thedeepblueccc

[thedeepblueccc]

The Hannover Principles

Commissioned preceding the 2000 World  Expo, the Hannover Principles are a set of nine guidelines centred around the concept of design for sustainability. Sustainable design is defined as “the conception and realisation of environmentally sensitive and responsible expression as a part of the evolving matrix of nature.” The principles are then broken down further in relation to the five elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit, and how they can relate to each one. 

The World Expo is a large scale event that requires specific infrastructure to function... however, the event is temporary, so it is important to design infrastructure in consideration of how they can have different uses once the expo has finished. 

[thedeepblueccc]

Plastic Society

Material Doubts highlights the hysteria surrounding the early days of plastic. People, such as Norman Mailer, had their doubts about plastic from the beginning. Rumours circulated, among them being that plastic caused various cancers, and plastic was blamed “for everything from pollution to drug addiction and blotchy skin.” However, it wasn't until medical reports uncovered high rates of liver cancer among vinyl factory workers that these ‘rumours’ became actual fact.

On a metaphysical level, as plastic products began to proliferate, Meikle noticed that a “plastic culture” emerged, characterised by its “massive hypocrisy and dishonesty.” The characteristics of society began to reflect the artificial, regimented and predictable characteristics of plastic. Life activities became vicarious and ingenuine, and people became dependent on artificial things to provide pleasure, rather than seeking enjoyment from natural experiences.

[thedeepblueccc]

Design strategy

Although this idea isn't a new one, I propose a design strategy where waste plastics are used as a building material. More specifically, the plastic could be compressed into bricks and then encompassed by concrete (or another material commonly used to make bricks, such as clay), to create a sort of hybrid material. This way the plastic waste is being repurposed, and the amount of concrete/clay/etc material required is reduced. To develop this even further, not only could entire buildings be constructed from this plastic-concrete-hybrid material, but perhaps entire cities. Maybe the plastic would float and these cities could be built on water, to preserve our untouched land and combat the issue of increasing population. 

[thedeepblueccc]

“In Japan, when you have finished reading the newspaper mainichi (the most sold daily newspaper in the country-5 MILLION COPIES), you can plant it! Its pages are indeed made up of a mixture of recycled paper, water and small flowers or herb seeds...”

[thedeepblueccc]

The Green Consumer Supermarket Guide

The introduction to the book entitled The Green Consumer Supermarket Guide comments on the power of consumers to influence larger corporations to make environmentally conscious products by introducing the concept of ‘voting’ with their dollars. By choosing not to purchase an unsustainable product, a vote is cast against that particular manufacturer, and vice versa. 

The introduction notes some ways we can make more informed decisions when shopping, specifically focusing on the supermarket, based on if they can be reused of recycled, and if not to refuse the purchase. 

Particularly of interest, and very relatable to my own situation, is what to do when there isn't a sustainable option for a particular product that may be of necessity. The guide recommends writing a letter to the manufacturer asking them to consider making their product more environmentally responsible. 

Excessive Plastic Packaging in Supermarkets 

Due to pressure from consumers, all supermarkets in NZ and many other retailers have recently banned single-use plastic bags, and although this is predicted to help reduce plastic waste, there is still so much plastic packaging in supermarkets. This links to the issue of where does all this plastic waste end up? One of the main answers to this is: the ocean. 

Plastic Ocean

Tan Zi Xi’s installation Plastic Ocean strives to raise awareness of this issue by creating a spatial interpretation of what it would be like to be a fish swimming through a plastic-polluted ocean. She also created a series of illustrations titled An Effort Most Futile, which illustrates how the artist feels overwhelmed by the task of improving our environment. She feels like the issue is so large that her individual efforts seem meaningless. I think that this is an opinion held by many, accompanied by a feeling of  disillusionment surrounding the power to improve our environmental situation.

Linking back to the issue of excessive plastic packaging in supermarkets, it can feel futile as a consumer to change their buying habits, because it’s hard to see the large-scale benefits. I think it is unfair to put all the pressure on the consumer, and that manufacturers should have to take more responsibility - from a legal standpoint. There should be policies in place that restrict or at least minimise the use of plastic as packaging, and more funding allocated to the research of more environmentally friendly packaging alternatives. 

Works Cited

https://thespinoff.co.nz/food/new-world/04-03-2019/why-is-there-still-so-much-plastic-in-our-supermarkets/

https://oceanic.global/tan-zi-xi/

http://www.messymsxi.com/portfolio/an-effort-most-futile/

[thedeepblueccc]

Spaceship Earth

Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Richard Buckminster Fuller, 1969

Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth is an extended metaphor, likening Planet Earth to a spaceship. The reading comments on the complexity and fragility of Earth by highlighting the necessary actions one must take to keep a spaceship in good working order. Just as a spaceship or other mechanical vehicle, requires continual maintenance (topping up the oil, gas and water) to continue to function as intended, so does our planet Earth. 

Through the use of metaphor to highlight the similarities between Earth and a spaceship, we realise we may have not been taking as good care of our Earth as we should be. However, Buckminster Fuller identifies an understandable reason for this - Earth did not come with an instruction manual. Therefore, everything we know now about the Earth and our existence was learnt through extensive experimentation and trial and error. We’ve come along way considering “that to our knowledge humans had been on board [Spaceship Earth] for two million years not even knowing that they were on board a ship.” We now have a lot more knowledge about how Earth operates in relation to a much larger universe, but also how things operate within the confines of Earth itself... and we are still learning more everyday. 

I think Buckminster Fuller wants us to sympathise with our ancestors rather than blame them for the destruction of Earth. I tend to agree, because i don't think there is any use in holding grudges or blaming others for the state of our environment today, but rather to spend that energy doing whatever we can to improve our Earth for tomorrow and the future. We are at point where the sustainability of the earth is declining at an exponential rate and if we don’t make radical changes immediately, there isn't going to be a future. I think we can use what humankind has learnt in the past to improve the future. 

On the other hand, I am angry at our species for believing we are superior to nature. It’s frustrating that some scientists are dedicating their lives researching the possibility of survival on other planets rather than ways we can save our own. That is just further evidence that we are an innately egocentric species who believe that rather than accepting responsibility, learning from our mistakes and trying to remedy them, we think we can just move on and continue to make them elsewhere. 

Works Cited

Buckminster Fuller, R. (1969). Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. The Design History Reader. 223-225.

[thedeepblueccc]

'Morris the Red, Morris the Green’

By Patrick O'Sullivan from The Journal of William Morris studies. 

The ideas and practice of William Morris have been crucial in shifting the process of creating art and design today. Morris urged producers and consumers alike to consider the implications of the wholistic process of production, especially the impact of the production process on the natural environment. Unfortunately his thinking was ‘before its time,’ and not given the weight it deserved back in the 19th century. People were caught up in the ability to produce things quickly, thus generating profit faster than ever. Their greed drove their destructive behaviour, and nobody cared about the long-term implications it was having on society and nature. This is why, generations later, we are struggling to undo the environmental detriment of the past. 

Morris’ work explores the cultural-anthropological relationship between human freedom and nature, by highlighting the importance of taking from nature only what you need. Morris blames capitalism for our fast-paced society of constant excess. 

Rather than something to exploit for personal gain, Morris regarded Nature as something to be treasured and enjoyed by all generations. He believed that ‘wealth’ did not refer to that of monetary value, but rather the gift of Nature, and the ability to take pleasure and sustenance from it; that human happiness lies in the ability to live in symbiosis with nature. This is proven in the reading when he states “... I will forever refuse to call (articles of folly and luxury) wealth: they are not wealth, but waste. Wealth is what Nature gives us, and what reasonable (people) can make out of the gifts of Nature for (their) reasonable use.” 

This was a radical belief at the time, because the Industrial Revolution had encouraged humans to take and take and take from nature, driven by their own greed, without considering the long term consequences of their actions; this being the “danger that the strongest and wisest of mankind, in striving to attain complete mastery over Nature, should destroy her simplest and widest-spread gifts.” When Morris predicted this future outcome of continuing to disregard the impact industrialisation was having on the natural environment, people were confused and didn't understand why it was such a big deal.  

The work of Morris helped a past generation become slightly more self-aware, but all of these ideas are still very relevant to the environmental situation of today. Our environment has faced a steady decline and we still have lots of work to do if we wish to reverse the actions of the past and sustain our earth for the future. It seems as though we are still waiting for the time “when people will find it difficult to believe that a rich community such as ours ... could have submitted to live ... such a mean, shabby, dirty life as we do,” and to really strive to do something about it.

Works Cited

O’Sullivan, P. (2011). Morris the red, Morris the green. The Journal of William Morris Studies. 22-38

[thedeepblueccc]

Arts & Crafts in NZ

Chrystabel Aitken

Influenced by the ideologies of the Arts and Crafts Movement, New Zealander Chrystabel Aitken adopted handcrafted techniques into her own jeweling practice. She studied the Canterbury College School of Art, where she experimented with metal work, portrait painting, still life prints, jewellery and leatherwork. Below is an example of a necklace she made in 1939, currently held in collection at Te Papa.

As dictated by the Arts and Crafts Movement, Aitken fashion the links and various details of this necklace by hand. Although this process must have been lengthy, it provided joy for both Aitken, the maker, and the end consumer. Handcrafts became very fashionable at this time, and were thus highly sought after over other factory mass-produced items. Wearers took more appreciation and delight from knowing exactly who had made their items, and the delicate process that had been followed from conception to end product.  

This close up detail shot illuminates the minor asymmetricality and discrepancies between the pendants, another indication that each piece was carefully crafted by hand. Consumers enjoyed the charm of a slight imperfections of handcrafted wares, another characteristic of products influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement. 

Works Cited:

https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/1091

Image source: 

https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/1412996

[thedeepblueccc]

The Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement was founded with a primary focus on the handmade. It surfaced in direct opposition to the principles of the late 19th Century’s industrial revolution, which was characterised by the popularisation of “dark, satanic mills.” This method of production caused a lot of pollution, specifically due to combustion and nuclear energy production. 

William Morris is regarded as a key figure of this movement, and his concerns about the sustainability of highly industrialised practices influenced change. 

Morris objected mass production, and his workshops were set up as an alternative to industrial methods of production. The Arts and Crafts Movement supported the individuality of the maker. It celebrated the ‘truth,’ achieved by honest ornamentation, human craftsmanship and imperfection as a consequence. Other key characteristics of the movement included the revolutionary influence of nature; medieval references; and plain, non-ornamented architecture. 

The founders of the Arts and Crafts Movement can be regarded as early environmentalists, because they recognised the destructive patterns of industrialisation and challenged it by thinking of alternative ways to make and produce. They realised the importance of preserving natural elements by incorporating, or taking influence from, nature into their art and design. 

William Morris

About ~

Born in England in 1834, William Morris was a prominent pioneer of the Arts and Crafts Movement. He had a large influence on architecture of the time, but it most widely known for his textile designs. Morris also used poet, activism and prolific writing to influence change surrounding The Industrial Revolution. 

While studying at Oxford, Morris made some friends who shared his interest in poetry, painting and other forms of creative expression. Together, they enjoyed studying the works of John Ruskin, which inspired their discussions surrounding The Industrial Revolution and the impact it was having - particularly how “machines dehumanise, how industrialisation ruins the environment, and how mass production creates shoddy, unnatural objects” (Craven). They sought to return to an earlier time, when hand-made goods influenced honesty and artistry in England. 

In 1861, Morris established “The Firm,” and along with his other partners, they specialised in stained glass, carving, furniture, wallpaper, carpets, and tapestries, that reflected of the ideologies of the Arts and Crafts Movement. 

Wallpaper Designs

The design of Morris’ wallpapers heavily relied on his close observation of nature, and this is evident in the floral, plant-based motifs that are prominent features in his designs. This was very revolutionary at the time. Below are some examples of his wallpaper designs:

His designs weren't super popular at first - consumers fashion taste favoured the super-naturalist French style, of which pretty designs depicted exotic blooms, rather than the simple forms Morris identified in British gardens. 

Aligning with his views on industrialisation, all his wallpapers were handmade, using “hand-cut woodblocks loaded with natural, mineral-based dyes,” a process that can take up to 4 weeks. 

Furniture Design

In 1865, inspired by a chair seen in a Sussex store-front, the ‘Morris Chair’ was conceptualised. It also became the first ever reclining chair. It was a very popular design, and soon after its conception, numerous variations of the Morris chair were being produced all over the world. 

The chair was described as “sturdy, reliable, predictable, and unsophisticated.” The fabric cushioning typically featured Morris’ trademark floral designs. 

Works Cited

Craven, Jackie. (2018, December 7). Biography of William Morris. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/william-morris-arts-and-crafts-movement-177418 

[thedeepblueccc]

Eg: 2

[thedeepblueccc]

Eg: Rotterdam Floating Park

In Rotterdam, Netherlands, a conscious effort is being made to stop the plastic and debris found in the Maas River from entering the ocean, by trapping it and then repurposing it into a floating park. 

One of the main purposes of this project is to illustrate that waste from the ocean is a valuable material, but also, the floating park helps to recuperate the natural ecosystem of the river by providing an environment for various macro and micro fauna to inhabit. The initiator of this project explains “when we retrieve the plastics directly in our cities and ports we actively prevent the further growth of the plastic soup in our seas and oceans,” outlining another sustainable function of the floating park. 

The diagram below illustrates the cycle of how the park the works:

Works Cited

Angelopoulou, S. (2018). Rotterdam's floating park is made entirely from recycled plastic waste found in the Maas River. Designbloom. Retrieved from: https://www.designboom.com/design/rotterdam-floating-park-recycled-plastic-waste-river-07-13-2018/

[thedeepblueccc]

Case Study: Waitangi Park

History:

It was once the site of the Waitangi Wetland, which, fed by the Waitangi Stream, was rich with fish, eel and shellfish

It was used for centuries by Maori to gather food and fresh water, and as a place to launch their canoes.

A large earthquake in 1855 lifted the land by 1.5 meters, foiling early settler's plans to dig a canal all the way up to Basin Lagoon (now Basin Reserve) where they planned to anchor their boats

The space was formerly known as Chaffer's Park, which consisted of a gently sloping beach

After the earthquake, the Waitangi Stream was forced underground and became part of the wastewater system

Redevelopment:

The new Waitangi Park dates from 2006.

Became New Zealand's largest urban park

It cost $20m

Designed to regenerate the natural wetlands that existed in the space prior to the urbanism of Wellington.

Waitangi Park is situated on reclaimed land. The stream was resurfaced and incorporated as a prominent feature of the new design of the park

Incorporation of cultural values

It is clear that the space has been treated as mana taonga, because care has been taken to represent and include all the diverse cultures of Wellington.

The design includes waka landing and powhiri sites, as well as gardens which represent Chinese and Pacific Island cultures.

The name 'Waitangi Park' pays tribute to the Treaty of Waitangi, a significant aspect of New Zealand's history

The park incorporates contemporary design features and urban culture by including graffiti walls, a basketball court and a skatepark

Works Cited

https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/42923/waitangi-park

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4300960/Group-plans-to-slip-a-few-eels-downtown

http://www.waal.co.nz/wsud/waitangi-park/

[thedeepblueccc]

History of Ecological Art

[thedeepblueccc]

Eg: Alice Potts

Alice Potts is a fashion designer, with a background in science, who has developed a way to use human waste to create beautiful accessories. Her main focus is on human sweat, of which she extracts samples from shoes and jerseys to grow crystals from. The end result is unexpectedly pleasant. 

Potts engages with ecological principles in the way she repurposes something that is typically regarded an unusable, gross substance to create something wearable and beautiful. Whilst commenting on stigma surrounding sweat in our society, she is has also created an alternative biomaterial that is made from virtually nothing, and can be biodegraded at the end of its usable life. 

http://www.clotmag.com/alice-potts-ways-to-use-sweat-to-create-accessories

https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/body/article/42323/1/alice-potts-wants-to-turn-your-sweat-into-art

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/alice-potts-turns-bodily-fluids-into-fashion

[thedeepblueccc]

Eg: BIOHM

BIOHM is a London-based start-up which serves as a great example of ecological design. Founded by Ehab Sayed, BIOHM develops natural, carbon-neutral, “bio-based” building materials out of fungi and waste.  

These biomaterials are a sustainable alternative to materials currently used in the construction industry, because they “holistically and systemically consider every aspect of [their] materials’ entire life-cycle to not only eliminate any negative impact on the environment and human health but to identify opportunities where regeneration could be induced.” 

This example engages with ecological principles because it is considering ways to mimic the cycles of nature within the unnatural context of building. Manmade construction development acts as an intervention of natural spaces, but by bringing natural principles into this process, it becomes more sustainable and considerate. 

[thedeepblueccc]

Interpretive drawing of an ecosystem, using my terrarium as an example.

[thedeepblueccc]

ecology / ecostystem

what do i already know?