I had actually written a post for this project before the Spiral Jetty came storming in.
What you are looking at is quite literally a ‘green wall.’ Composed of modules (each of those squares are about 1 m x 1m) the vegetation on this wall was grown in place, and in the vertical position. I was able to view this at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan last summer. The focus of the exposition was sustainability and the worlds energy. While this project stops at anything beyond an innovative wall system, focusing on this project alone affords me the opportunity to bring up 2 subjects tangential to my work: interior/exterior and sustainability.
I find this project a fit for it’s growth and dependence upon the conditions it is surrounded by. Thriving on the required sunlight, moisture and site atmosphere this project is completely externally focused. (enters tangent1) There are a lot of buildings that put up thicker walls and spec a stronger hvac system and all of the sudden the entire enivornment has put a powered division between the actual conditions of the exterior and the contents of the bubble it is housing on the interior. In turn, I realize now, that most of the projects I am drawn to for this discussion are likely to not be completely enclosed or to not really be buildings at all. For those of you who know me well, that’s not a surprise. As I long to be outside, or feel a part of that condition and can argue that if one is to amplify, or even acknowledge the greater surrounds, one must not shy into an inward focus, creating a space that turns its back on its site.
2. The real heart of me using this image is to write a little bit about my view on the current sustainable trends right now. (tangent 2, a bit tricker to grasp). It’s an issue I have wrestled with recently knowing that it is a topic I must situate my research around, while at the same time, I put up some sort of defense when related to it. Here’s my thing with where most ‘green building’ is going, an earth friendly (apathetic) gesture. A little contradictory, but bear with me here for a second. I find most sustainable work opportunitistic and strategic to it site, but generally unchanging along with the site. I can’t call it an integration so much as a site energy suck. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for collecting energy with solar power, reusing water, recycling materials, etc. That’s all commendable. But when I talk about relating to the environment, capturing the atmosphere and being sensitive to the shifts in a site specific conditions, for whatever reason I feel that I must try and stand my work outside of that which is the sustainability push right now. Surely there are undertones, and clearly someone could come in with their own viewpoint and place my thesis work in green books, but, I feel that misses my point. There is green talk in all directions and global warming conferences occuring everywhere, but something with these issues aren’t quite what I am getting at. I’m not looking to fortify (tangent 1) nor I am looking to boost my green-ness (tangent 2). Instead, I am looking to celebrate, harness, and integrate into my experience (physically, sensually, visually) the elements of the greater surrounds.
