Precise Architecture

Abstract. How can we provide quality space, in a world evolving towards a man-centered planet (the Anthropocene), for 9 - 12 billion people by 2050? Can architecture play an important role in this necessary evolution? This issue has been relevant for a long time and is increasingly gaining importance because of the growing world population. Alternative residential communities can be a solution to deal with the growing and aging population. A discourse concerning such concepts, can work out an evolution from our present passive treatment facilities, where elderly become consumption objects hidden in society, to structures that improve the quality of living. We want to explore this social issue through architectural and planning parameters based on several projects. With reference to Abu Simbel, Chichén Itzá, Ksar Tissergate, Pienza, Tugendhat, Danteum and Passage we look at 7 contemporary projects by Delmulle Delmulle Architects which explores intrinsic qualities of the refereed projects. Based on those studies we will develop a design methodology for sustainable, open, transgenerative communities. Many villages in Flanders have their own identity and are definitely an alternative to mitigate congestion and pollution in cities. However, villages suffer with depopulation and ultimately become desolated ghost towns. Human and social capital are an important factor in the exodus. The "active" population is looking for career in our capitalist "hurry" society, and are therefore forced to live in cities. The inactive population remains behind in the villages or is dumped in nursing homes. We redesign 7 villages in Flanders, that are not virgin sites, to be reborn, reborn to play again an important role in this new world. The implantation is situated in the centre of the existing villages and ensures that there is a compelling, useful, spatial qualitative, public space that binds the rest of the villages. The infrastructure has a small footprint and a minimal ecological footprint. It has “gestalt” to make the village habitable and liveable again. So we develop a design methodology for sustainable, open, transgenerative communities. Bringing together seemingly not reconcilable elements is the frame for the design. The design is an interface between designer and stakeholders. The organization of such a village is an autonomous and participatory democracy in which everyone participates in management and organization and responsibility. Architecture and urban design contributes to proper functioning. Besides the physical and human context, the challenge is modeling physical and tangible qualitative space. It is a syncretic unity of social and cultural networks, mobility, communications, education, health, work, relaxation, without segregation between old and young, male and female, race, religion, language, ancestry,... These projects are a prospectivism for the future and must be an effort to optimize the available space in a physical and human context. Axonometric drawings are therefore used as ‘interfaces’ clarifying the relationship between man and space through a simplification of complexity. Axonometries are therefore the main communication tools. Text and words are secondary to the drawings. Keywords. Prospectivism; social capital; human context; materiality; experiencestatus: accepte