The questions to address in this assignment are the following:
- What is “vernacular” housing, today?
- What does “domestic” mean, today?
- Which is the “dweller”, today?
- What is considered to be a “house”, today?
- In which ways the sense of “belonging” can be reinforced, today?
- What are the relevant issues with regard to housing for the “architectural profession”, today?
- In which ways can “technology” be a driving force for the transformation of housing, today?
- In which way the “economic” system determines housing, today?
Which is the “dweller”, today?
ReplyDeleteThe dweller could be anyone, but the basic problem it´s to try to find, transform or build a good dwelling for this person. So we need to think that dwelling it´s not the same as housing. The Professor N.J. Habraken said in his paper “An alternative to mass housing” that “A dwelling is made only and exclusively when people come to live in it”. Anybody with resources can get a house but it´s our duty as architects to create real homes to them, not just a place to stay. That’s why mass housing becomes a real problem when the people try to adapt into the new house, instead the house adapts to the new dweller, as Habraken says “Mass housing demands in advance what a dwelling is before the occupier is in any way concerned.” But the idea is to make that the future dweller participates in the conception of his new home because “The house form is the result of choice among existing possibilities: The greater the number of possibilities, the greater the choice”. (N.J. Habraken), and with this choices from the dweller we could make a better solution for the new housing problem.
What is considered to be a “house”, today?
ReplyDeleteThe architecture is the solution for the people’s needs. Nowadays, in this changing world, needs are constantly evolving at the same pace than the family structure. As Monique Eleb said, there are two routes to face this problem.
On one hand, thinking on a rigid house where people live while their needs fits with the characteristics of the house. Which means that when these needs change they got to move house to one that really fits their needs. On the other hand, conceiving a flexible and evolvable house that is adapted to the dwellers’ needs.
So, which route do architects have to take?