Intellectual Discussion: Land, Space and Design

This post is driven by a conversation with my mother. 'On the misconception that rendering and possessing high rise buildings automatically makes you a more architecturally advanced country.'

If we look at history throughout the industrial era. Western culture has always used levels as a way to determine status.

Victorian Era 1830-1900s

^Own Drawing of Victorian House Analysis

This is projected in their residential homes, where those of poor status, would remain in the lower levels of houses and the higher class would accommodate the top levels of the victorian houses.

21st Century 2000-Present

In some ways, I think that this conception can still be seen in Modern Architecture to some extent, where buildings with height begin to determine the wealth & status of one's country.

Dubai 2001-2015: (Kuroski, 2016)

I think it's very much obvious to look at the country Dubai and see that the construction of high rise buildings has instantly elevated the status of the country to now one of the most renowned and luxurious countries. This is easily supported in one of our lectures, where previously underdeveloped countries, such as Malaysia apparently become recognised as 'developed nations' just by introducing high rise structures, Petronas Towers.

DISCUSSION

From learning this, I asked my mother:

Why don't more underdeveloped countries/ or continents such as Africa [my place of origin and inheritance] utilise this approach to elevate their status and wealth? -- I acknowledged that as a continent we possess high rise buildings but it is not our main construction style.

She replied with this:

‘I think the only reason western countries possess more levels in their buildings than us Africans is not that they're more advanced in their construction... it's more or less responding to the environment that they accommodate... the UK has very little land whilst we have an abundance of land --- so they honestly don't have the same space as we do to create rich bungalows’

(Pam Golding, n.d.)

From my mother's point of view, this construction of high or multilevel structures that are populating western cultures has recently been shining a negative connotation on those who wish to proceed with single floor designs in their structures. This has opened my eyes to understand that constructing taller buildings doesn't always mean better or more intelligent, it just represents the different opportunities available to you in your current environment as an architect or designer.

As always feel free to add any comments below, perhaps of any conversations you've recently had with a family member concerning architecture and your culture.

References

British Library. (2014, May 15). The British Bee Hive [Illustration]. The Middle Classes: Etiquette and Upward Mobility. https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/bl/global/dl%20romantics%20and%20victorians/collection-items-manual/c/r/u/cruikshank-george-british-an00062762_001.jpg?w=608&h=342&hash=7212B76AF771692D3EDBAF66B7818548

Hughes, K. (2014, May 15). British Library. The British Library. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-middle-classes-etiquette-and-upward-mobility

Price, P. (2022, January 31). Victorian Houses and Where the Rich and Poor Victorian Children Lived. Victorian Children. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://victorianchildren.org/victorian-houses-how-victorians-lived/

Kuroski, J. (2016, March 2). Dubai Skyline Before and After [Photograph]. This City’s Growth From Desert To Metropolis Makes Las Vegas Look Quaint. https://allthatsinteresting.com/dubai-skyline-before-and-after

University of Portsmouth. (2021). DESIGN AS AN ACT OF CARE HISTORIES THEORIES + CARE [Slides]. Panopto. https://port.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f1939fe2-bf04-44a0-bac5-ad8800c66398

Pam Golding. (n.d.). Property for Sale in Zimbabwe [Photograph]. Property for Sale in Zimbabwe. https://www.pamgolding.co.za/international-property/zimbabwe