Learning from the past for understanding of the present and planning of the future

UČENJE IZ PRETEKLOSTI ZA RAZUMEVANJE SEDANJOSTI IN NAČRTOVANJE PRIHODNOSTI

Avtorica: Ana Erjavec,
Študentka Fakultete za arhitekturo,
Univerze v Ljubljani

Napisano: april 2019, Ljubljana

Prišli smo do točke, ko bomo morali začeti graditi v skladu z okoljem, sicer ga bomo z neustreznimi arhitekturnimi in urbanističnimi rešitvami zasičili in uničili. V prostoru je moč opaziti vedno več poenotene arhitekture, ki nima dosti skupnega s svojo lokacijo.

Ob vse večjem pretoku informacij se poraja vprašanje njihove kakovosti, tako v smislu posredovanja kot tudi branja. Največja nevarnost globalizacije je hitra širitev informacij, ne pa tudi znanja. Da informacijo uspešno razberemo in razumemo, je treba razumeti kontekst, v katerega je bila podana za kar pa je potrebno znanje. Globalizacija nam omogoča hitrejše učenje, hkrati pa povzroča nepremišljeno posnemanje všečnega. Lepa podoba na spletu ali v reviji je dovolj, da se pozabi na smiselno in racionalno gradnjo, ki ustreza točno določenemu prostoru. Gradnjo, pri kateri se upoštevajo podnebni pogoji, lokalni materiali, spretnosti lokalnih mojstrov in tradicija. Danes je tovrstno razbiranje informacij in učenje prek gradnje že skoraj onemogočeno, saj se gradnja vse bolj unificira, uporabljajo pa se standardizirani postopki.

Pozablja se na pomen tradicije, katere zgodba priča o dolgoletni študiji lokalnih pogojev in danosti ter nam, kar je najbolj pomembno, daje identiteto. Vprašanje je, kaj nam identiteta danes sploh pomeni v družbi, ki je zaslepljena z nenehnim sledenjem trendom v namen potrošništva (beri kapitala). Ves čas težimo k iskanju drugačnega, nekaj, kar ima izrazito identiteto, pa vendar si ne upamo izražati svoje lastne. Celotna družba postaja vse bolj pasivna in tako vplivana od informacij, ki jih podajajo mediji. S tem je identiteto lažje skušati posnemati, kot pa razmisliti o svoji lastni. Hkrati pa pozabljamo, da je ravno lastna identiteta arhitekture tista, ki je najustreznejša.

To ne pomeni, da ji moramo slepo slediti. Kritičen pogled, študija in morebitno premišljeno izboljšanje so seveda dobrodošli. Izhajanje iz tradicije in identitete prostora ne pomeni graditi enako kot so pred časom, temveč poiskati ustrezen, sodoben jezik, ki izhaja iz konteksta/identitete prostora, torej iz lokacije, podnebnih pogojev, lokalnih materialov itd. Le tako bomo ohranili lastno identiteto arhitekture, ki dobi pomen šele, ko jo opazovalec zna razbrati. Ohranjanje identitete tako ni pomembno le zaradi študije ustreznosti danim pogojem, ampak tudi zaradi ohranjanja in prenašanja znanja. Znanja, ki nam govori o našem izvoru in nam daje temelje za našo prihodnost.

Učenje iz preteklosti je nujno potrebno za razumevanje sedanjosti ter načrtovanje prihodnosti.

Sodobna arhitektura nemalokrat pozablja na lastno identiteto. Vse bolj sledi trendom z željo poustvariti atmosfero všečnih prostorov. Če zasnova ni prilagojena pogojem, kljub všečni atmosferi dobimo bivalno neugodno arhitekturo.

Podoba v reviji ali na razstavi je atraktivna le kratkoročno, objekt pa služi ali ne-služi svoji funkciji veliko dlje. Pa vendar se le redko govori o zadovoljnih uporabnikih.

Pomembno je arhitektovo zavedanje, da šele s predajo stavbe uporabniku, ta zares začne živeti, in da šele čez čas lahko rečemo, ali je bila arhitektura uspešno načrtovana in izvedena.

Odgovornost snovalcev prostora je tako temeljit premislek pred načrtovanjem kot tudi spremljanje izvedenega v svoji polni funkciji.

Le tako se bomo učili iz dobrih in slabših načrtovalskih potez ter s tem napredovali v svojem znanju načrtovanja. Omenjen pristop bi omogočal precej hitrejši in večji
napredek kot vsakokratno iskanje »vau-efekta«. Z učenjem iz preteklih posegov v prostor se lahko veliko naučimo in tako ves čas napredujemo v iskanju boljših rešitev za grajeno okolje.

Naloga arhitektov in urbanistov bi morala biti subtilno graditi prostor ter s svojo vizijo in filozofijo ljudi usmerjati k boljšemu načinu življenja. Predvsem pa naj arhitektura ljudem ponudi nove možnosti. Možnosti izboljšanja, napredka. Prav napredek je tisti, ki nas človeška bitja izpopolnjuje in snovalci prostora smo tisti, ki lahko ljudem to ponudimo. Če se le vprašamo po višjem smislu tega, kar počnemo. Razmišljati je treba dolgoročno, strateško. Preseči je treba kratkoročne potrditve in se zavedati, da ne gradimo zaradi sebe, temveč smo s svojim delom odgovorni tako do javnosti kot tudi do prostora. Ponudbo v mestu ter celotno podobo pokrajine določamo vsi mi, prebivalci in snovalci. Prav mi smo tisti, ki gradimo, ne le stavbe, temveč način življenja. Vizija prostora pa je tista, ki nas navdihuje in daje upanje za boljši jutri.

Vedno več prostora je grajenega in s časom se bo razmerje med grajenim in negrajenim še stopnjevalo, zato je toliko pomembnejše, da so rešitve premišljene ter da prostor izboljšajo in ne le zasičijo. Še bolj pa se mi zdi pomemben razmislek, kdaj in zakaj nekaj sploh zgraditi/spremeniti. Upoštevati je treba naravni tok dogodkov in navad. Le tako bomo prišli do rešitev, ki bodo podpora življenju javnosti in posameznikov. In ravno to je smisel snovanja prostora; ustvariti okolje, kjer se družba razvija in napreduje.

Težimo po idealu prihodnosti, kjer bi vsi imeli zagotovljene osnovne življenjske pogoje in bodo socialne razlike premoščene. Prihodnost, ki mladim ponuja upanje in nove možnosti. Spregledali pa smo, da je ta prihodnost že tu, le vizije in kreativnega reševanja problemov ji manjka. Dokazali smo, da stvari znamo narediti, zdaj pa moramo še dokazati, da vemo, zakaj jih delamo. Zavedanje posledic posegov v prostor je nujno potrebno za uspešno sooblikovanje družbe in okolja, v katerem ta deluje.

Živimo v obdobju, ki ga zaznamuje razvoj tehnologije. Vse zmogljivejša tehnologija pa ne pomeni nujno tudi bolj razvite družbe. Zaradi tehnološke revolucije pozabljamo na bistvo, sočloveka in naravo.

Tehnološki razvoj nas od naše okolice odtujuje, sploh digitalizacija nam na vrsto načinov ponuja odmik od realnosti. Odmik v virtualni svet, kjer ima posameznik občutek, da ga sooblikuje in nadzoruje, s čimer dobi občutek moči sovplivanja na svojo okolico in navidezno večji smisel obstoja.
Vedno več ljudi si ustvarja svoje okolje prek socialnih omrežij, iger na spletu, forumov in vrsto drugih platform, ki ljudem omogočajo povezovanje ne glede na lokacijo. Hkrati pa je vedno manj ljudi dejavnih v svoji lokalni skupnosti. Najbolj banalen primer je upad volilne udeležbe na lokalni in na nacionalni ravni.

Lahko rečemo, da se javnost vedno bolj umika v virtualno – globalno in zanemarja realno – lokalno.
Z zanemarjanjem lokalnega pa zanemarjamo tudi globalno, saj globalno ni nič drugega kot skupek lokalnih skupnosti. Šele uspešno razvite in urejene lokalne skupnosti bodo pripeljale do globalno razvite družbe.

Prav arhitekti in urbanisti smo tisti, ki lahko posameznika povežemo z družbo in prostorom, kjer živi, in zato je pomembno, da snujemo prostor za ljudi. Danes je treba še veliko bolj kot v preteklosti spodbujati k ekipnemu duhu in se osvoboditi individualnosti. Človek kot družbeno bitje sam ne bi zmogel obstajati, pa vendar so danes tendence k individualnosti vedno močnejše. Vedno več lahko storimo sami in vedno manj potrebujemo pomoč drugih. Razvoj tehnologije nam omogoča večjo samostojnost, kar pa posameznika pogosto, ironično, še bolj obremeni ter oropa sodelovanja in posvetovanja s kolegi prek skupnega dela. To kaže na to, da celoten koncept razvoja narobe razumemo. Smisel razvoja ni odtujenost, temveč razbremenjenost.

Razbremenjenost bo prinesla boljše rezultate tako pri projektiranju kot tudi širše, v družbi. Posameznik, ki je razbremenjen, ima večjo zmogljivost razmišljanja in pravilnega odločanja.
Sprejemanje odločitev pa je temeljni gradnik naše civilizacije, saj družba danes predstavlja seštevek odločitev, ki smo jih sprejeli včeraj tako na osebni, lokalni ter globalni ravni.

Ob zavedanju, da smo del družbe, spoznamo, da na njen ustroj ali njeno delovanje vpliva vsaka odločitev vsakega posameznika.

Vsak člen te družbe je pomemben, saj jo sooblikuje v celoto, kakršna je danes in kakršna bo jutri. Tako kot je pomemben vsak člen družbe, je pomemben tudi vsak objekt ali zasnova prostora.

Prostora ne bomo izboljšali (ali celo rešili pred propadom) z eno samo zasnovo, temveč s konsistentnimi, premišljenimi rešitvami, ki naj izvirajo iz znanja, identitete ter poznavanja družbe in prostora.

Posegi, ki jih storimo danes, bodo sooblikovali jutrišnjo družbo.
Živimo v času revolucionarnih rešitev, medtem ko še kako potrebujemo evolucijo. Evolucijo družbe in evolucijo idej, ki naj izhajajo iz svoje iskrene skrbi do sočloveka ter okolja.

Opomba:
Esej je napisan z uporabo besedišča, razumljivega splošni javnosti, saj je treba arhitekturo osvoboditi
meja znotraj stroke in jo pripeljati nazaj med ljudi. Sloga javnosti in stroke bo vodila v uspešno
urejeno okolje, ki bo družbi zagotavljalo rast in razvoj.

CENTER ARHITEKTURE SLOVENIJE | objava eseja | katalog Vurnikova študentska nagrada 2019 | odlomek poročila ocenjevalne komisije | video predavanje

LEARNING FROM THE PAST FOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRESENT AND PLANNING OF THE FUTURE

Author: Ana Erjavec,
Student of  Faculty of architecture,
University of Ljubljana

Written: April 2019, Ljubljana

We have come to the point when we will have to start building in harmony with the environment – if we don’t, we risk for it to become saturated with and destroyed by inappropriate architectural and urban planning solutions. There is more and more uniform architecture to be seen around us and this architecture does not have much in common with its location.

With increased information flow one can’t help but wonder about the quality of this information, both in terms of its sources and reading.

The most significant threat posed by globalisation is rapid dissemination of information, which does not extend to knowledge. In order for information to be read and understood appropriately we should begin with its context, and this requires knowledge. While globalisation has allowed us to learn faster, it has also led to reckless imitation of that which is pleasing to the eye. An attractive image on the Internet or in a magazine is all it takes to forget about the sensible and rational construction that corresponds to a specific place. Construction that takes into consideration climate conditions, local materials, skills of local craftsman and tradition. Today, such reading of information and learning through construction is virtually thwarted as construction is becoming increasingly uniform and employs standardized procedures. Tradition, born from long-standing study of local conditionsand resources, is what gives us identity, but may soon be lost and forgotten.

The question is what identity actually means in today’s society which is blinded by incessant following of trends for the sake of consumerism (aka capital). We tend to seek something different, something with a distinctive identity, but dare not to express our own. Society as a whole is becoming increasingly passive, influenced by the information provided by the media. It has thus become easier to imitate an identity than to rethink our own. At the same time we are forgetting that architecture’s own identity is the one that is the most appropriate.

This does not mean that we should follow it blindly. A critical view, study and eventually a carefully thought-out improvement are always welcome. Building on tradition and identity of a place does not mean building in the same fashion our predecessors did, but rather looking for an appropriate contemporary language that draws from the context/identity of a place, i.e. location, climate conditions, local materials and similar. This is the only way we can maintain our own identity of architecture, which only becomes meaningful once it can be discerned as such by the viewer. Preserving the identity is therefore important not only for the sake of studying how it corresponds to the given conditions, but also for the sake of preserving and transmitting knowledge. Knowledge that speaks of our origins and provides the foundations for our future. 

Learning from the past is the prerequisite for understanding the present and planning the future.

Modern architecture often forgets about its own identity. It tends to follow trends, aspiring to recreate the atmosphere of pleasing spaces. If the concept is not tailored to the conditions, the resulting architecture will fail to provide for comfortable living, despite its pleasing atmosphere.

An image in a magazine or an exhibition has only a short-term appeal, whereas a building will serve, or not, its function much longer. Nevertheless, more often than not, satisfied users remain out of focus.

It is imperative for architects to be aware that it is not until a building is handed over to the user that it starts living and that only time will tell whether architecture has been successfully planned and executed. 

Spatial designers therefore have the responsibility to first carefully consider all options before devising a plan and subsequently to follow up on the results in their full functionality. 

This is the only way we can learn both from the good as well as from the less successful planning moves and thus improve our planning skills. Such an approach would allow us to progress much faster and better than by looking for a “wow effect” time and again. A great deal can be learned by studying past spatial interventions and this will allow us to come up with better solutions for our built environment.

Architects and urbanists should make it their priority to be subtle when building a space, focusing their vision and philosophy on guiding people towards a better way of living. More than anything else, architecture should offer people new possibilities. Possibilities of improvement and progress. Progress is what fulfils us as human beings and spatial designers are those who are able to provide for this opportunity. We should begin by asking ourselves about the higher purpose of what we do. The goal is long term, strategic planning. Short-term gains put aside, we should be aware that what we are doing is not for our own sake, but entails a responsibility, both the public and the space. All of us, residents and planners, create what the city has to offer and thus shape the image of the landscape. We are the ones who build, not only the buildings, but also a lifestyle. A vision of the space, on the other hand, is what inspires us and gives hope for a better tomorrow.

Space is becoming increasingly built up and in time the ratio of built to unbuilt space is bound to increase, so it is that much more important for any solution to be carefully thought-out in order to improve a place rather than saturate it. Personally, I find it even more important to think about when and why something should be built/transformed at all. Taking the natural course of events and habits into consideration is very important here as it is the only way we can find solutions that will facilitate life of both the public and individuals. And this is what spatial planning is all about – creating the environment where society can develop and progress.

We have our sights set on an ideal of the future where everyone’s basic needs are satisfied and social differences no longer exist. A future that offers hope and new opportunities for the young. What we have failed to notice, however, is that future is already here, but lacks a vision and creativity in problem solving. We have proved that we know how to make things; now we have to prove that we know why we are making them. Awareness of the consequences of spatial interventions is necessary for a successful shaping of society and the environment in which it operates.

We live in a time marked by technological advances. However, high performance technology does not necessarily mean better developed society. Technological revolution has led us to forget about what really matters, our fellow human beings and nature.

Technological progress has alienated us from our environs and digitisation in particular offers a virtual retreat from reality. A retreat into the virtual world where an individual as its co-creator feels in control and which gives people an impression of power and a purpose to their existence as they feel they can contribute to the shaping of their surroundings. More and more people create their environments through social networks, online games, forums and various other platforms that enable people to connect irrespective of their location. At the same time, however, fewer and fewer people invest their efforts into their local communities. The most banal example is declining voter turnout at the local and the national levels. It’s safe to say that the public is increasingly retreating into the virtual – global on account of the real – local. On the other hand, by neglecting the local we neglect the global, which is nothing but an aggregation of local communities. And it is successfully developed and regulated local communities that will finally shape a globally developed society.

Architects and urbanists have the power to connect individuals with society and the space in which they live, so it is imperative that we design spaces for people. Team spirit is something we should aspire to today more than ever in order to liberate ourselves from individuality. As social beings people cannot exist on their own, but most nevertheless favour individuality more than ever before. There are more and more things that we can do ourselves and consequently we rely less on others for help. Technological development has given us more independence, but ironically, this has only imposed more burdens on us, robbing us of cooperation and consultation with our peers through shared work. Which only goes to show how misunderstood the concept of development actually is. Development is not about alienation, it is about relief.

Relief will bring better results both in planning and in a broader context of society. Relieved from excessive burdens people are able to think better and make better decisions. Decision-making in turn is the cornerstone of our civilisation, as society today represents a sum of decisions taken on personal, local and global levels.

While every individual decision matters, we should also always bear in mind that we remain embedded in society. Every link in this society is important, because it shapes the whole that it is today and the whole that it will be tomorrow. Like every link of society it is also every building or concept of a space that matters. Everything we do today will co-shape the society of tomorrow.

Space will not be improved or saved with a single design concept, but with consistent, carefully thought-out solutions based on knowledge, identity and social awareness.

Ours is the time of revolutionary solutions, but we are still in dire need of evolution. Evolution of society and ideas that should be derived from a genuine concern for fellow man and the environment.

Note:
This paper was written using the vocabulary intended for the general public, because architecture too should be liberated from its professional confines and brought back to the people. The union of the public and the profession will lead to a well-regulated environment that will allow society to successfully grow and develop.

CENTER ARHITEKTURE SLOVENIJE | publication of the essay | booklet Vurnik student award 2019 | excerpt of the evaluation committee report | video lecture