PLURALISM & POSITIVE CHANGE
The Power of Art & Design
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COMBATING GLOBAL ISSUES THROUGH ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Subtopic 2 Research Paper
At approximately 14 billions years old, our world is continuously growing in sync with its population and needs along with our environmental footprint, prompting accelerated climate change and global warming. Our growing population is also a catalyst for an number of other issues including, lack of space, water shortage, and safe access to good education. However, meaningful solutions and means to address these issues exist within the minds of those who design our world physically. Through architecture and design we can not only shape our societies, but also prepare them to better combat global issues in a sustainable and innovative manner.
Kunlé Adeyemi’s, Makoko Floating School, in Nigeria ingeniously combats the growing consequences of climate change and global warming through its creative design and flexibility. The Makoko community, located in the Lagos, Nigeria has minimal land mass and is surrounded by water, resulting in local residents living in makeshift homes and boats and using canoes as their transportation. In recent years, the need for a cutting edge solution for Makoko’s physical and social needs have become apparent, especially in light of the growing challenges and consequences of climate change. With no proper infrastructure, regular flooding due to constantly changing water levels not only creates a health and safety hazard for the local community, but also causes disruptions to education and livelihood. Kunlé Adeyemi’s approach to addressing these issues is the Makoko Floating School, a “floating structure that adapts to the tidal changes and varying water levels, making it resistant from flooding and storm surges” (Olumuyiwa 2). While the building is primarily a school, “it is adaptable for others uses, such as a community hub, health clinic, market, entertainment centre, or housing” (Olumuyiwa 3). Its unique triangular frame is ideal to float on water, allows stability due to its relatively low center of gravity, and has the capacity to house up to a hundred individuals in the worst weather conditions. In a documentary highlighting his work, Kunlé Adeyemi speaks on the future development of Africa and expresses that “we need to find solutions that can be developed by the grassroots, through the grassroots and achieve the same level of significance as we have on the sort of high end projects” (Working On Water). As the product of a collaboration with the Makoko Waterfront Community, Adeyemi’s project does just that and exemplifies sustainable development. Constructed from locally-sourced bamboo and wood, the Makoko Floating School is “designed to use renewable energy, to recycle organic waste, and to harvest rainwater” (Olumuyiwa 2). Thus, Adeyemi’s Makoko Floating School embodies a multifaceted and innovative, yet realistic solution to the numerous consequences of climate change. From fluctuating water levels, to improper infrastructure, to lack of land space, to threatened access to safe education and community space, Adeyemi addresses each detrimental ramification of climate change on Makoko and uses design as the foundation to effectively combat this global issue. In the process, he ensures not only the success of the Makoko Floating School by utilizing a grassroots approach to implement his solution, but also supports the greater development of Africa.
Like Kunlé Adeyemi, Vo Truong Nghia, a pioneer for sustainable architecture design, has creatively found a balance between aesthetic, development, and sustainability in his architectural design. His Urban Farming Office in Ho Chi Minh City is a powerful example of how he has been able to combat the global issue of rapid urbanization and pollution in his home country of Vietnam. Vietnam’s shift to a manufactured-economy has come at a detrimental cost and as Ho Chi Minh City becomes a concrete jungle and less of a land of tropical forests, Nghia designs to promote green spaces and environmentally friendly, yet functional structures. The Urbaning Farming Office exemplifies Nghia’s approach to the issues facing Vietnam as it aims to return green space to the city and promote safe food production through vertical farming. The project demonstrates the possibility of vertical urban farming through hanged planter boxes with diverse vegetation which serve as a “green approach to provide safe food and comfortable environment with minimum energy consumption, contributing to the sustainable future of city” (VTN Architects 1). These planter boxes, with the roof garden, and ground provide the structure up to “190% of green ratio to the site area, which is equivalent to 1.1 tons of harvest” (VTN Architects 2). Furthermore, the vertical farm’s vegetation filters direct sunlight and purifies air through the creation of a comfortable microclimate and glazing, enabling the reduced need for air conditioning. Vo Truong Nghia’s green architecture enables people to “live harmoniously with nature and elevates human life by embracing the powers of the sun, wind and water into living space… and [brings] green spaces back to the earth" (Greening The City). Through design, he is able to find a beautiful, complimentary way of using ways through which we shape our societies to combat issues faced globally. His innovative solution provides a return of green space in a rapidly urbanizing area and serves a catalyst and inspiration for future ingenious and necessary projects that are used as a means of solving a global issue like pollution.
Yasmeen Lari of Pakistan, similarly seeks to combat global issues through architecture and design. Yasmeen Lari’s approach to combating frequent, fatal natural disasters putting Pakistanis at the risk of displacement or even death, is better infrastructure. She trains locals and designs homes that can be sustained through flooding and the consequences of various natural disasters. Her innovative, yet simple structures have kept families from losing their lives, property, and valuables. When the 2010 floods swallowed homes in northern Pakistan and left thousands displaced and millions affected, began working to design and build for the majority, not the rich minority. In the Darya Khan Sheikh Village and Jatoi Village, Lari involved local community leaders and citizens and trained them to build out of local resources. She designed an elevated structure on stilts made of bamboo and that could accommodate up to 20 people and their belongings. In this way, when flooding did occur, individuals didn’t have to fear displacement and could seek safety and shelter in their own home. Those that Lari trained became self-reliant and were able to teach others and build for themselves, ensuring safety for many more. In 2013, when major floods hit again, her simple, yet innovative design enabled thousands of lives to be saved and continues today, to be evidence of architecture solving the issues facing societies at large.
Kunlé Adeyemi, Vo Truong Nghia, Yasmeen Lari each used their knowledge and expertise to challenge the status quo and create to better and serve the societies in which they dwell. While each had a unique approach and was a solution to different global issue, every structure did more than just the solve the issue at hand on the surface level. Instead, the Makoko Floating School, the Urban Farming Office, and Lari’s Homes promoted the areas of their projects by sourcing materials and hiring locally, enabling the cycle of sustainable development to begin. Through Adeyemi’s, Nghia’s, and Lari’s work it is apparent and eye-opening that architecture and design can enable us to not only better our societies through improved infrastructure, but also that is can aid us in combating global issues in a sustainable and innovative manner.