Steven Kellert Building For Life

First, it felt slightly odd to read about a city other than New York City in a Macaulay Seminar class because most, if not all, readings I have read in such a class discuss a topic in the context of New York City; nevertheless, reading about Chicago, another major American city, and its comparison with St. Louis, were refreshing. Second, this is the first time that I was exposed to the “first nature vs. second nature” concept, which I found insightful and somewhat surprising. I began to ruminate on the aspects of New York City people assume natural that are in fact artificial. Immediately, the salt marshes near the John F. Kennedy airport in Queens came to mind. According to NYC Parks, the marshes serve to “absorb fertilizer, improve water quality, and reduce erosion,” which can be considered as, using Cronon’s phrase, “natural advantages.” However, they have clearly been positioned and altered in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. In this instance, the presence of human intervention exists, yet many people would be inclined to consider the park “natural.” Perhaps this is how people in the 19th century viewed the railroads. Lastly, the following questions might be worth discussing: in today’s world, given the prolific human activity, what is considered first nature and second nature? Can there even be a third nature or

Furthermore, the Town House (O) is a sustainable environmental design project illustrating the relationship between human well-being, the welfare of the future generations and the natural world, through regeneration, the

Nature presents itself around us every day, sprouting between the sidewalk and the street, potted on a porch or controlled and planned out in sectioned off lots often accompanied by a playground. Living in the city, we are not often presented with the unpredictable qualities of wild nature, an environment that is more likely to make the average person feel like an explorer of uncharted territory than a trip to the neighborhood park would ever make us feel.

The beautiful blossoms that bloom in Californian spring, the summer daisies alongside the cooling lake, long after the summer the trees have lost their leaves entering autumn to fresh white snow out in the mountains. Nature is able to show us its true beauty without any falseness and modifications. After all, is it not ironic how people go to museums to look at paintings of colorful flowers, green hills, and clear water streams; those are beauties that can easily be observed in real life outside of the urban environment which are surrounded by them, or how people buy recordings of the calming sounds of nature, similar to what you would listen to at night in the woods or smell nature aromas of the candles. What we are doing is trying to mislead our minds and pretend to think that we are in the woods but are instead cornered inside our small, well-furnished, and full -with-technology apartment.

“The family was building a home that met the strict guidelines of GREEN design” explained interior designer Linda Ruderman. “So I worked closely with them to select items designed for sustainable living”

Architecture should reflect meaningfully all aspects of the society’s past-present-future. There is a need to introduce architecture that respects the environment, the people, and reflect the identity of the place.

I believe that having a visual stimulus in your environment is important. For example, if I'm walking down the street I want to see an eclectic mix of buildings that I find exciting to look at, rather than rows of uniform houses. David Harvey, in his book Rebel Cities, describes the value of this connection between people and their environment, writing 'animated by neighbourhood life, squares full of people, children relishing the river bank'. This idyllic vision makes me want to create equally vibrant spaces for people to enjoy. This ideology influenced a design project I completed while on work experience with PTE architects (October 2013). I wanted to create a building that would both excite its users as well as onlookers. The house I designed

Some communities have adopted urban design plans for creating a harmonious physical environment. These documents may range from conceptual to those that incorporate specific requirements. Some provide bonuses in land use intensities for incorporating urban amenities such as plazas and squares. There may also be criteria for retrofitting existing areas, a critical need in American cities where a substantial amount of urban area is deteriorated or developed incoherently.

“Human houses should not be like boxes, blazing in the sun, nor should we outrage the Machine by trying to make dwelling places too complementary to Machinery. Any building for humane purposes should be an elemental, sympathetic feature of the ground, complementary to its nature-environment, belonging by kinship to the terrain.”

By nature I mean a world predominantly uninterfered with by man. Building in a way that is sensitive to what is natural, its resources and habitats is a key issue in current debates about sustainable design. That said, it is nearly one hundred years since Frank Lloyd Wright offered architectural proposals showing how to live in harmony with the environment. He called this “an organic architecture…of

Vernacular building is a typology which results from a direct response to regional context (Murphy 2011). While contemporary Australian architecture

Imagine a city where no green space can be found. Where concrete and steel buildings rise up and block the sun. Where streets are chaotic and gridlocked and citizens are stuffed in cramped, dirty and unsanitary apartments. This was the world of 19th-century cities where human health and happiness were disregarded for economic gain. These horrid conditions shaped the lives and ideas of three very influential men: Ebenezer Howard, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright. They took their own experiences and redesigned the sprawling metropolis to improve the lives of the residents. Each man created urban utopias that included green spaces, farms, and parks to improve air quality and the livelihoods of the people. Despite theses similar views, each design differed from the others. Howard, Le Corbusier, and Wright all completely reimagined the urban city in differing ways based on scale, distribution of land and technology. Their design concepts have been adapted across the globe and implemented into modern urban planning everywhere.

The urban environment that I live in is my nature. My nature is filled with birds, cats, grass, and flowers. It may not be as abundant with mother nature’s resources compared to most places, but it still provides me with an experience of nature. Nature is not limited to just what we see anymore. However, you must use your senses to truly achieve the full experience of nature. In nature, you must smell the wonderful odors from the flowers, you should use your sight and observe the natural beauty of the ever-changing sky, touch the rough and jagged bark of the trees, and hear the spectacular songs of the birds that fly above you.

It is the gift of its designers and makers to the future. Urban design is essentially an ethical effort, inspired by the vision of public art and architecture and reified by the science of construction.” In other words, urban design has this kind of approach and effect that it is not only visually pleasing but also lively.

In modern day society, New York City is known for its hustle, bustle and immense steel towers that overshadow paved streets and crowded sidewalks. Moreover, when New York comes to mind green, eco-friendly living is not the first thing most people think about. However, it is in New York's best interest to change that viewpoint. Due to overpopulation and increase in public draw, New York has taken its turn towards becoming a metropolitan waste land, and it is imperative that there be changes made. For instance, eco-architecture is a big topic of discussion in modern day urban society, and it should be taken into consideration when discussing the development towards a greener city such as the Big Apple also known as New York City, New York. Consequently, eco-architectural changes will advance the overall aesthetic to one of the most famous tourist attractions in the globe, as well as improve its economic status and improve business.