“Open Building is about distributed control of environmental decision-making. It is also about change.”
Prof Kendall joined us at FADA UJ yesterday morning, Monday 13th April 2015. We have already been provoked to think deeper and more critically, better articulate our arguments and to be prepared to clearly explain the concepts that we introduce into the studio discussions! We are indeed privileged to have this opportunity to engage with Prof Kendall’s expertise and we are grateful that he shares it so generously.
The detailed project brief may be found at this link: Unit2_Q2 ASSIGNMENT 5_FINAL_12042015
Healthy environments are never finished. Time enters. Like living organisms, living environments replenish themselves part by part. In that process, who decides about what, when? THESE ARE THE CENTRAL QUESTIONS OF OPEN BUILDING. Some decisions have to be shared (we live with other people after all and share SOME values and environmental aspirations!).
Other decisions have to be personal (we are individuals, too, with our own motivations and dreams and possibilities!) So open building architecture shows the imprint of both. If not, we make prisons (devoid of individual freedom) or anarchy (everyone for themselves). Neither exteme is desirable. So we need architectural knowledge and architectural skills to help find a balance! It is not something for engineers to do, nor policy makers. It is an architectural task!” (Prof Kendall, UJ_UNIT2 2015 Assignment 5)
