. In 1857 the US began annexing uninhabited islands in the Pacific and Caribbean regions, with several of those still a US territory today6. The era of Guano ended with the War of the Pacific in 1879-83. The Chilean army invaded the Bolivian coast and Tarapaca region of Peru, seizing control over the majority of guano resources, leading to growth of the Chilean treasury by 900%.7
1. Giamo, C. When the Western World ran on Guano, 2015. accessed at: [https://www. atlasobscura.com/articles/when-thewestern-world-ran-on-guano] (23.05.21) 2. Mancini, M. How an Old Bird Poop Law Can Help You Claim an Island, 2015, accessed at: [https://www.mentalfloss.com/ article/66868/how-old-bird-poop-lawcan-help-you-claim-island] (23.05.21) 3. Giamo, C. When the Western World ran on Guano, 2015. accessed at: [https://www. atlasobscura.com/articles/when-thewestern-world-ran-on-guano] (23.05.21) 4. Ibid. 5. Dwyer, J. June 3–9; The Root of a Famine, 2001, accessed at: [https://www. nytimes.com/2001/06/10/weekinreview/ june-3-9-the-root-of-a-famine.html] (23.05.21) 6. Giamo, C. When the Western World ran on Guano, 2015. accessed at: [https://www. atlasobscura.com/articles/when-thewestern-world-ran-on-guano] (23.05.21) 7. Ibid.
1846: British Empire import
CHANGING PERCEPTION ALTERNATIVE USES OF BIRD DROPPINGS
5th century: i
British Empire started importing guano from Ichaboe Island, off the coast of Namibia. By 1846, the import of guano from that region was estimated at 462,000 tonnes a year. Pacific Guano
In 1856 US passed Guano Islands Act, which gave US citizens who discover guano on an unclaimed island exclusive rights to the material. In 1857 US began annexing uninhabited islands on Pacific and Caribbean. Several of those are still US territory.
1879-83 War of the Pacific The Guano Age ended with the War of the Pacific. Chilean marines invaded Bolivian coast. Due to mutual defence agreement between Bolivia and Peru, Tarapaca region of Peru was invaded as well, with Chile gaining entire Bolivian coast and majority of Peruvian guano terrain.
One tonne of bird litter can produce up to 200 m3 of biogas, equal to 420kwh of electricity and 500kwth of heat!
1856: Guano Islands Act Acids released from pigeon’s excrement can cause damage to buildings and lead to corrosive scaring, even after the fouling has been removed. However, historically pigeon’s excrement was considered as valuable as birds themselves, as it was used as natural fertilisers for agricultural purposes.
Guano advert, 1884
It has been suggested that the rapid growth of guano export from Peru to Europe was a vehicle that brought a strain of potato blight, which caused the Irish Potato Famine, causing a 25% fall of population of Ireland due to death and migration.
POWER SOURCE
FERTILISATION
Due to its high effective fertilizing properties, the demand for guano resulted in US colonialism and expansion of British Empire.
Chile took over the control of the most valuable guano resources in the world following the Pacific War. Thanks to the newly acquired land, Chilean treasure grew by 900% between 1879 and 1902.
2011: bird population decrease
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1840: nationa
Francisco Q Ampudia nego deal to commer nationalise the guano to Europe Peruvian gover collect royalties the state’s revenue sourc to abolishing he indigenous citize
Bird droppings can be used as a natural fertiliser for agricultural use on both domestic and commercial scale. Bird manure is nitrogen rich and it should be composted at a rate of one part droppings to four part brown material such as straw or sawdust. Bird droppings accumulation, known as guano, has been used for over 1500 years by Andean people, who collected it from small islands of the coast of Peru.
1879-83 War
2011: bird pop
Unsustainable mining resulte ecological dec late 1800s a 53 million bir Peruvian island the population estimated at onl
Guano advert, 1884
Unsustainable guano mining resulted in severe ecological decline. In the late 1800s approximately 53 million birds occupied Peruvian islands, as of 2011 the population has been estimated at only 4.2 million.
Chincha Islands
1845-52 Irish
1879-1902 Chilean guano export
Destruction of Peruvian fleet
Bird manure either from agricultural sources or recreational ones can be transformed into a source of heat and energy by using bio-gas plants. The power plants capture methanerich gases released during organic decomposing of waste material such as chicken manure. The gases are extracted and burned to produce electricity, while also neutralizing the smell of organic waste and providing farmers with sustainable waste management system.
Bridget O’Donnell
1845-52 Irish Famine
Bridget O’Donnell
Whilst nowadays the majority of the population considers bird droppings as waste and a health hazard, historically avian excrement was considered an important commodity. Bird droppings (guano) are made of a mixture of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium1, making it a very efficient, natural fertiliser. The first signs of using guano as fertiliser can be traced back to the Incas, who excavated and utilised guano for over 1500 years. It was a valued commodity within the local communities and the rulers of the Inca empire punished disturbance to birds by death.2 Guano was discovered in 1802 by a Prussian geographer, Alexander von Humboldt, resulting in Europe importing guano from the Peruvian coast, leading to the nationalisation of resources in 18403. Guano became a valuable commodity, leading to European countries establishing import trade from other locations around the world. One of these locations, Ichaboe Islands, off the
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03
NON-HUMAN AGENCY
“
The end of the common world has come when it is seen only under one aspect and is permitted to present itself in only one perspective.
Hannah Arendt
The plurality of the experiences is one of the main topics discussed by Hannah Arendt. In comparison with Heidegger, Arendt focuses on human natality, the notion that with every new generation, new ideas and initiatives are being brought into the world, making society unpredictable. She argues that the modern model of politics, creating a set of rules and narratives that has to be accepted by the entire society, ignores the notion of human action and human plurality, leading to conflicts and cleansing of differences between social groups and individuals.1 Arendt argues that our understanding of the public is related to the appearance. If something can be heard and seen by everybody, we consider it to be the public reality. By comparison personal passions, feelings or thoughts, have a less certain existence, unless they are translated and de-individualized to be fit for the public appearance. The most common way of achieving this is through storytelling.2 She argues that many people are imprisoned in the subjectivity of their own experience, which stays singular even if the same experience is endured by a number of people. The public appearance of the storytelling relates to Arendt’s ideas of public and private as seen through the prism of political spheres in ancient Greece. Arendt introduces three different activities defining human existence: labour, work and action. Labour relates to the life itself, the biological processes of satisfying the body, giving birth etc., work relates to the unnatural and artificial, objects that we can earn but are unnecessary for sustaining life; while action relates to the political sphere, condition of human plurality and our actions in the web of the relationships between individuals.3 The life in ancient Greece was divided between two spheres: the private and the public. While private sphere related to one’s household and to the satisfaction of
1. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. p.17
biological needs (labour), the public sphere was a realm of freedom and action. Accordingly, the capacity for political action in the public sphere stands in opposition to the association of home and family, the private sphere.4 The modern times saw the creation of third sphere, social. The social sphere provides for the biological needs of the private sphere, but on the level of the entire nation or state. It threatens both the private and the public sphere, as it has to invade the private as well as makes biological needs a public matter, diminishing the capacity for the action.5 Arendt defines the activity of action as starting things and setting off number of events. We continue to start new events, even without understanding the future consequences and results of our actions, with the result of both human society and Earth itself being slowly devastated by “self-inflicted catastrophes.”6 The notion of the action is only possible if we are living in a group or a society, so that we can execute the action in correspondence to our relationships with other individuals, following Aristotle’s thought of homo est naturaliter politicus, id est, socialis (man is by nature political, that is social).7 In Greek polis a person is a social animal, before becoming a political one. The private sphere of the household is considered unequal, therefore the basic human needs have to be satisfied before creating a public sphere of equality and freedom, allowing for activity of an action. By mastering the conditions of the life necessities, one could join the public sphere, allowing them to execute action. Someone who only lived a private life, without engaging with the public, by either choosing not to engage or by choosing to live outside of the polis, is not fully human.8
Hannah Arendt introduces storytelling as part of the vita activa, activity through which human beings position themselves in the realm of the world. It is a form of working as a collective to transform what is given, into experiences meaningful for society. As opposed to the vita contemplativa, storytelling forms ‘situated thinking’, bringing philosophy down to earth, working in the sphere of the everyday life, focusing on the plurality of the experiences, rather than offering an abstract, authoritative view from above.1 Even though the origin of storytelling is associated with the notion of home, private space, its allegorical message extends its impact onto the public sphere, becoming a form of social critique. Stories do not presume a superior knowledge or understanding of an event from a god’seye perspective, the storyteller’s point of view, moves from one agent to another, resisting the definition of the one, ultimate truth. Instead it highlights the relativeness of truth to our positioning in society.2 Arendt argues that it is impossible to arrive at a definition of a person; we tend to talk about what they are, their characteristics that are shared by many, rather than who they are. The only way you can define a person, define who they are, is through telling the story of their actions.3 Each of us is an agent in our own story and our relations with other individuals create the base of the human affairs, as our actions will affect everyone that comes into contact with us. As an individual we can start a story, by enacting a series of actions and events, however we are never an author of the story, we cannot narrate our lives as they happen and we do not know the consequences of our action, because they depend on the web of influences and relations.4 The mesh of the relations affecting our actions combined with the plurality of the experiences represented in stories can help in representing human co-existence with other individuals in the public sphere. It also can serve as
ment Design Earth, The Journal of Architecture, 24:5, 726-729
3. Ibid. p.7
1. Jackson, M. The Politics of Storytelling : Violence, Transgression, and Intersubjectivity. Copenhagen [Denmark] : Portland, Ore.: Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen ; Distributor USA & Canada, International Specialized Book Services, 2002. p.252
4. Ibid. p.24
2. Ibid. 253
5. Ibid. p.50
3. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. p.181
7. Tassinari V., Piredda F. & Bertolotti E. Storytelling in design for social innovation and politics: a reading through the lenses of Hannah Arendt (2017), The Design Journal, p. 8
2. Ibid. p.50-58
6. Ibid. p.15 7. Ibid. p.23
4. Ibid. p. 184-185
8. Ibid. p.38
5. Renata Tyszczuk (2019) Geostories: another architecture for the environ-
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6. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. p.181
a tool showcasing our interdependency on other species, non-human beings or objects. Storytelling can be seen as a tool of informing us of our positioning within the environment. One of the examples of that can be work of Design Earth studio, which utilizes stories as a form of representation of climate change and human impact on the environment. Their work focuses on learning how “to tell other stories, inhabited and contested”5 They use storytelling as a form of narrating the reality. Storytelling allows us to position ourselves not as a separate being, but to emerge ourselves into the point of view of the otherness, be it a human or a non-human entity. We exist as the heroes of the stories, never the author. The connotation of the courage we associate with a character of the hero, is the courage to engage within an action and insert ourselves into the narrative of the story.6 Participation in the public sphere of our life and influencing the construction of the common realm is what defines our role in societal life, as seen in Aristotle’s idea of a human as a political animal.7 Storytelling is never just a matter of creating personal meaning, stories occupy the space of the in-between, the personal experience is de-individualized to fit the public appearance.8 Habermas argues that often voices and stories of the marginalized classes do not reach the public sphere and are ‘privatized’.9 Stories are a reflection of the state of the society, for every story that sees the light of the day, there are many that stay untold. Storytelling allows us to create narratives, it is a strategy for demonstrating a sense of agency and control of our actions, it allows us to restructure the events, rework the subject-object relationship, allowing us to gain the sense of agency and the feeling that we have actively participated in the event. The subtle reworking of the role of an actor and being acted upon reflect the ongoing struggle of negotiations, conflicts and mediation encountered in the sphere of human affair.10
9. Jackson, M. The Politics of Storytelling : Violence, Transgression, and Intersubjectivity. Copenhagen [Denmark] : Portland, Ore.: Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen ; Distributor USA & Canada, International Specialized Book Services, 2002. p.12 10. Ibid. p. 13-16
8. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. p.50
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PRIVATE SPHERE
PUBLIC SPHERE
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“
For in every action what is primarily intended by the doer, whether he acts from natural necessity or out of free will, is the disclosure of his own image.
Dante
The space of appearance is one of the base conditions for action. The space “comes into being wherever men are together in the manner of speech and action, and therefore pre-dates and precedes all formal constitution of the public realm”.1 The activity of action is only possible when enacted in a web of relationships within a group or society, therefore whenever people gather together there is a potential for action. The necessity for space of appearance as a condition of action defines an indispensable material factor of people living together and gathering. The action cannot be reduced to a collection of individuals and their separate opinions, it is conditioned by creation of the public sphere. 2 The spatial condition of the public sphere, the condition of people gathering, can be resolved by the creation of common spaces, such as town squares, town halls etc. The notion of material creation of public realm relates to the idea of poiesis. The process of making or fabrication (poiesis) does not constitute an action, it is part of the sphere of work defined by Arendt,3 however it is also the base for creating the condition of public gathering and physical common space. The poiesis creates an opportunity for the space of appearance, therefore the potential for action by creating a physical reality of the public sphere. The poiesis creates the physical form of space of appearance giving potential to action and its outcomes (praxis). The praxis of action is unpredictable, it showcases that even though the history owes its existence to humanity, it is not ‘made’ by men, as the outcome of their actions is beyond their control and it is impossible for them to predict the consequences.4 The retrospective retelling of the story of an action, allows the definition of the actors and deeds that lead to the praxis, therefore revealing the identity of the actor, revealing who they are. Action is the only activity allowing for the definition
1. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998, p.199 2. Ibid. p.201 3. Ibid. p.195 4. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / Introduction by Margaret Canovan.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998, p.185 5. Ibid. p.175 6. Passerin d’Entreves, M. “Hannah Arendt”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of
of human identity, however it is the condition of speech and storytelling accompanying the action, that allows for the revelation of the “who”.5 The preservation of the praxis and the disclosure of the identity is the role of a storyteller. The retelling of the narratives can define its significance both for the actor as well as the significance of the action itself can be embedded within the story. By preserving the memory of an action, the stories act as a source of inspiration and education for future generations. The political role of a storyteller, poet or a historian is preserving the story as a source of instruction for the future.6 However, to be preserved, the story also requires an audience. Sheldon Wolin has defined the audience as “a metaphor for the political community whose nature is to be a community of remembrance”7. Creation of a potential of action as well a storytelling and community of memory was one of the main functions of Greek polis. Beyond making a public gathering of people possible, the polis also allowed for sharing of words and stories, as every citizen could become a witness and possible storyteller.8 The potential of action and the social organized remembrance established within the polis allowed for the overcoming of mortality of human action.
Philosophy (Fall 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), accessed at: [https://plato. stanford.edu/archives/fall2019/entries/ arendt/] 7. Wolin, S., 1977, “Hannah Arendt and the Ordinance of Time,” Social Research, 44(1): 91–105. p.97 8. Passerin d’Entreves, M. “Hannah Arendt”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), accessed at: [https://plato. stanford.edu/archives/fall2019/entries/ arendt/
Kamishibai is a visual and participatory storytelling technique originating in Japan, popular in first half of 20th century. Decapitations of everyday life injected with humour as well as communication of news became main subject of Kamishibai stories, reflecting the state of society following Great Depression and II World War. [ 98 ]
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The word protagonist has a number of meanings. The most common meaning is of a leading character in either a story, play or a film. The English word protagonist started to be used in the 17th century and its origin stems from a Greek word prōtagōnistēs, from prōtos ‘first in importance’ + agōnistēs ‘actor’. However, the word protagonist also has a second meaning: an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.1 The choice of the protagonist can define the narrative of the story and create a strong advocacy for a certain issue or a cause. In literature and movies the main protagonist is often a human, be it a hero or a villain, nonetheless a human being. It seems that we tend to only accept non-human protagonists in children’s tales and fictional stories. Rarely, we come across a piece of writing that focuses its narration on point of view of an object. In
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the essay “The Storied Lives of Non-Human Narrators” the authors highlight the importance of the non-human narrators and protagonists, as a medium by which , paradoxically, human readers can reflect upon aspects of human nature. Non-human narrators can prompt readers to challenge the known conception of human behaviour. The readers might be confronted with the notion to empathize with the non-human protagonist and apply a different point of view to their own lives.2 The idea of the non-human protagonists has been explored in the first semester group work. The four protagonists that we individually chose were: a pigeon, a tunnel, a cow and power networks. The alternative narrators allowed us to create an agency for the non-human elements, part of the human experience of the Metrocentre. The narrative of the alternative reality raised an opportunity
to experience the shopping centre through a variety of perspectives and points of view. The narrative was set in the dystopian future, around the year 2050, focusing on the evolution of shopping centres from entertainment spaces into VR traps, as seen by our nonhuman narrators. To create a point of view of non-human object, we tried to define the main characteristics of each protagonist and their relations with the shopping centre or the society. The characters of a cow and a pigeon focused on the relations between humans and animals. The pigeon narrator focused on the history of domestication and exploitation of doves, from using them as a religious symbols to keeping them as a form of entertainment or food source. Meanwhile the cow protagonist focused on modern exploitation of farm animals as a consumption commodity and its effect on the global climate change. Whilst the animate
protagonists defined the relations with humans, the non-animate narrators, the tunnel and power networks, provided an understanding of physical context of said narratives. The tunnel represented an uncontrolled political space, free of supervision and monitoring, a space where human characters were free to voice their stance and become protagonists in their own narratives. The power networks acted as a physical reminder of the constant construction of infrastructure accommodating the growing needs of the society, destroying the natural habitats and consuming vast amount of nonrenewable resources.
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1. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Protagonist. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ protagonist
2. Bernaerts, Lars, Marco Caracciolo, Luc Herman, and Bart Vervaeck. “The Storied Lives of Non-Human Narrators.” Narrative 22, no. 1 (2014): 68-93.
The space of he tunnel was used to ground the narrative as a future exhibition organised by the pigeon and cow protagonists, showcasing the timeline of the evolution of shopping centres and the relations between the protagonists and the human society. The timeline was showcasing a time frame of eighty years, from 1970s to approximately 2050s. It explored the themes of the shopping centre and infrastructure construction, sustainable agriculture, animal and human rights as well as concepts of capitalism and constant economic growth.
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Series of short stories exploring the experience of pigeons within the area of Eldon Square Shopping Centre.
You know… back in my day we were celebrated, cherished, named as war heroes. We were the key to communication, assisted in medical emergencies, not to mention the racing guys, they were real superstars!
You remember my words, give it another few years and they will treat us worse than rats!
I will worry about it later, now it’s time for breakfast
Our position in the society was drastically changing and soon there might be no space for us left in the cities.
“You know… back in my day we were celebrated, cherished, named as war heroes. We were the key to communication, assisted in medical emergencies, not to mention the racing guys, they were real superstars!” said Albert, looking down onto the crowd rushing through Eldon Square. “Yeah, yeah, grandpa, I know. You talk about them all the time, Cher Ami and G. I. Joe, the real heroes of their times… always following the rules, responding to every single task and having no fun or freedom.” Patrick responded, while eyeing up the elderly lady who, every single morning without fail, came to Eldon Square to read a newspaper and eat her breakfast pastry. It was approaching nine and the morning rush had started to calm down. Albert and Patrick liked having their morning conversations, while observing the square, although it seemed that they saw completely different words in front of them. Patrick always said his grandpa was the old generation, the one that loved working and having no freedom, but feeling like they are important and appreciated by the owners. He did respect the life that his grandfather had, he just simply believed that having no rules, no boundaries and most importantly no owners was better. He just could not imagine working for someone that would treat you in the way they did, forcing you to move to the city, offering a job and then taking it all and thinking that we would what, disappear? “Patrick” said Albert “You really need to understand your situation better. The times are getting harder, look around you. They do not want us anymore, at least not in their pristine city centres. When I was your age the times were different, they needed us, but the world moved forward and they found cheaper, easier and quicker ways of doing our jobs. You remember my words, give it another few years and they will treat us worse than rats!” Albert said with anger, yet you could hear sadness in his voice. “Worse than rats…” he kept mummering, whilst looking over the square. Patrick could not disagree with his grandfather. Only yesterday he had heard about an entire local family losing their home due to, as they call it, pest control. Their position in the society was drastically changing and soon they might be no space for them left in the cities. Patrick looked down, towards the elderly lady reading the newspaper. She had just finished her pastry and swept away all the crumbs from her coat onto the pavement. Patrick ruffled his feathers and flew over the square, his grandfather’s words still resonating in his mind. “I will worry about it later, now it’s time for breakfast” he thought while landing next to the bench and enjoying the leftover crumbs.
IN CONVERSATION WITH THE GRANDPARENTS
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Next time I will just go on my own and not waste time waiting for her.
I am so, so sorry! You know my time management, I just once again left everything too late and had to run so many errands before I could get a break for lunch!
Oh! I cannot believe it! Look Lily, we are going to have a feast!
Lily looked towards the square from the top of the Eldon Square, searching for her friend in the crowds. As always Emily was late, and they would probably miss out on the best lunch deal. “Next time” she thought angrily “I will just go on my own and not waste time waiting for her”. A few minutes later Emily finally showed up, weaving frantically and apologising as soon as she reached Lily. “I am so, so sorry! You know my time management, I just once again left everything too late and had to run so many errands before I could get a break for lunch!” Lily looked at her friend with disapprobation. They had known each other for years, since they were both little, but Emily never grew up. She still was the same messy, disorganised teenager that got them in trouble all the time. If it wasn’t for her innocent charm she would have been probably been caught and sent away a long time ago. “You know” said Lily “Next time I will just not ask you and come on my own, I am so tired of you wasting my time, making me wait for you, on my own, like some kind of crazy woman. I told you so many times I hate waiting on my own, especially in the centre of town in such a crowd!” Emily knew that she had messed up yet again “I really need to be more organised or I will have no friends left” she thought to herself. “I am so sorry, really! I will give you half of my lunch and later we can spend some time shopping and maybe we will even find you a nice, little treat that I can buy for you…?” Emily asked shyly, trying to smooth out the situation. She knew that Lily cannot refuse a little bit of shopping whilst in town. “Fine.” said Lily “But next time you won’t win me over that easily!” she said laughing and hugging her best friend. Both of them started to look for places to grab lunch. It was around 1pm and the city centre was thriving with life. People from the local offices were just finishing their lunch break so there was plenty of food options for both of them. Normally they would get some crumbs of sausage rolls next to the benches or maybe some crumbs from the sandwiches that some teenagers ate during their lunch break on the patch of grass in Eldon Square. “Oh! I cannot believe it! Look Lily, we are going to have a feast!” exclaimed Emily pointing towards the centre of the square. On the bench, a small elderly woman, was opening her bags and pulling out seeds and breadcrumbs. “Just like the good, old days!” shouted Emily already preparing to fly over. Lily smiled at her friend’s excitement. She looked over the Square and saw Emily already landing on the bench, next to the woman. “Just like the good, old days…” she thought while taking off towards her friend.
Just like the good, old days…
LUNCH BREAK GOSSIP
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However there was one thing I did not want to admit. I was absolutely terrified of the fatherhood.
Could you please get a move on? I don’t have the whole day to shop!
I guess you just have to accept it... I thought back to the memories of my childhood home. It was one of the most beautiful homes I could remember.
Lily looked towards the square from the top of the Eldon Square, searching for her friend in the crowds. As always Emily was late, and they would probably miss out on the best lunch deal. “Next time” she thought angrily “I will just go on my own and not waste time waiting for her”. A few minutes later Emily finally showed up, weaving frantically and apologising as soon as she reached Lily. “I am so, so sorry! You know my time management, I just once again left everything too late and had to run so many errands before I could get a break for lunch!” Lily looked at her friend with disapprobation. They had known each other for years, since they were both little, but Emily never grew up. She still was the same messy, disorganised teenager that got them in trouble all the time. If it wasn’t for her innocent charm she would have been probably been caught and sent away a long time ago. “You know” said Lily “Next time I will just not ask you and come on my own, I am so tired of you wasting my time, making me wait for you, on my own, like some kind of crazy woman. I told you so many times I hate waiting on my own, especially in the centre of town in such a crowd!” Emily knew that she had messed up yet again “I really need to be more organised or I will have no friends left” she thought to herself. “I am so sorry, really! I will give you half of my lunch and later we can spend some time shopping and maybe we will even find you a nice, little treat that I can buy for you…?” Emily asked shyly, trying to smooth out the situation. She knew that Lily cannot refuse a little bit of shopping whilst in town. “Fine.” said Lily “But next time you won’t win me over that easily!” she said laughing and hugging her best friend. Both of them started to look for places to grab lunch. It was around 1pm and the city centre was thriving with life. People from the local offices were just finishing their lunch break so there was plenty of food options for both of them. Normally they would get some crumbs of sausage rolls next to the benches or maybe some crumbs from the sandwiches that some teenagers ate during their lunch break on the patch of grass in Eldon Square. “Oh! I cannot believe it! Look Lily, we are going to have a feast!” exclaimed Emily pointing towards the centre of the square. On the bench, a small elderly woman, was opening her bags and pulling out seeds and breadcrumbs. “Just like the good, old days!” shouted Emily already preparing to fly over. Lily smiled at her friend’s excitement. She looked over the Square and saw Emily already landing on the bench, next to the woman. “Just like the good, old days…” she thought while taking off towards her friend.
WEEKEND SHOPPING TRIP
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04
ADAPTING TO AN URBAN HABITAT
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In Britain feral pigeons are distributed around the whole country with the exception of the Scottish Highlands and Snowdonia, where the climatic conditions are too harsh. The feral pigeon population tends to be focused around urban areas as well as dense rural, agricultural land as they depend on humans for food throughout the year. In the central parts of London the pigeons account for almost eighty-eight percent of the total number of birds in the capital.1 The adaptation of feral pigeons to live in the urban environment can be seen in their behaviours. One of the examples of those behavioural changes is sunbathing, a behaviour rarely seen in their wild ancestors. The birds lie, generally with one of the wings spread out, on different surfaces such as grass, flowerbeds or roofs. In this position they are extremely vulnerable to predators, therefore it is a behaviour seen only in urban street pigeons.2 The feral pigeons habitat in the cities is mostly focused around the city centre, as they prefer large, institutional buildings, such as churches, theatres or railway stations. The air-brick spaces, window boxes or architectural features such as turrets or cupolas provide a good, sheltered nesting space for the pigeons, in comparison to clean line modern buildings.3 The architecture constructed with human needs or aesthetics in mind, paradoxically creates a suitable habitat for wildlife as well. With the number of people living in urban areas growing, so is the number of wildlife adapting to living alongside humans in the new habitat. The benefits of plentiful food as well as protection from hunting and often a lack of the natural predators attracts more and more wildlife into the cities.4 The urban area poses both an opportunity as well as a challenge to many wildlife species. Whilst they are safer than in the open wild, they have to learn to live in much smaller spaces and adapt to phenomena such as traffic. The
1. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.91
feral pigeon has greatly adapted to living within the city, understanding the human behaviours as well as dealing exceptionally well with traffic. Additionally, pigeons seem to be able to recognise familiar human faces, allowing them to distinguish between people based on their previous experience with them.5 The architecture of the cities provides a suitable environment for nesting and breeding and the controlled climate of the cities allows the pigeons to breed throughout the year, including in the winter months.6 The urban fabric provides the birds with the necessary elements of their diets as well. Many feral pigeons eat small pieces of flint or quartzite, found on paths or roadways, to aid the breakdown of food and aid digestion. Lime mortar and plasterboard provide a source of calcium for the pigeons, especially during the breeding season as a calcium deficiency can result in soft-shelled eggs.7
The city centre of Newcastle provides the population of pigeons with an abundance of Georgian architecture providing nesting spaces. The Old Eldon Square in particular is a popular spot for the feral pigeons, offering nesting and resting spots on the retained Georgian terraces as well as on the ledges of Eldon Square Shopping Centre. Many people working or living in the city centre use Old Eldon Square as an outdoor, leisure destination, often using the grass areas or the benches to eat lunch or snacks, providing birds with food source.
iar-human-faces/] accessed: 20.11.20
2. Ibid. p.96
7. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.100
3. Ibid. p.101
8. Ibid. p.113
4. Dell’Amore, C. How Wild Animals Are Hacking Life in the City, National Geographic, 2016 [https://www.nationalgeographic./ news/2016/ 04/ 160418-animals-urban-cities-wildlife-science-coyotes/] accessed: 20.11.20 6. Pous, T. Pigeons Can Recognize Familiar Human Faces, Time, 2012 [https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/27/ study-pigeons-can-recognize-famil-
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Set of
lines
guide
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[17]
Pigeons exist within a wider ecosystem established in the urban environment, They depend on green areas such as parks and churchyards for nesting materials such as twigs and grasses. The green areas provide pigeons with additional, natural food resources such as berries, seeds or nuts. Pigeons interact with various urban species such as foxes, different bird species or small rodents, creating a complex urban ecosystem.
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1
E
NATIONAL PARKS BUILT UP AREAS FERAL PIGEON DISTRIBUTION
2
NATIONAL PARKS
D
Cairngorms [C5-6, D5-6] Loch Lomond and the Trossachs [C6-7] Northumberland [D7-8] Lake District [D8-9] Yorkshire Dales [D8-9, E8-9] North York Moors [E8-9] Peak District [E9-10] Snowdonia [C10] Broads [G10-11] Pembrokeshire Coast [B11-12] Brecon Beacons [C11, D11] Exmoor [C12] Dartmoor [C13] New Forest [E12] South Downs [E12, F12]
3
B
A ROCK DOVE (Columba livia) HABITAT: sea-cliffs, especially ones with caves and deep fissures DISTRIBUTION: pure rock doves can be found on the northern and western coasts and islands of Scotland and Ireland
FERAL PIGEON (Columba livia domestica) HABITAT: urban areas, building ledges, gutters, lofts DISTRIBUTION: can be found in most urban and rural areas, in most cases its depended on nearby human activity
C
4
5
Aberdeen
6
Dundee
7 Edinburgh
Glasgow
STOCK DOVE (Columba oenas) HABITAT: nests in tree holes, cliffs, quarries and sand dunes DISTRIBUTION: found in rural and coastal areas of Britain, in the second half of XX century they disappeared from parks and urban gardens of London
WOODPIGEON (Columba palumbu) HABITAT: traditionally woodland, however there are increasing numbers of woodpigeon in gardens and street trees DISTRIBUTION: well distributed throughout the country, can be found in both rural and urban areas
8 Newcastle
F 9 York Leeds
G
Manchester 10 Liverpool
Sheffield
Nottingham
11 TURTLE DOVE (Streptopelia turtur) HABITAT: woodland edges, thick hedges and scrub DISTRIBUTION: summer visiting bird, can be spotted throughout England, South of Northumberland, sometimes also spotted in Ireland
Birmingham
COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) HABITAT: treed rural areas, nearby small settlements, suburban areas DISTRIBUTION: found throughout British Isles, less popular in Northern Scotland
12
Cardiff Bristol
London
PIGEONS IN BRITAIN: SPECIES AND DISTRIBUTION There are six species of pigeons within the UK, with feral and wood pigeon the most prevalent. Whilst majority of pigeon species prefer a rural or wild habitat of woodland edges, hedges or sea cliffs, the feral pigeon population is distributed within urban areas (distribution map of feral pigeons on the right hand side).
13
Plymouth [ 116 ]
Portsmouth
0
0
1
The city centre of Newcastle is a perfect living environment for feral pigeons. With an abundance of Georgian architecture providing the flocks with nesting spaces and many food outlets providing a constant food source, the city centre area is filled with the birds. The Old Eldon Square in particular is a popular spot for the feral pigeons, offering the nesting and resting spots on the retained Georgian terraces as well as on the ledges of Eldon Square Shopping Centre. Many people working or living in the city centre use Old Eldon Square as an outdoor, leisure destination, often using the grass areas or the benches to eat lunch or snacks, providing the pigeons with food. There are two main flocks of birds in the square, one occupying the grassed area to the SouthEast of the square and one occupying the last roof of the terraces on the Eastern side of the plaza as well as the ledge of the Eldon Square car park. A few times an hour, the flocks switch places with each other, allowing the other flock to access food. The feral pigeons use the square for similar activities as humans. The Old Eldon Square is a place where they feel safe enough to sunbathe and rest, either on the grassed areas or on the rooftops. They also see it as a space of feeding and socialising, with many breeding pairs of pigeons mating either on the ledge of Eldon Square or on the rooftop of the Georgian terraces. Their behaviour is reflective of the usage of the space by humans, who consider it a meeting spot, a space of socialising and often an outdoor space for consuming lunch and beverages, especially in summer months. Often a number of people can be spotted feeding the pigeons, either by crumbling pieces of their own food or coming prepared with bags of dried bread or seeds. It is one of very few spaces where people actually interact with the birds in one form or another and recognize them as users of the same, shared space rather than a nuisance or a disturbance.
A
100m
D 4 min
2 min
0.5 min
B
C E
2
3
B
100m_1min at 6km/h
A
4
33
0m
_1
mi
na
t3
5
A
B
SUNBATHING
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C
50
C
FEEDING
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SOCIALISING
0k
m/
h
Cliffs vs ledges The edges of the buildings resemble the natural habitat or rock doves: sea cliffs.
The architecture constructed with human needs or aesthetics in mind, paradoxically creates a suitable habitat for wildlife as well. With the number of people living in urban areas growing, so is the number of wildlife adapting to living alongside humans in the new habitat of the urban. The benefits of plentiful food as well as protection from hunting and often a lack of the natural predators attracts more and more wildlife into the cities.1 The urban area poses both an opportunity as well as a challenge to many wildlife species. Whilst they are safer than in the open wild, they have to learn to live in much smaller spaces and adapt to phenomena such as traffic. However, as the natural habitats are slowly being destroyed by agriculture and urbanization, more and more wild animals might make their way to the cities. The feral pigeon has greatly adapted to living within the city, understanding the human behaviours of eating as well as dealing exceptionally well with traffic. Additionally, pigeons seem to be able to recognise familiar human faces, allowing them to distinguish between people based on their previous experience with them.2 The architecture of the cities provides a suitable environment for nesting and breeding and the controlled climate of the cities allows the pigeons to breed throughout the year, including in the winter months.3 The urban fabric provides the birds with the necessary elements of their diets as well. Many feral pigeons eat small pieces of flint or quartzite, found on paths or roadways, to aid the breakdown of food and aid digestion. Lime mortar and plasterboard provide a source of calcium for the pigeons, especially during the breeding season as a calcium deficiency can result in soft-shelled eggs.4
Lime mortar The lime mortar used in Georgian architecture is an important source of calcium.
Green areas Green spaces provide the birds with nesting material such as sticks, dry grasses and leaves.
Architectural features Ornamental features on the façades provide the birds with nesting spaces.
Roads and pavements Roads provide the feral pigeons with a source of flint, which helps with digestion.
1. Dell’Amore, C. How Wild Animals Are Hacking Life in the City, National Geographic, 2016 [https://www.nationalgeographic./ news/2016/ 04/ 160418-animals-urban-cities-wildlife-science-coyotes/] accessed: 20.11.20 2. Pous, T. Pigeons Can Recognize Familiar Human Faces, Time, 2012 [https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/27/ study-pigeons-can-recognize-familiar-human-faces/] accessed: 20.11.20 3. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.100 4. Ibid. p.113
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Mycelium The mycelium is placed in a formwork with organic, feeding material such as straw or ground coffee beans.
The materiality of Eldon Square reflects the human needs and inspiration for the design quality. The majority of the materials used are not environmentally friendly, with average CO2 emission of 232g per one kilogram of brick.1 Additionally, the structure of the shopping mall is mostly reinforced concrete and the new refurbishment introduces large quantities of glazing. The use of concrete and glass is one of the main factors increasing the emission of CO2 in the construction industry. Concrete for a structural frame is responsible for the emission of 810g of CO2 per one kilogram of concrete, whilst production of curtain wall with glazing emits 1050g of CO2 per one kilogram.2 In the past decade there has been a rise in development of bio-materials in the design industry. Many of these materials not only limit the emission of CO2, but also create an environment that would be better suited to the needs of non-human urban inhabitants.
Eggshells ceramic.
Eggshells can be used to produce a water resistant material. It can be re-used by melting it at 70 degrees Celsius. The eggshells contain calcium carbonate, a nutrient that can be consumed by humans and animals.3 The material could be used as a calcium source for pigeons, as well as using the waste product of their breeding for the production of the material.
Hempcrete.
The material is made out of mix of hemp-shiv and lime binder. It provides a compostable, vapour-permeable insulation material, with good thermal performance.4 The lime binder is a source of minerals and calcium and thermal performance of the insulation could minimise the running costs of the building, whilst creating a chemical free indoor environment.
Oyster King mushrooms are used for starting mycelium growth. Pieces of mycelium are cut off the base of the mushrooms.
Mycelium panels can provide minerals and food source for animals in the city centres.
Mycelium can be grown into a variety of shapes and sizes. It is water resistant and can be used as structural material or cladding.
Unused straw and other organic material can be used for construction of bird nests.
Hempcrete Hemp plantation.
Hemp hurd derived from the stalks of hemp plant.
Mycelium.
Over the past couple of years mycelium has been gaining recognition in the design industry. It can be grown into a range of organic shapes, it is fully waterproof and able to support high loads. The material can be grown with nutrients from simple organic materials such as straw. It can be used as a structural material in the form of frames or bricks. Mycelium can be consumed and it can serve as a natural food source for the birds.
Hemp hurd can be used as a nesting material as well as horticultural mulch.
Hemp seeds can be used as bird feed.
Hemp hurd is mixed with lime binder and water. It can either be poured into formwork to create hempcrete blocks, cast in-situ or sprayed as an insulation layer.
Eggshells ceramic Eggshells are grounded into fine powder.
The mixture is poured into a mould to create desired shaped and thickness.
1. Nitin G. Kulkarni, Anand B. Rao, Carbon footprint of solid clay bricks fired in clamps of India, Journal of Cleane Production, Volume 135, 2016, p. 1396-1406 2. Yip M., Leung M. Impact of Construction Project Designs on CO2 Emissions. University of Hong Kong, accessed at: [https://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/ CIB20888.pdf]
The material can be air dried (around 24h) or can be oven dried at 50 degrees for about 5-10 minutes.
Eggshell powder is mixed with water and Calcium Alginate. Eggshells of urban birds can be used in the process.
3. Wijdeven L., Eggshell Ceramic, 2020, accessed at: [https://ddw.nl/en/programme/4277/eggshell-ceramic] 4. UK Hempcrete, Hempcrete services from the professionals, 2020 accessed at: [https://www.ukhempcrete.com/]
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The material can be used outdoor and can provide an important calcium source for urban birds.
ORANGE PEEL BIO-PLASTIC Zest orange peel. Air dry it or use oven at 50 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a flat tray or dish. Dry in a cool and dry place for 5-7 days, depending on the thickness of the sample.
70o C
The types of materials we use in construction have an impact not only on the environment but also on the wellbeing of the users. The concrete and brick structure of Eldon dominates the city centre and disengages the interior from the exterior context. I wanted to focus on searching for solutions that not only limit the emission of CO2 but also positively influence the atmosphere and experience inside the building. I was also interested in developing a way of addressing more then just one user at the time, specifically focusing on all the non-human entities that we share the urban environment with. Focussing on the pigeon, I wanted to look into alternative materials that could bring benefits not only for the human users, but for pigeons as well. In their diet, feral pigeons often miss a source of vitamins and minerals. Many pigeon fanciers add citruses to the feed, to boost birds’ immunity as well as provide vitamin C and anti-oxidants.1 The orange peel bioplastic is made out of edible and compostable materials; gelatin, glycerol, orange peel and water. It takes around five days to dry out and creates a flexible film of material, however it is also possible to cast thicker samples. The film is around 1 to 2mm thick and semi-translucent. The material can be easily reused by melting and re-casting. The bioplastic can be made more rigid or more flexible by changing the proportions of glycerol and gelatine in the mix. The material could be used in a number of ways, such as interior wall or ceiling finishes, flexible division walls etc.
Mix dried orange peel, glycerol, gelatin and water and heat up to 70oC while stirring.
1. Axcelson R. Pigeons and Doves - Feeding. VCA, 2020, accessed at: [https://vcahospitals.com/know-yourpet/pigeons-and-doves-feeding#:~:text=Pigeons%20and%20doves%20eat%20 a,and%20earthworms%20in%20the%20 wild.]
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The panels are natural material that can be eaten by birds and provide a source of Vitamin C and antioxidants.
05
NON-HUMAN EXPERIENCE
“
[...] shoppers may relish to the utmost their newfound freedom to stand and stare, to sit and rest, to stroll and chat and enjoy their surroundings Comprehensive Development Area booklet
The 1960s redevelopment of Newcastle city centre focused on the creation of a main indoor shopping centre serving the city, within the existing architecture of the Dobson/ Grainger partnership. The redevelopment included large areas of the city centre, from Newgate Street up to Haymarket and was part of a city-wide redevelopment of vehicular and pedestrian movement. The Eldon Square development is at the heart of Newcastle City Centre and was part of a planning framework established as Newcastle Central Development Plan. The brief of the project was to design a building that would offer a space for a variety of small shops and major stores as well as offer space for a new market, bus station, car parking, offices and entertainment areas such as a cinema.1 The main design driver of the project was its incorporation with the existing fabric and levels of the city centre. The route through the building was a main design factor behind the building form, while the architectural style of the outside was supposed to be flexible, in order to reflect and match the changing context of the townscape. The route of Eldon Square was planned around the large stores, such as Bainbridges (25100m2), Boots (7430m2), W.H. Smith (4650m2) and Habitat (1390m2)2 and connected to existing street levels on Northumberland Street, Clayton Street and Old Eldon Square. The new route was intended to connect to a proposed pedestrian footway system, that was supposed to incorporate elements such as small kiosks, benches and water features, so
“that shoppers may relish to the utmost their new-found freedom to stand and stare, to sit and rest, to stroll and chat and enjoy their surroundings, undisturbed and unendangered by the rush, the din and the fumes of motor traffic.”4
1. ”MARKET VALUES AT ELDON SQUARE.” The Architectural Review (London) 161, no. 962 (1977): 212. 2. Smith, Peter. “Buildings Illustrated: Brent Cross and Eldon Square.” Architects’ Journal (London) 164, no. 27 (1976): 19. 3. Ibid. p. 29 4. Newcastle City Council, The Eldon Square Scheme : The Percy Street / Blackett Street Comprehensive Development Area booklet, 1963.
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0
1
E
25
50
75m
F
I. ELDON SQUARE SHOPPING CENTRE II. ELDON SQUARE (1976) REFURBISHED: 2007
3
A
B
D
G
C
4 IV. ELDON GARDEN(1989)
The materiality of Eldon Square has remained mostly unchanged since 1967 when the shopping centre was first opened. Externally the building creates a series of terraced colonnades clad in dark West Hoathley brick, with upper floors clad in lead panelling. The plant rooms located on the roof are either clad with lead panelling or hidden behind lead louvres.1 The entrances on Northumberland Street and next to Monument used to be clad with reflective glass to reflect the visual pattern of the city centre,2 however following recent refurbishments the reflective glass exterior has been changed to transparent curtain walls. The 2007 and 2016 refurbishments changed the external materiality of certain parts of the builidings. The new bus station is a lot more open with large glazed openings facing Percy Street. Sandstone cladding has been introduced, reflecting the traditional Georgian façades of the Grainger Town. The interior of the shopping centre has been changes multiple times. Nowadays the inside of Eldon Square is mostly high level polish tiles, in tones of white and beige as well as plasterboard ceilings with acoustic panels. The interior no longer reflects the materiality of the exterior, and many original elements such as sunken seating areas, water features or raised Bainbridges cafe have been lost. During the development many visual connections between outside and inside have been removed, separating the experience of the shopper from the urban fabric of the city centre.
2
H
5
6
7
8
9
GLASS
C4, G4, F8
Emission: Co2(g)/kg 1050
10 BRICK
A-F8, A-G4-6
Emission: Co2(g)/kg 232
11 1. ”MARKET VALUES AT ELDON SQUARE.” The Architectural Review (London) 161, no. 962 (1977): 212.
CONCRETE
2. Smith, Peter. “Buildings Illustrated: Brent Cross and Eldon Square.” Architects’ Journal (London) 164, no. 27 (1976): 19.
A-H1-12
Emission: Co2(g)/kg
12
810
III. GREENMARKET (1976) REFURBISHED: 2007
GREENERY
Emission: Co2(g)/kg 0
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C-D7
The model explores materiality of Eldon Square Shopping Centre and through the scale of the pigeon, highlighting different perception of materials by different species. The materiality map focuses on materials used by the birds, such as mortar and brick for enriching the diet and represents them in a scale perceived by a bird.
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Plate I. - Columba livia domestica (feral pigeon). Wing and feather study.
“
Alula
Marginal coverts
Keratinized maxillary beak
Scapulars
Primary coverts Ulna Cranium
Alula
Radius Humerus
Pigeons are flying remote sensors with capabilities we can appreciate from an engineering perspective.
Cervical vertebra
Primaries
Dorsal tubercle of humerus
Secondaries Secondary coverts
Fig. 1 Wing structure: feathers
Mark Denny
While the sense of touch is not used extensively, it is vital for flight. Changes in air temperature, pressure and wind speed are transferred down the feathers to nerves in the skin.
Clavicle
Scapula
Sternum Rib
Minor metacarpal bone
Femur Ischium
Major metacarpal bone
Fig. 2 Feather structure Quill
Pubis
The feather typically consists of a central shaft (1), with a number of barbs (2) forming a flat, curved surface called vane. The branches located on barbs, the barbules (3) are attached to each other by a number of hooks (4), stiffening the structure of the vane.
Caudal vertebrae
Fig. 3 Skeletal structure Tibiotarsal bone
x1 1. Rachis 2. Barb
4. Hooks x10
x20
3. Barbule
Fig. 4 Étienne-Jules Marey, Analysis of the Flight of a Pigeon by the Chronophotographic Method: 1883-87
Plate II. - Columba livia domestica (feral pigeon). Brain and navigation senses.
Anterior
Fig. 2 Inner ear magnetorecpetion
Posterior
3. Acoustic beamshape
1. Acoustic spectrum
The topography, such as a costal mountain (2) acts as an acoustic beacon, emmitting different shaped beamshapes (3) .Along the flight path (5) of a pigeon, the acoustic spectrum (1) changes, indicating the bird’s position relative to the mountain. Pigeons can also recognize the specific acoustic radiation of topography and use it as a navigation point.
Lateral
3D model of inner ear
5. Flight path
Fig. 1 Infrasound topography sensing
Pigeon’s head section
Quadrante bone Cranium
0
Jugal bone
Temporal bone
100
0 300
Keratinized maxillary beak
400
500
600
700
Wavelength (nm)
Craniofacial flexion zone
100
PIGEON
Orbit
Relative absorbance
Pigeon vs human colour perception
Inner ear as a navigation tool
The build of pigeon’s inner ear allows for usage of magnetoreception as a navigation system. Ion channels within avian ear detect magnetic fields by induced electric field within the cupula. The electric current is induced accordingally to magnetic field shifts, that are caused by dynamic head movement. The system is similar to Ampullae of Lorenzini, found in sharks and rays.
Fig. 3 Pigeon’s vision
4. Sea level
Relative absorbance
2. Costal mountain
HUMAN
To grow an understanding of pigeons’ experience of the urban environment, it is crucial to better understand their perception. We tend to judge non-human perception through the context of our own experience and grade animal abilities in comparison to human perception senses. However, animals experience their surrounding through an entirely different set of senses. Their senses are either stronger than the human equivalents, such as a dog’s sense of smell, or there is no human perception equivalent, such as magnetoperception or echolocation in birds. Understanding of pigeons’ anatomy and the quality of their perception senses allows humans to position themselves within the experience of the other and understand their relationship with built environment. Whilst humans depend on their sense of vision to navigate the city, birds tend to map the topography of the urban environment through infrasound. Different topographies such as buildings, streets, parks etc. emit different shaped acoustic beamshapes, allowing birds to position themselves relative to certain objects and use it as navigation points.1 Additionally, they navigate by perceiving magnetic fields. An electric current within their inner ear is induced by magnetic shifts, caused by dynamic head movement, allowing the bird to position itself accordingly.2 What is more, pigeons have a wider field of vision than humans, allowing them to see approximately a 300 degree field, with the majority of their vision monocular and only the frontal 22 degrees binocular. Pigeons are pentachromatic, perceiving five colours in comparison to humans which only perceive three. It means that pigeons can see up to 10 billion colours, while human vision allows us to see only around one million.3
300
400
500
600
Pigeons are pentachromats, meaning they can percieve five or more colours, due to the number and type of colour receptiors in their retinae. In comparision humans only percieve three colours. Assuming similar spectral resolution of 100 intensities for each of cone cells and combinatorial capacities, pentachromats can percieve up to 10 billion colours in comparision with approximatelly one million percieved by humans.
Premaxillary bone
Fig. 4 Pigeon’s eye Retina
1. Denny, M. & McFadzean, A. (2011) Engineering animals : how life works. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 282
Pigeons also have a wide field of vision reaching almost 300O, however majority of that field is a monocular vision.
Sclerotic ring Iris
2. Winklhofer, Michael (2019) Magnetoreception: A Dynamo in the Inner Ear of Pigeons. Current biology. 29 (23), R1224–R1226.
Lens
Fovea
Pigeon’s field of vision 44
147
Pecten
147
Cornea
Mandible
3. Denny, M. & McFadzean, A. (2011) Engineering animals : how life works. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 247
Muscle 22
Palatine bone
Quadrate bone Hyoid bones
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700
Wavelength (nm)
Keratinized mandibular beak
Fig. 4 Skeletal structure of pigeon’s head
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Optic nerve Avian eye section
Monocular vision Binocular vision
Red filter
phone screen with video
Blue filter Aluminium foil
magnifying glass lens UV spectrum light
[DENSITY OF AIR]
[DEADLY REFLECTION]
[VISION OF THE COLOUR]
[DENSITY OF AIR]
TRANSLATING THE NON-HUMAN EXPERIENCE The installation explores the experience of the non-human within the urban environment based on the knowledge of their perception senses. Understanding the perception senses of a pigeon allows for translating their perception into forms which are easier to understand by humans. The installation uses a series of tools to recreate the experience of a pigeon such as projectors, UV filters and reflective materials.
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NEWCASTLE CITY CENTRE
MAGNETIC FIELDS SOURCES
MAGNETIC FIELDS APPROXIMATE RADIUS To further understand the experience of pigeons within the cities, I looked at the impact of modern technologies on magnetic fields. Humans do not perceive magnetic fields naturally, however we can measure the magnetic field emission using a number of different tools. Every electronic device creates a magnetic field, creating a mesh of interacting fields in which we are immersed every day. Within the city centre of Newcastle the main sources of magnetic fields are the metro system and Eldon Shopping Centre. Urban elements such as electrical substations also create strong magnetic fields. Mapping of the field sources uncovers an invisible topography of the city, which impacts the navigational abilities of birds. The Earth’s magnetic field which is used by birds to navigate, is overpowered by the magnetic fields caused by technologies embedded within the urban environment, confusing birds and leading to collisions.
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The experience of perceiving space through the eyes of the other redefined my relationship with the space. By positioning myself within the experience of a pigeon and exploring the human space of Old Eldon Square in context of birds’ perception, I started to build a new relationship with familiar spaces, re-evaluating my position within the anthropocentric realm of the city.
mirrored surface Office chair
Office desk
35
0
Architectural
VR experience
books
sets
Architectural
Data collection
magazines
devices
Sofa
Specimen boa
rds
Experience dev
ices
Non-human offi
ce members
Toolkit _ SUPP ORT
purple coloured (UV) filter
[41]
Plan view of the vision mask
mirrored surface
purple coloured (UV) filter
3D diagram
NON-HUMAN EXPERIENCE PROSTHETIC To enhance the understanding of the pigeons’ experience within the urban environment, I developed a prosthetic device which allows humans to experience the perception of a bird in real time. The prosthetic mimics the wide field of vision as well as the colour perception, allowing humans to perceive their surrounding in context of perception senses of a pigeon.
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A series of photographs aims to represent the experience of using the prosthetic within the urban environment of Old Eldon Square. The photographs are taken from points usually inhabited by pigeons such as grassed areas outside of the shopping centre as well as pedestrianised areas around the Monument. The experience of looking at the world from the physical perspective of a pigeon created a relationship between my and the bird’s understanding of the space and help me position my perspective within the realm of the other. Using the prosthetic device within a busy city centre location attracted a number of weird looks from passer-bys, in a way recreating the emotional experience of a pigeon, as an unwanted pest within the city. To represent that experience I have created a video showcasing the images taken through the device accompanied by a short text expressing the emotional experience of using the device within the city.
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06
NON-HUMAN IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE
“
A FLAT, LEVEL SURFACE OF A BUILDING RIDGE OR A ROOFTOP PROVIDES THE SITE FOR THE PLATFORM NEST
The truth is that we can think of any number of examples of well-built, even intricate bird nests, but few comparable structures built by mammals. Mike Hansell
TWIGS ARE MOSTLY BROUGHT TO THE SITE BY THE MALE, WHO CAREFULLY INSPECTS AND CHOOSES TWIGS. THE FEMALE LAYS THE TWIGS ONE ON THE OTHER, AS SHE TURNS AROUND.
PILED LATTICE OF UP TO 200 TWIGS AND STEMS
Pigeon nests fall into a category of piled up platform structures. While their structure seems simple, it creates one of the most durable nests in the avian world. Pigeons build their nests at a significant height, either on rock formations in their natural habitat or on ledges and rooftops of buildings. The nest is constructed from a piled lattice, utilizing up to 200 twigs and stems. The lining of the nest is created from a number of thinner twigs, knitted into the main lattice structure. The nests differ based on the locally available material, with city flocks utilizing insulation, fabric and cardboard as lining for their nests.
LINING OF THE NEST IS CONSTRUCTED BY COMBINING THINNER TWIGS WITH THE MAIN STRUCTURAL LATTICE
OVERALL WIDTH: UP TO 36CM
DEPTH UP TO 17 CM
Humans admire birds’ ability to construct nests. Bird’s nests are a well-built, intricate construction, with few comparable structures built by other animal species. Bird nests are a symbol of home. We associate them with the ideas of shelter, childhood home and settling down. Although sturdy in construction, bird nests are used just for a short amount of time, serving its functional role of breeding space. They serve the role of a container for eggs and a secure shelter for growing chicks, however they are rarely used as a living habitat outside of the breeding season.1 Nests are highly functional, responding to the specific needs and behaviours of its occupants, resulting in a number of different building techniques, material uses and shapes. Most evidence has pointed to a strong genetic influence on construction methods of nest building. Adult birds tend to build a species-typical nest without any previous practice, leading to a presumption that birds do not learn nest building at all.2 Bird nests are intricate constructions providing comfort and shelter whilst utilising simple building techniques. They are usually built with locally sourced natural materials such as twigs, grasses, mud etc., materials which can be found in abundance, therefore nest building does not impact the bird’s ecosystem. What if that approach could be applied to a design process? Could the architectural industry adapt its approach to resource usage and learn from the process of nest building? Locally sourced resources and re-use of discarded materials to build highly functioning and comfortable buildings could lead to de-growth of the resource consumption and improve the sustainability of the construction sector, which currently is responsible for 38% of global CO2 emission.3
1. Goodfellow, P. (2013) Avian architecture : how birds design, engineer & build. 2. Ibid. 3. Environment Journal, Construction industry accounts for 38% of CO2 emissions, 2020, accessed at: [https:// environmentjournal.online/articles/ emissions-from-the-construction-industry-reach-highest-levels/#:~:text=Emissions%20from%20the%20 construction%20industry,the%20United%20Nations%20Environment%20Programme.] (24.05.21)
DIFFERENT MATERIALS SUCH AS LEAVES AND FEATHERS ARE USED AS PART OF THE NEST CONSTRUCTION. IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT MATERIALS SUCH AS PLASTIC, INSULATION, CARDBOARD AND CLOTHES ARE INCORPORATED INTO NESTS
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[ 147 ]
NEST STRUCTURE
UNDERSTANDING THE ARCHITECTURE OF ANIMAL BUILDERS
EXCREMENT
The nest is bound with natural material over the course of usage.
Radius: 15cm Depth: 5-8cm Main material: needles, twigs, grasses, leaves and natural binding materials
LATTICE
10cm
15cm
Needles, grasses and straw is incorporated into structural lattice of the nest.
5cm
[PRIMARY STRUCTURE] Thicker twigs, ranging in size from 5 to 15 cm in length, creating a structurally stable base lattice platform.
NEST LIKE ARCHITECTURE
[SECONDARY STRUCTURE] Smaller, flexible twigs as well as grass, straw and peduncles, infilling the main lattice structure and providing insulation and stability.
The study of nest construction led me to explore architectural methods which resemble the process of nest building, such as wattle and daub. Used widely within the United Kingdom, it is a composite building method for making walls. A woven lattice of wooden strips or twigs creates the wattle and they are covered by a mixture of clay, sand and straw to create watertight wall panels. It allowed me to explore ways in which bird’s skills could be potentially translated into architectural elements and methods.
peduncle grass clump
[TERTIARY STRUCTURE] soil
Small clumps of soft grasses entangled with soil and bird excrement create soft insulation infill, providing thermal and physical comfort as well as binding the main structure of nest together.
excrement
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[ 149 ]
[non-human oriented design] WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM The DEGROWTH and ANIMAL ORIENTED plug-ins enrich the experience of Revit user. They encourage sustainable approach to new-build proposal while promoting care and attention to non-human inhabitants of the city.
I was interested in exploring ways in which knowledge about pigeons’ experience and habits could inform architectural practice. Reflecting back on my time in practice, the question of non-human wellbeing never came up during projects situated both in urban areas or rural regions. I wanted to focus on translating the gathered knowledge into a methodology of architectural processes, with specific focus on office based workflows. In light of the ongoing climate emergency, the construction industry is adopting a number of solutions to improve the sustainability of the sector. However, many of these solutions are anthropocentric in their nature, highlighting the ‘outside the environment’ positioning currently held by the majority of professionals. By encouraging designers to consider the non-human within their designs, the architectural industry can adapt to creating architecture encouraging co-habitation of different species. Redefining existing workflows within the profession can help in achieving degrowth of the discipline. Focus on re-use of materials and embedded attentiveness to the other, can lead to a more conscious way of designing, resulting in more sustainable and non-human oriented urban areas. As 70% of practices within the UK use BIM modelling software, I wanted to explore whether attentiveness to the non-human could be embedded within existing tools such as Revit, facilitating the creation of a conscious design methodology within the realm of existing workflows. I have outlined different methods of adapting the software, which would encourage designers to reflect on their design decisions. A series of material and components libraries would allow designers to easily incorporate alternative solutions, materials and products within their proposals, without developing an expertise within this field.
WORKFLOWS How do we do things?
[DESIGNER]
69% of practices in UK are using established BIM standards
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The country-wide database would enlist available building materials such as recycled components from demolition sites, surplus materials at local building sites and resources available from local architectural salvage yards and recycling centre that can be used as subsidiary building materials. Usage of locally available materials mimics the process of nest building and encourages degrowth of resource use within the construction industry.
[DEMOLITION] NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE BUILDING TYPE: office STRUCTURE: concrete frame YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 1965 RECLAIMED MATERIAL: glass, concrete substrate, floor finishes, pre-cast staircase TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT: TBD COST: TBD
+
+
+
+
+
[DEMOLITION]
BUILDING TYPE: STRUCTURE: YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: RECLAIMED MATERIAL: TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
Local demolition and refurbishment sites could list materials reclaimed from the site. Additionally, designer could enquire about possibility of reclaiming certain components based on demand.
+
+
+
+
COST:
+
+
+
+
[SURPLUS]
MATERIAL TYPE: AMOUNT: CONDITION: PROPERTIES: TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
Database will improve communication between a number of local construction sites, increasing opportunities for exchange of goods and use of surplus materials within the construction industry.
+
+ +
COST:
+
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: CONDITION: POSSIBLE USE: TRANSPORT FOOTPRINT:
+
+
+ + +
+ +
[SUBSIDIARY]
MATERIAL TYPE:
+
+
+
Local scrap yards and recycling centres could use the database to advertise unique and alternative materials that could be incorporated into a building, such as wires, metal parts, different types of glazing etc.
COST:
There is a number of architectural salvage yards around the country, collecting and selling unwanted and reclaimed materials from demolition sites. They sell a variety of materials from bricks and roofing tiles to entire fireplaces, bathtubs or radiators. The salvage yards could be included as part of the database and create a country-wide list of materials available, allowing architects to design with available materials in mind and reducing usage of new resources, leading to an overall environmental degrowth of the construction sector.
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Existing ecosys tem groups
Air quality ind
ex
3.2
A study of current experience of animals within the city leads to developing knowledge about design choices and their impact on wellbeing of the other. Current urban trends can be examined for their impact onto different species, leading to adapting certain architectural elements to improve the experience of the non-human within cities. A series of studies of Newcastle City Centre onto three different animal groups outline impact of different urban elements.
[non-human oriented design]
URBAN FEATURES
WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM The DEGROWTH and ANIMAL ORIENTED plug-ins enrich the experience of Revit user. They encourage sustainable approach to new-build proposal while promoting care and attention to non-human inhabitants of the city.
8.4
Physical and experiential features within urban built environment that affect well-being, habitats and population growth of urban wildlife: URBAN BIRDS
form
example
urban scape
impact
5.1
4.6
Marking habitat
components
Large area of glazed surface, especially on tall buildings. Large windows without visual divisions or markers.
[18]
[workflow]
Glazed surfaces lead to an increase in deadly bird strikes, as the flocks are confused by reflections of natural habitats on façades. Indoor lighting left overnight draws birds to the light source, increasing the number of collisions.
ROOFS
[3]
ADAPTING
PROPOSED DESIGN IS CHECKED AGAINST A NUMBER OF FACTOR TO ENSURE THAT IT CREATES ANIMAL ORIENTED ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSAL.
Unused areas within urban environment, often used for plant rooms and services. Harsh surface finishes eg. concrete or metal.
Eldon Square roofscape
Site surveys
Newcastle City Library
GLAZING
Due to low level of human activity, roofs are often occupied by birds, however they do not provide suitable habitat for nesting and breeding, due to material finishes and general lack of natural components.
+
WATER SCARCITY
+ CHECK
ADAPT
Small number of natural water features and water sources such as ponds, rivers or fountains.
[2]
DESIGNING [BIM software, eg. Revit]
THE DESIGN IS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MATERIALS. SOFTWARE SUCH AS REVIT CAN BE USED TO CREATE A DATABASE OF MATERIAL AVAILABLE.
INCORPORATE
+
Birds require water sources as part of their habitats, for drinking and bathing purposes. Additionally, certain urban species, such as ducks, nest and breed in close proximity of water bodies.
MONOCULTURE
Lack of biological diversity within specific green area, examples include grass lawns or private city gardens. LIST
+
+
Quayside
CARE
DESIGN
Old Eldon Square
[ORIENTED plug in]
Monoculture areas do not provide birds with suitable habitats, leading to lack of breeding and nesting areas as well as poor nutrition.
[1]
BUILDING A NEST [DEGROWTH plug-in]
[DESIGNER]
THE BRIEF IS ASSESSED AGAINST LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS TO PROMOTE THE IDEA OF DEGROWTH WITHIN ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY.
LOCATE
69% of practices in UK are using established BIM standards
[ 154 ]
REUSE
Large areas of artificial ground covering, such as roads, paved squares or transport infrastructure.
Northumberland Street
SEALED SURFACES
+
CONSTRUCT
[ 155 ]
The surface is not permeable and does not support bio-diverse habitats. Additionally, it leads to micro climate effects within the city such as urban heat island.
URBAN FEATURES
URBAN FEATURES
Physical and experiential features within urban built environment that affect well-being, habitats and population growth of urban wildlife: URBAN RODENTS
Physical and experiential features within urban built environment that affect well-being, habitats and population growth of urban wildlife: URBAN INSECTS
example
urban scape
impact
Eldon Square interior
+ Rats and mouses often occupied spaces of markets and shopping streets due to high amount of available food, however highly controlled internal environments of shopping centre does not offer a safe or suitable living conditions.
+
High level of road traffic increases air pollution level within the city. Additionally, it increases a risk of urban heat island effect.
Sussex Street
The development of brownfield sites leads to decrease in number of suitable habitats for the urban insects. Brownfield sites offer natural habitats with a variety of shrubbery, stumps and logs used for nesting.
High level of air pollution negatively affects different urban insects such as bees or butterflies. Air pollutants break down plant-emitted scent molecules, confusing pollinating insects, increasing foraging time and decreasing efficiency of pollination.
+
Lack of natural burrowing surfaces within the city decreases suitable habitat spaces for rodents, lack of access to burrowing grounds influences nesting and breeding behaviours.
Large areas of non-permeable surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, paving etc. increasing the urban heat island effect.
+
Grainger Street
Northumberland Street
+
+
Surfaces such as asphalt or concrete increase temperatures within the urban areas. Populations of many butterfly species decreased due to higher temperatures, while some adapted their behaviour, by changing the time of year at which they are active.
+
Civic Centre Gardens
+
Monoculture areas do not provide suitable habitat as well as negatively influence the eating habits, due to poor selection of nutritious food sources.
Lack of biological diversity within specific green area, examples include grass lawns or private city gardens.
Old Eldon Square
MONOCULTURE
+
Monoculture areas do not provide suitable habitat for many urban insects. The foraging areas are affected by lack of or low variety of flowering plants. Additionally, lack of management of green areas maintenance, means that many grass species are mowed before flowering.
SEALED BUILDINGS
ROAD TRAFFIC
High level of traffic in close proximity to natural areas poses a high risk of collisions and accidents. Additionally, high level of pollution affects the wellbeing of the animals.
Percy Street
Large volume of road traffic within urban environment. Roads nearby parks, green areas and natural habitat have the greatest impact.
impact
URBAN SURFACES
MONOCULTURE
Lack of biological diversity within specific green area, examples include grass lawns or private city gardens.
Redevelopment of brownfield sites within urban environment, which are often natural urban habitats for many species of insects. ROAD TRAFFIC
SEALED SURFACES
Large areas of artificial ground covering, such as roads, paved squares or transport infrastructure.
urban scape
Newcastle motorway system
Eldon Square
High quality external finishes minimize the chance of animals accessing interior spaces such as basements, attics or lofts for nesting and breeding purposes.
ASCETIC INDOOR PUBLIC SPACES
High level of gloss finishes such as polished floors, tiles etc. Clean and ascetic interior spaces in markets, shopping centres.
example
BROWNFIELD SITE DEVELOPMENT
SEALED BUILDINGS
Sealed and well maintained external envelopes of building with high standard of external finishes.
form
[ 156 ]
Sealed and well maintained external envelopes of building with high standard of external finishes.
Eldon Square
form
+
[ 157 ]
Lack of access to sheltered spaces, previously offered by lofts and attics, alongside diminishing number of natural habitats, limits suitable nesting areas for urban insects.
[habitat components ] THE COMPONENT LIBRARY COULD FACILITATE THE PROCESS OF INCLUDING SUITABLE, BIO-DIVERSE GREEN SPACES WITHIN THE CITY. EACH FAMILY OF HABITATS WILL INCLUDE A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS SUCH AS SNAGS, WATER FEATURES ETC. THAT WOULD ENHANCE NATURAL HABITATS WITHIN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
WORKING WITHIN REVIT REALM The habitat component library can be adapted and expanded to take into account a number of different species. The components can represent both natural (logs, shrubbery) and artificial (fountains, bee hotels) habitat elements.
[workflow] [ 1 ] project browser ACCESS PROJECT BROWSER TABLE WITHIN THE MAIN INTERFACE OF THE REVIT SOFTWARE. THE BROWSER ALLOWS THE USER TO ACCESS ALL PRE-LOADED COMPONENT FAMILIES WITHIN THE PROGRAMME.
Due to the rapidly growing level of urbanisation around the world, many wild species are migrating to cities, adapting to living alongside humans in the anthropocentric environment of cities. Whilst the majority of cities contain green areas in the form of city parks, churchyards or river banks, they are often focused around providing humans with leisure spots rather than sustaining a thriving ecosystem. Many parks and green squares contain large number of sealed surfaces such as roads or paving, decreasing natural habitat for rodents or insects. Additionally, most spaces within the city do not offer biodiverse habitats, impacting the population growth of the majority of urban species due to a lack of food sources or suitable spaces for nesting and breeding. Building knowledge of bio-diverse habitats is crucial for future development of the cities. Designers should engage with conscious construction of suitable, bio-diverse habitats to support the constantly growing populations of urban wildlife. However, planting and landscaping is often overlooked in large masterplan proposals, resulting in non-native species being introduced into local ecosystems. The habitat component library facilitates construction of bio-diverse habitats within the cities, by providing designers with ready to use planting groups and natural feature elements, which create sustainable habitats for urban wildlife such as rodents, insects or birds. The components outline maintenance requirements of the plant species and are organised around specific species’ habitats. It allows architects to import habitat components directly into a 3D model of a proposal and includes specific maintenance instructions. The library includes both complex component groups creating entire ecosystem groups, as well as singular plant species which can be included as part of a landscape plan.
[ 2 ] family browser FAMILY GROUPS CORRESPOND WITH HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIFIC ANIMAL GROUPS. A FAMILY INCLUDES A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS RANGING FROM ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANTING, LANDSCAPING PROPOSALS AS WELL AS ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS FOUNTAINS OR HUMANMADE NESTING STRUCTURES.
HABITAT component family
THE HABITAT COMPONENTS CAN BE EASILY EDITED TO SUIT THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE PROPOSED LOCATION. THE COMPONENT COMES WITH PRELOADED PLANTING PROPOSAL, UTILIZING PLANT SPECIES LISTED WITHIN ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANTING FAMILY.
NATURAL WATER FEATURE
[ 3 ] planting THE COMPONENTS LIBRARY WILL ALSO INCLUDE A FAMILY OUTLINING A NUMBER OF ANIMAL FRIENDLY PLANT SPECIES THAT CAN BE USED WITHIN THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE BIO-DIVERSITY AND FOOD SOURCES FOR THE SPECIFIED ANIMALS.
CARE
CHECK
ADAPT
PLANTING component library
RODENT FRIENDLY PLANTS
MAIZE Zea mays
[ 158 ]
FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare
SAGE Salvia officinalis
[ 159 ]
SUNFLOWER Helianthus
WILLOW TREE Salix alba
The material library creates a Revit database outlining a number of non-human oriented materials, which can be used as alternatives to typical materials currently used within the industry. Each material receives a threat level grading, informing the designer about the level of impact this design choice will carry onto the urban non-human, with level 0 representing low impact and level 10 a high level threat. The library will facilitate usage of alternative materials as they can be incorporated directly into the 3D models and become part of specification package.
[material library] [workflow] [ 1 ] material settings ACCESS MATERIAL SETTINGS WITHIN MANAGE TAB. OPEN PROGRAMME MATERIAL LIBRARY.
Specification Architectural theory focu ses on draw and repres ing entation, ra rely on administrativ the e tasks and written wor an architect k of . We want ou r members to understa design as a nd a result of num ber of proces rather than ses a compilatio n of raw mat available on erials the market. Expertise an understandin d g of buildin g processe crucial to ch s is anging the w ay we constr and adapting uct the current standards to challenges face posed by th e ongoing cl emergency. imate Whilst the N BS is a grea t starting po for building int material lib rary, we w to question ant how we ca n change specification the process to environmen benefit the t and the no n-human. W strongly en courage all e our membe search for rs to alternative material so through up urces cycling and reuse sche promoting mes, a move to wards natio scale mater nal ial recycle lib rary connec demolition tin g and construction across the sites country. We also encour specification age of alternativ e products, as low-tech such technologies , animal frie solutions et ndly c. to ensure that our desi tend to the ne gns eds of non-hu mans inhabi our urban en ting vironments.
[ 2 ] material browser OPEN MATERIAL BROWSER WITH PRE-LOADED GENERIC REVIT MATERIAL LIBRARY. EACH MATERIAL COMES WITH A NUMBER OF DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION AS WELL AS AN OUTLINE OF PHYSCIAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES.
DEFINING THREAT LEVEL REFLECTS THE IMPACT OF THE CHOSEN MATERIAL ONTO URBAN WILDLIFE SPECIES
+channel glass
+UV film glass
+transparent glass
[46]
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
low level threat
7
8
9
10
high level threat
1. Deamer, P. (2015) The architect as worker : immaterial labor, the creative class, and the politics of design. p. 127 2. Ibid. p. 129
REVIT SOFTWARE COMES WITH A PRE-LOADED ‘REVIT CONTENT’ SPECIFIC TO LANGUAGE, REGION AND DISCIPLINE, REFERENCING APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR EACH GEOGRAPHICAL REGION
3. Ibid. 136
[ 3 ] non-human library THE NON-HUMAN MATERIAL LIBRARY SHOWCASES A RANGE OF MATERIALS THAT ENHANCE THE WELLBEING OF NON-HUMAN INHABITANTS OF THE CITY, SUCH AS BIRDS, INSECTS ETC. EACH MATERIAL COMES WITH DESCRIPTION AND THREAT LEVEL RATING SIMILARLY TO THE GENERIC REVIT LIBRARY.
PROPERTIES
[ 160 ]
IMPACT
THREAT LEVEL
[ 161 ]
Historically architectural specifications were produced inhouse either by an architect or the practice clerk. Whilst 18th century specification did not detail construction processes, since 19th century specification included detailed description of building methods. The specification documents gained legal authority which replaced 18th century systems of trust and social obligation.1 Contracting in gross brought buildings into capitalism, translating the social relations between individual at work towards material relations. The specification documents took over what used to be personal negotiation between architect and builder on site.2 Specification became means to ensure quality, outlining the exact execution of the architect’s intentions. It shifted the understanding of a building towards an execution of detailed, prescribed processes rather than just raw materials available on the market. Setting out work of builders, architects, surveyors etc. side by side in writing, rendered the building construction as a social process between different workers. In 1960s there was a fear that specification will be overridden by manufacturers, due to the rise of building systems. The 19th century specification were deemed inefficient, however architects wanted to keep a level of control over specification to ensure quality of design. It lead to launching NBS system in 1973.3 The NBS specification describes work in place, a final outcome rather than the process of construction, rendering a building as a series of materials and products. National Building Specification is widely used within the architectural profession by over 5000 offices, creating a base for the practice of specification for majority of UK based architectural practices.
1. Simms, E., 1979. The public life of the street pigeon, London: Hutchinson. p.99 2. Ibid. p 101 3. Nicholls, H. Why don’t you ever see baby pigeons?, BBC, 2015. accessed at: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ earth/story/20150907-why-dontyou-ever-see-baby-pigeons] 4. RSPB, Oxford Swift City, 2016, accessed at: [https://www.rspb.org. uk/our-work/conservation/conservation-and-sustainability/safeguarding-species/swiftmapper/ case-studies/oxford-swift-city/]
[ 162 ]
The rooftops and lofts of the city provide a safe, sheltered space for different species inhabiting the urban environment. In Britain, large institutional buildings such as theatres, museums and churches are the main habitat of the feral pigeons. Late Victorian suburbs also offer a habitat for the birds; the houses are large and often expensive to maintain and repair, allowing pigeons to gain access to unused lofts and roof spaces.1 As the feral pigeons are descendants of the rock doves, they choose specific sites for nesting and breeding. As their ancestors, the urban birds, choose to nest in places where they can breed in colonies, such as large lofts, attics or church towers.2 The rock doves create nest in deep crevices in the rocks and cliffs, sheltering the squabs from the elements and predators. Their feral ancestors create the nest in similar places; sheltered spaces of lofts and attics. The breeding from hatching to fledging lasts more than forty days and when the bird finally leaves the nest they are fully grown and almost indistinguishable from the adult birds.3 Similarly to pigeons, many urban bird species uses the rooftops to create a secure and sheltered breeding grounds. Swifts use the openings and crevices near the roof to create nests, while barn swallow create their nests on sheltered ledges.4
Pigeons use empty loft spaces to create secure and sheltered nesting space. Similarly, swifts use crevices in building gables for nesting. The improvement and modernisation of the urban environment leads to decrease in habitat and nesting spaces for many urban bird species.
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01
Family: GLAZING
02
Family: GLAZING
03
Family: NATURAL HABITAT
04
The specification methodology developed focuses on introduction of non-human oriented elements into the realm of Revit and 3D modelling software. Specification often influences the final performance of a building, therefore integration of materials, building components, planting and habitat elements into the workflows of Revit encourages designers to chose sustainable alternatives. Creating an alternative option within specification process will facilitate architect’s decisions and promote attentiveness to the other within the context of architectural decisions at design stage. The libraries can be constantly updated, reflecting development of new solutions within the industry. For the purpose of this project I have focus on few key fields such as glazing, artificial habitat and natural habitat components as I have previously studied their impact onto wellbeing of urban birds.
Family: NATURAL HABITAT
Glazing unit with UV coating
Louvre with nesting component
Logs and dead wood features
Bio-diverse green space component
Minimises the risk of collision between birds and large glazed areas, improves thermal performance.
Minimises the risk of collision, minimises solar gain and glare, provides nesting space.
Provides habitat for insects and small birds as well as provides a source of food and nesting material
Provides a diverse habitat within the urban environmnet
PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION aluminium alloy mesh at the back
Size
UV mesh coating
max. 2800x6000mm
Size
can be adapted to size of glazing
Thermal Performance
0.6-1.1 W/m2
Mesh
Insect and bird protecting 1.2mm aluminium alloy mesh installed
Light Transmission
70%
Nesting
Standardized 180x300mm bird box, range of finishes
Finishes options
Aluminium alloy, PVDf coated, galvanised steel, coated plastisol
Profiles
Weather resistant coated profiles ranging in thickness between 25-65mm
Glazed Options
Coating
Single Glazed, Double Glazed, Triple Glazed, Low E Coating, Solar Control Coating UV-reflecting coating is applied to any thickness of glazing, creating a mesh visible to birds
glazed unit
[47]
PROPERTIES
Size
Depending on available timber size
Fixing
Bury the log up to 100mm to keep the wood damp
nesting block
louvre profile
[48]
Position
Leave up to 1000mm between logs and living trees/shrubs
Condition
Position the logs in semi-shaded place, sheltered from direct sunlight
Type
Variety of tree species such as oak, ash, elm, beech as well as shrubs
SPECIFICATION large logs of oak, ash or elm logs act as food source and habitat for many species
smaller woodpiles can also form valuable habitat
[49]
Size
5000x5000mm, can be adapted to bigger sizes
Location
Position within parks, green areas or built up zones
Condition
Semi-shaded space, plant species can be adapted to differnt conditions
Upkeep
The area will have to be water during the first year in situ and dry months
Species
Plants can be adapted to suit the size and climatic conditions of the brief
variety of larger trees and shrubs
logs and woodpiles provide habitat and bacteria ecosystem
05
Family: ARTIFICIAL HABITAT
undulating terrain creates diverse habitat
Uninsulated loft access tunnel
[50]
Provides access to loft space through an insulated masonry wall
PROPERTIES
SPECIFICATION Size Position
Material
The growth of non-human oriented specification encourages adaptation of current building types and construction methods. Adjustment of elements such as cavity wall can improve chances of cohabitation. Introducing elements such as bird wall entrances, allows achieving a sealed thermal envelope of habitable spaces, while providing birds with access to loft spaces, often used as shelter during breeding season.
400x400mm clay tunnel 215x215mm opening on outer wall
450x450mm, length dependent on cavity size Inserted into cavity wall at loft height Fired clay tunnel with landing/ take off area
Thermal Performance
Tunnel leading to uninsulated cavity above occupied floors
Opening
Minimum size of 200x300mm
Landing/take off area
[51]
[ 164 ]
[ 165 ]
The ‘OfficeUS: Manual’ explores the nature of architectural office manuals from early 1900 to nowadays. It examines different way of composing the manual and analyses how the manual form reflect the ethos of the practice itself. Image: Internal Memos and Guidelines, p. 23 OfficeUS: manual (2016).
‘The following instructions for carrying on of office business are intended as a guide and incentive to intelligent systematization of the work to the end that artistic satisfaction in an attained result is not blunted in effect by the certainty of embarrassment and discredit naturally begotten of poor or unbusiness-like administration.’ 1 McKim, Mead & White Manual of Office Practice, 1922
ZOOPRAXIS
Architectural practice is a form of collective production integrated into physical, social and nowadays technological space. Office manuals provide a set of instructions referencing protocols and procedures that govern how workers sustain the constant production of architecture.2 Office manuals set out how things are done, based around topics such as hours of operation, file naming systems or overtime. The manual aims to outline both the design identity of an office and well as manage the administrative processes. Rarely shared outside of the office, manuals provide an illustration of underlying ideology specified within the architectural practice. The office manual provides the practice members with a set of guidelines, outlining the main ethos and a number of objectives which the practice aims to achieve. The attentiveness to the other is the main theme of the manual, highlighting the importance of the topic and establishing how it influences the methods and organisation of the practice. It outlines a number of practices, tools and approaches, which can be adapted by the practice members, encouraging collaborative growth of nonhuman oriented methodology.
AL ARCHITECTUR AL: OFFICE MANU tanding re and unders Practice of ca man hu nno e th towards
1. Franch i Gilabert, E., Miljački, A., Mínguez Carrasco, C., Reidel, J. & Schafer, A. (2016) OfficeUS manual. p. 14 2. Ibid. p. 15
The speculative office practice explores proposed methodology through eight chapters: mission, practice, positions, standards, workflows, office structure, tools and conventions. Each chapter outlines main objectives of the office in context of the theme of attentiveness and explains the proposed methodology of architectural practice.
[ 166 ]
[ 167 ]
S SCELLANEOU
04 SERIES_ MI
r
rie 04-1 Netting bar
04-5 Proposed
04-8 Targeted reduction
t
ligh 04-7 Day only
on
luti 04-6 Light pol
nest
f
04-4 Green roo
ridor
04-3 Flight cor
itat
hab 04-2 Artifical
light
HTING NES AND LIG 05 SERIES_ ZO
t
ligh 05-1 Artificial
05-8 Natural
y zone 05-7 Bird onl
d
we 05-6 Bird allo
zone 05-5 No bird
rce
05-4 Heat sou
ulation
05-3 Solar sim light
and 05-2 Natural artificial light
light only
UNDARY LINES 06 SERIES_ BO
ry
nda 06-1 Habitat bou
06-2 Nesting
ry grounds bounda
01 SERIES_ HEDGES 06-3 Feeding
ry grounds bounda
01-1 Hedge
human series 01-2 Maint
nnventions _ no
co Fig. Drawing
01-3 Proposed hedge
[45]
ained hedge
01-4 Hedge boundary
01-5 Removal of hedge
02 SERIES_ SURFACES
02-1 Slate
02-4 Sealed
02-2 Rock
02-3 Permeable
02-5 Landscaped
02-6 Green
03 SERIES_ MARKERS
DRAWING CONVENTION
03-1 Nest
Drawing conventions are an efficient system of translating warnings, information and notes into small, simple symbols, universally recognised within the industry. They ease communication between disciplines and add a layer of information to architectural drawings. Creating a set of non-human oriented conventions would ease communication of new concepts through drawings and can be used to represent operational instructions in simple forms.
03-5 Loft access
03-2 Breeding
03-3 Water source
03-6 Food source
03-7 Flight path
Fig. Drawing conventions
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03-4 Tree group/ bushland
03-8 Bird protection needed
_ non-human series
‘Both desks are to be locked each evening without fail. Keys to the desks are in top drawer of Mr. Broad’s desk. Both desks are to be cleared and left in neat order each evening. Things which are not to remain on desks, pencils, note pads, carbon paper, etc. are put inside of desk.’ Broad and Nelson Office Manual: Dictation and Typing, 1963 ‘Each staff member is expected to keep his drafting board, side table, and the areas immediately adjacent in a neat and orderly manner. Care should be taken to maintain equipment in good working order. On Friday afternoon put away all equipment not in use, drawings and other materials, so that no accidents or losses will result from potential week-end visitors or cleaning activities.’ Venturi and Rauch Venturi and Rauch Handbook, 1974 ‘We recognize that different workers have different physical needs. If you require an adjustment to your working environment (eg., adjustment of position of your chair or the position of your computer), please see your Office Manager. You are responsible for keeping your work area free of hazards.’
[undisclosed] [...] Employee Handbook, 2014 (All excerpts taken from: Franch I Gilabert, Eva, Ana Miljački, Carlos Mínguez
The re-imagined practice is focused around the theme of inclusion of the non-human within the anthropocentric spaces associated with architectural offices. The office offers a series of alternative spaces such as an observation room or a material workshop to encourage practice members to re-define their workflows. The spaces of the practice are flexible, with desks unfolding from the walls, allowing architects to be in charge of their own workspaces. The office provides a space for collaborative practice and translating gathered knowledge into architectural practice methods. Spaces such as the workshop or material testing room encourage architects to actively engage with products and materials. Understanding the physical properties of alternative materials allows for producing industry standard specification, leading to growth of usage of non-human oriented solutions within the construction sector. Testing different products helps to expand digital libraries of materials and components, which can be embedded within 3D modelling software. Additionally, spaces such as the observation or specimen room, encourage architects to directly engage with the non-human and lead to understanding of their needs, resulting in an attentiveness at a design stage. Understanding the metric dimensions of a non-human, by observing its body proportions, size, physical abilities etc. leads to the development of a non-human set of design guidelines, which could compliment the anthropocentric metric measurements currently used. Interacting directly with the non-human, be it an animal or a plant, will create a social relationship, encouraging rejection of anthropocentric design methods and redefining the perceived ontological hierarchy between human and non-human.
We believe that it is important to hav e a central space for our office to allow creative col laboration betwe en team members. We do not have a seating plan or ind ividual offices, we invite you to make the space your own. We tre our office as a com at munal creative eff ort, allowing our members to des ign their own wo rk stations. We created three zones within the space: making, thinking, des ign ing . The making space can be used for mo del making, material testing, quality checks etc The thinking zon . e provides access libraries, databa to the matic ses, physical sam ples as well as lar collaborative wo ge rking zone. The design space is set up with dra wing boards, computers, VR zon es and small wo rk stations. All zones are no n-human friendl y.
IN
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Carrasco, Jacob Reidel, and Ashley Schafer. OfficeUS Manual. 2016. p. 236)
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The practice operates around two main methods of work, the IN and OUT. The physical space of the office allows the designer to engage in collaborative practice and provides them with facilities that ease translation of gathered knowledge into architectural methodology, such as specifications, metric guidelines etc. Working outside of the office is encouraged to enhance the understanding of the ecosystems and habitats as well as encouraging learning about the other in context of behaviours within their environment, be it rural or urban. Architects are encouraged to engage with the physicality of the environment and to facilitate the process of working The toolkit backpack allows the designer to outside work from of any the place,office, any time.a Ittoolkit has been developed. The incorporates a foldable table an and architectural stool toolkit represents equivalent of a doctor’s allowing the designer to set a mobile bag, itwithin equips an architect with a mobile workstation workstation the environment they arewhich working in.can The toolkit be taken be can used inona variety of spaces. The toolkit site visits or fieldwork as well as used as be easily transported the can main, mobile workstation of a designer. as a backpack and it provides It can be adapted to needs of the owner, architects with a flexible working space within the site. with flexible compartments that can be The equipment of the filled with tools required for specific jobs,toolkit can be adjusted to the from traditional drawing tools such as architects’ needs and requirements within the practice. tracing paper, compasses and pencils, to non-human orientedare toolscomposed such as emf of a foldable table and a stool to All toolkits wave measurer, anemometers and nonencourage designers not only to survey the environment human experience devices. The toolkit backpack allows the wearer to gain but also work within it. A series of storage elements such better understanding of the site as well drawers or pockets allow architects to compose their as as creates a standalone working space within the environment of the other. own set of tools, based on the nature of their exploration and the environment. Traditional architectural tools such as paper, pencils, pens and rulers are complimented by a set of alternative tools such as an air quality recorder, UMWELT tools or binoculars to enhance the ability of an architect to survey the site.
[ TOOLKIT ]
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[ 173 ] Front compartment
mirrored surface
mirrored surface
“This name is given to any profession that requires the use of the hands, and is limited to a certain number of mechanical operations to produce the same piece of work, made over and over again. I do not know why people have a low opinion of what this word implies; for we depend on the crafts for all the necessary things of life.” Definition of craft, Diderot Encyclopédie 17651
350
purple coloured (UV) filter
blue tinted filter
1. Craft [abridged]." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Translated by Stephen J. Gendzier. Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2009. Web. (27.05.21) 2. Merriam Webster Dictionary (1828) “Tool”. Accessed at: [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tool] (27.05.21)
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Tools are commonly associated with crafts, as they are seen as an extension of our hands. It is defined as ‘a handled device that aids in accomplishing a task.’2 It serves a role of specialization of certain ability of our body, improving specific powers of body parts, while preventing others. Humans anthropologically are defined as tool users, homo faber, and we influence our environment and understanding of the world through usage of tools. Tools have been adapted and evolved over the centuries, responding to requirements, cultural context, methods of production or social needs. The UMWELT tools respond to the current cultural context of the climate emergency. They enhance and modify certain human perception senses to translate non-human experiences. Positioning within the natural environment rather than outside can lead to a changing of perception of the superiority of human species. An attentiveness to the experience of the other changes the way in which we position ourselves, by shifting hierarchy between our needs and their impact onto the natural environment. By developing an empathetical relationship to the non-human we acknowledge its agency and flatten the ontological status of superiority of the human race. The UMWELT tools improve our ability to see ourselves as part of the ecosystem, by engaging our senses in context of non-human perception.
‘Without the recognition that the city is of and within the environment, the wilderness of the wolf and the moose, the nature that most of us think of as natural cannot survive, and our own survival on the planet will come into question.
Daniel Botkin
The Western idea of urbanisation is based around a notion of exploitation of nature by culture. Reason, progress and profit is seen as valuable, leaving wild lands and things outside of the equation of cultural progress.1 Rarely is the topic of non-human habitat mentioned within urban theories. The language used within the context of urbanisation is perversive and anthropocentric. Production of ‘improved land’ through urban growth does not take into account that wildlands are not empty, but full of thriving non-human lives. The developed ‘improved land’ has impoverished quality of soil, drainage and vegetation, leading to thorough denaturalization of the environment.2 The anthropocentric approach and profit-centred values contribute to devastating ecological effects. Habitats are being destroyed at record rates, entire ecosystems are threatened by human activity and isolation of urban dwellers from domestic animals distanced the society from ecological impacts of factory farming. Cities are human-dominated and to encourage the emergence of an ethical practice and politics of caring for nature, the urban areas need to be re-naturalized. Situated, local knowledge based on everyday interactions with wildlife would stimulate re-thinking of a wide range of urban practices and policies, such as landscaping, development rates, use of energy etc.3 The ethic of caring about the non-human could replace the current approach of order and domination, leading to the creation of urban areas where animals are not killed or imprisoned, but are valued as partners in everyday survival. The nature/ culture dualism, based on the fundamental division between object and subject artificially separates humans from their environment. It encourages colonization and domination of nature by humans and denies it of its own subjectivity, giving it a solely instrumental role.4 It allows humans to ignore consequences of their actions
1. Wolch, Jennifer R., and Jody. Emel. Animal Geographies : Place, Politics, and Identity in the Nature-culture Borderlands. London ; New York: Verso, 1998. p. 119
such as farming or urbanisation, on the wellbeing of nature leading to ‘second contradiction of capitalism’, the destruction of the means of production via the process of capital accumulation itself. 5 Wildlife oriented design practices are rarely seen and if actually employed, it is often based around low density housing for the upper class, as a ploy to increase realestate profits.6 Evernden argues that design professionals are constrained by the culture of insistence on rationality and order, leading to the exclusion of wildlife from cities and developments. The city is dominated by standardized forms which protect the domain of human control by excluding elements such as weeds, dirt and to a degree nature itself.7 Introduction of a notion of care towards the non-human, opposing current ontological hierarchy and the concepts of rationality and order can encourage development of new methodologies. Unlearning the anthropocentric approach and embracing the experience of non-human kinship encourages designers to position themselves within the standpoint of nature, rejecting the notion of capitalist profit gain and infinite growth. The new methodologies encourage care and ethical practices, forcing humans to unlearn the ontological bias of superiority over the natural environment, stimulating growth of environmental awareness.
derlands. London ; New York: Verso, 1998. p. 132 7. Evernden, N., The Social Creation of Nature, 1992 p.119
2. Ibid. p.119 3. Ibid p. 124 4. Ibid p. 129 5. O’Connor J. Capitalism, Nature, Socialism: A Theoretical Introduction, 1988 6. Wolch, Jennifer R., and Jody. Emel. Animal Geographies : Place, Politics, and Identity in the Nature-culture Bor-
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1. Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd Ed. / I.. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. 2. Axcelson R. Pigeons and Doves - Feeding. VCA, 2020, accessed at: [https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pigeons-and-dovesfeeding#:~:text=Pigeons%20and%20doves%20 eat%20a,and%20earthworms %20in%20the%20wild.] 3. Bennett, Jane. “The Force of Things: Steps toward an Ecology of Matter.” Political Theory 32, no. 3 (2004): 347-72. Accessed November 29, 2020.
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