the government is tearing up the national rule book that has been in place since the second world war to ensure the best use of land, and replacing it with three simple classifications. From now on, all land in England will be designated for either “growth”, with automatic planning permission, “renewal”, with permission subject to some basic checks, or “protection”, preserving the sacrosanct status of the green belt. — BBC
Among the drastic streamlining of the planning approval process proposed is a system of automatic approvals that privileges pattern book-style developments that make use of readymade designs similar to those already used in Bath, Belgravia and Bournville, BBC reports.
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relevant
the word "rationality" really isn't eurocentric, it's something anyone can do except for people who don't know what it means...this speech by Russell Means - For America To Live Europe Must Die (extremely rational)...maybe we should stop confusing meanings of words with symbols and our irrational opinions?
The relevance between article and above is the stupidity of ignorant people and what "rational" means. I agree, pattern books or over emotional responses with misguided comparisons - same ignorance.
"the word "rationality" really isn't eurocentric"
No one said it is.
", we grapple with Eurocentric and post-colonial legacies of rationality..." see above. then read Russel Means...then read or pay attention to far left Deluzian Guattari thinking (which is good left thinking in my opinion) and you will see their is a strand of thought out there that is misplacing "rationality" and it's trickling down into social media. like placing "rationality" as Eurocentric ideal..and hence effectively wrong(ish) based on a certain ethos established in social media (I see the religion of Twitter all too clear lately, and it's dangerous, especially for the left....) - if we can do stupid pattern making you can do stupid colonial callouts (that's where we are at here)
My reading of that phrase is not that 'rationality, quality, and beauty' are inherently Eurocentric but that the Eurocentric ideals of rationality, quality, and beauty are frequently mistaken for the universal ideals because the legacy of colonialism has erased competing philosophies.
can't wait to culturally appropriate ethnocentrism!
I see that reading now, now that you put it that way. But the "legacy of colonialism", whose colonialism is the first question, but given we're dealing with Social Media types and this article is about British Pattern Making the last great Colonizer - Empire. But the simple question as posed by Thayer-D more or less... wouldn't the indengious population of Britain be British, or wait Celts?!?, or wait - nobody before that as far as we know? So in this case the Pattern Making associated with their history, i.e. Britain, would it not be appropriate and any other application - excluding 'rational' modern design be a mis-appropriation - to do something British (historically). From a layman's point of view, much of this constant 'hey, what about the "others"' is really more just disgruntled people hating on the society they exist in.... I don't see it useful in general to be dumb like the post posted above - like just dumb, ignorant, naive and clueless....I also bring up the Russel Means text (although it was technical oral and should stay that way) because most of the Left/Right debate, if NOT all left/right debate, including every group of anti-whatever is indeed - Eurocentric, its all Eurocentric. We're all discussing Eurocentric topics...etc...
Is this ethnocentrism disguising itself as simplification?
Look at it from the layperson's perspective for a second. Imagine seeing the beautiful landscapes and charming towns you've always loved getting shit on by buildings that completely disregard their context. If architects didn't have a hang up about historic styles they might actually know how to build in harmony with these places. By applying a bit of empathy for the majority of people, conservative or liberal, who don't see design through a political or ideological lens and you can see why this initiative is happening.
This! The last thing anyone but an egomaniacal architect wants to see in Oxford or Bath (for example) is a massive Brutalist monolith sticking out like a sore thumb.
I absolutely understand - and to some extent empathize with - the intent. But I still disagree with the implementation. What I think is missing is a response from the architectural community that comes from a place of empathy, rather than disdain.
See also this brilliant and delightful page-turn critique of the official Building Better Buildings By Building Buildings Beautifully Bommission Beport, here:
https://twitter.com/cinemashoebox/status/1222822630744567808
Kinda like Build Back Better, but for buildings.
This 190 page document is one big love letter to Christopher Alexander lol.
I especially love this tidbit on page 2: "Schemes should be turned down for being too ugly and such rejections should be publicised." If only this was enacted in Denver pre-Libeskind museum.
the future - Christopher Alexander (computers and foreign agents get it)
a return to Repton's Redbooks-
Landed Gentry taking controlling use and appearance to their own benefit and pleasure.
correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't English landscaping essentially "natural" and without pattern versus French which was rigid and geometrical. Wouldn't that make pattern making an impossible task?
You nailed it with by calling it "natural." It's not about the shape of the boundaries, it's about how uses and adjacencies are controlled. Also, it depends on when you look at French landscapes- see Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. There's a "natural" park with a whole lot of patterning embedded in it.
"It's not about the shape of the boundaries, it's about how uses and adjacencies are controlled" sounds very English....smiling through their teeth telling you how dumb you are with positive English words...I love(hate) those fockers!
non?
I like how the editor put "beauty" in scare quotes.
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