New AD number edited by David Gissen rolls out.
New AD number edited by David Gissen rolls out. (Here is David's announcement). Territory: Architecture Beyond Environment



Needless to say it, but I'll say it anyway, I'm incredibly excited for this issue of Architectural Design. My article on Francois Roche and R&Sie(n), which is also a salvo for an insertion of a political ecology into architecture, appears in this number. Trying to be somewhat objective here, but I think that the issue's approach is quite refreshing in what otherwise is the sterile and commercially-compromised world of green architecture, as well as the all-too-common detour towards biomimicry or other uncomplicated positions. In their own diverse ways, the projects and articles attempt to address the interconnections of architecture to other forms of socio-nature in historical and contemporary contexts. Whether or not all of our work succeeds at advancing a new agenda is perhaps not the point; it may be more important that a debate is taking place. Briefly, those that are interested in "architecture beyond environment" might also want to peruse Gissen's Subnature (more on my blog). Not to mention that anyone who's familiar with Geoff Manaugh's book and blog, or Mammoth, or InfraNet Lab, or Pruned would also be interested in this project.
The articles include new work by Gissen, Matthew Gandy, Antoine Picon, Ila Berman, Jordan Geiger, and Edward Eigen. Practices examined include work by some folks that have often made an impression around here, like Nicholas de Monchaux (Local Code), Patrick Blanc, Future Cities Lab (Jason Johnson and Nataly Gattegno), Fritz Haeg, The Living, R&Sie(n), Amid cero9, Sean Lally/WEATHERS and many more.

I hope it'll be a key volume on the shelf for anyone who wants to look beyond LEED points and architectural greenwash. See the Amazon page to order (ships in early June for N. America). If you are affiliated with an academic institution that subscribes to Wiley-Interscience titles, you can check out the pdf's HERE, or you can also order digital copies via that last link.

Related:



Cero9 at work, as seen on Archdaily last year.


The Aurora Project by Future Cities Lab, via ArchRecord

Contents:
Introduction
Territory: Architecture Beyond Environment (p 8-13)
David Gissen

Articles
Eat Me Drink Me (p 14-19)
Sean Lally, WEATHERS

The Tree Canopy as Blueprint (p 20-27)
Mitchell Schwarzer

The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc (p 28-33)
Matthew Gandy

Bugs, Bats and Animal Estates: The Architectural Territories of Wild Beasts (p 34-39)
Ben Campkin

The Material Transformations of AMID (cero9) Social Oxygen Balloons (p 40-45)
David Gissen

It's in Your Nature: I'm Lost in Paris (p 46-53)
Javier Arbona

Toxic Territories (p 54-59)
David Gissen

The Living: Surface Tensions (p 60-65)
Jordan Geiger

Amphibious Territories (p 66-73)
Ila Berman

The Aurora Project (p 74-81)
Jason Kelly Johnson, Nataly Gattegno, (Future Cities Lab)

The Perils of Historical Geography: On a Pretended Lost Map to a Legendary Sunken Forest (p 82-87)
Edward Eigen

Local Code: Real Estates (p 88-93)
Nicholas de Monchaux

What Has Happened to Territory? (p 94-99)
Antoine Picon

[NB. The printed edition is available as of April 15 in the UK, and possibly other parts of Europe. North America: Early June. Will post a brief news item again when it's shipping in the U.S.]