25 Jul Let’s Make Design Outlaws Our In-Laws

Last night at the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, author and independent film-maker, Chris Zelov, presented insights and historical perspectives on design outlaws. Design outlaws think and operate outside the box of mainstream architecture and urban planning. Chris shared film clips and stories to foster discussion on deep topics like the following bits of food for thought:

Ecological Design allows human technology and culture to work in dynamic balance with natural systems. This kind of approach to built systems departs from the industrial revolution view of buildings and cities as separate, disconnected objects in space.

The Long Now concept: Since the last ice age, we've had about 10,000 years of evolving human civilization. We can embrace both responsibility and freedom as we choose the path of our lives now in the perspective of shaping the next 10,000 years. Our lives now are part of the long continuum of human activities. Basically we need to pull our heads out of the sand and stop getting stuck on the day-to-day minutia.

The Three Questions: In order to shift the worldview of those in power, we need to alter how we as a society answer these three questions first formally posed by the Greeks, and in particular the first question is key

1. What is the good life?
2. Who shall rule?
3. What counts as knowledge?

Our collective image of the future: Civilizations tend to flourish when people have a common positive image of the future. They crumble when there's a pervasive negative view of the future. Despite all the dystopic future images found in movies, books, etc., can we create a beautiful, bountiful future vision that people can universally embrace?

From this discussion, I took away an even more urgent desire to bring these ideas in to the mainstream. I see a need to create models of ecological design within our cities where more people can directly experience it. I've observed homes and communities that demonstrate eco-design through net zero energy, water and natural building design have sprung up mostly just outside of Austin. Mostly this seems to be so because you don't have to deal with building codes out in the county. It's time to challenge and transform those codes. (Thankfully we have Code Next going on.) Creating some model sustainable neighborhood in-fill projects seems an excellent way to generate transforming energy that tips the scale toward a wonderful future.