How is the architecture of the future is the one of the past ?
In the past 80 years, cities in western Europe have grown exponnetially with the dratic increase of populations in urban areas. Cities such as Paris or London have doubled and even tripled in size. However, due to the rapid increase of the demand and due to the higher emphasis on cost saving strategies, the construction industry had to adapt its practices and the buildings built after the second world war have very little to do with the buildings built before the second world war. Indeed, buildings that were built before the 1940's were built in a similar mindset as buildings had being built since at least the 15th century. But what was that mindset? How is it so different from the post war one? Why is it relevant for the futur?
Throughout the middle ages, buildings in cities (besides palaces, religious buildings and forts) were built with two ideas in mind: self sufficiency and practicality. Self sufficiency means that a house must not only allow one or multiple families to sleep but also to work and host the cattle which was an essential source of food and heat for people. For that reason buildings had to be built in such way that they could fullfill all those tasks. In addition as modes of transportation of the time were largely less convenient as they are nowadays (oxen and/or horses but they cost a lot) cities had to be as compact as poxxible to reduce the distance that people had to travel for their actvities/occupations. Cities in the middle ages were therefore compact and efficient (for the means of the time) but the proximity and lack of streets wide enough for proper airflow iwth a clear lack of waste management caused major salubrity issues with diseases spreading easily and devastating populations (ie plagues). In consequence from the beginning of the renaissance in the 15th century, emphasis started to be put on an efficient but much healthier urbanisation process. All over Europe cities saw drastic changes with the implementation of wider streets and better insulation for buildings allowing cattles to progressively leave the cities. The renaissance also saw a drastic change in the mindset behind the construction of a building. Instead of bean built just for practicality more emphasis was put on the convenience and most importantly on the long term durability of a building. The metamorphosis of french cities such as Paris, during the 18th century, is a great example of that. Buildings weren't built simply to satisfy a current need and cities weren't designed with a concern simply for the current generation but both were built for one important thing: to last. Everything, from the urbanisation plans, building style, material, layouts, etc were done with that purpose in mind.
That mindset has proven to be worthwhile as in the vast majority of western european cities, buildings from the Renaissance all the way to the 1940's are still standing and are still being used to this day. French cities for instance are renown for their unique architecture. What is the most striking is the drastic difference when comparing how buildings that are centuries old to buildings that are 50 years old have aged. The later were built with three ideas in mind: satisfy the post war demand rush, profits and cost reduction. Post war demand increased at a drastic rate as the western world was recovering. That recovery was constituted of the economic "redevelopment" of western nations and the baby boom (1946 to 1964). In the mean time due to the high demand construction companies had to completely change their business model, buildings had to be made faster and cheaper. Following that trend cosntruction businesse's were therefore able to profit from the high demand by building more and more buildings with lower costs and lower prices for the clients. However, that opportunistic strategy did not take into consideration the actual sustainability of the new urbanisation process of our cities. As companies were making profits and as the demand of the time was being satisfied few concerns were risen.
Such mindset however won't be adequate for the futur of our cities. Cities are now spreading over incredibly large areas which can be allowed thanks to the convenience of transportation (cars, buses etc). Buildings are built "on demand" and with much cheaper materials with a focus on engineering optimisation rather that long term durability. But as the world must now shift towards a must sustainable approach of our way of lives, construction companies and the entire western europe civilization must now rethink its urbanisation process. Building must be built to last and to serve for generation, space must be managed in order to allow for less polluting means of transportation (less cars more bikes, more on foot and public transportation) meaning cities must now be more compact while still remembering the importance of air flow and waste management for good salubrity. Construction companies and policy makers msut now inspire themselves on the techniques and mindsets of the past and accepting to pay more but in order to invest for generations and not just for the present time.
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In the past 80 years, cities in western Europe have grown exponnetially with the dratic increase of populations in urban areas. Cities such as Paris or London have doubled and even tripled in size. However, due to the rapid increase of the demand and due to the higher emphasis on cost saving strategies, the construction industry had to adapt its practices and the buildings built after the second world war have very little to do with the buildings built before the second world war. Indeed, buildings that were built before the 1940's were built in a similar mindset as buildings had being built since at least the 15th century. But what was that mindset? How is it so different from the post war one? Why is it relevant for the futur?
Throughout the middle ages, buildings in cities (besides palaces, religious buildings and forts) were built with two ideas in mind: self sufficiency and practicality. Self sufficiency means that a house must not only allow one or multiple families to sleep but also to work and host the cattle which was an essential source of food and heat for people. For that reason buildings had to be built in such way that they could fullfill all those tasks. In addition as modes of transportation of the time were largely less convenient as they are nowadays (oxen and/or horses but they cost a lot) cities had to be as compact as poxxible to reduce the distance that people had to travel for their actvities/occupations. Cities in the middle ages were therefore compact and efficient (for the means of the time) but the proximity and lack of streets wide enough for proper airflow iwth a clear lack of waste management caused major salubrity issues with diseases spreading easily and devastating populations (ie plagues). In consequence from the beginning of the renaissance in the 15th century, emphasis started to be put on an efficient but much healthier urbanisation process. All over Europe cities saw drastic changes with the implementation of wider streets and better insulation for buildings allowing cattles to progressively leave the cities. The renaissance also saw a drastic change in the mindset behind the construction of a building. Instead of bean built just for practicality more emphasis was put on the convenience and most importantly on the long term durability of a building. The metamorphosis of french cities such as Paris, during the 18th century, is a great example of that. Buildings weren't built simply to satisfy a current need and cities weren't designed with a concern simply for the current generation but both were built for one important thing: to last. Everything, from the urbanisation plans, building style, material, layouts, etc were done with that purpose in mind.
That mindset has proven to be worthwhile as in the vast majority of western european cities, buildings from the Renaissance all the way to the 1940's are still standing and are still being used to this day. French cities for instance are renown for their unique architecture. What is the most striking is the drastic difference when comparing how buildings that are centuries old to buildings that are 50 years old have aged. The later were built with three ideas in mind: satisfy the post war demand rush, profits and cost reduction. Post war demand increased at a drastic rate as the western world was recovering. That recovery was constituted of the economic "redevelopment" of western nations and the baby boom (1946 to 1964). In the mean time due to the high demand construction companies had to completely change their business model, buildings had to be made faster and cheaper. Following that trend cosntruction businesse's were therefore able to profit from the high demand by building more and more buildings with lower costs and lower prices for the clients. However, that opportunistic strategy did not take into consideration the actual sustainability of the new urbanisation process of our cities. As companies were making profits and as the demand of the time was being satisfied few concerns were risen.
Such mindset however won't be adequate for the futur of our cities. Cities are now spreading over incredibly large areas which can be allowed thanks to the convenience of transportation (cars, buses etc). Buildings are built "on demand" and with much cheaper materials with a focus on engineering optimisation rather that long term durability. But as the world must now shift towards a must sustainable approach of our way of lives, construction companies and the entire western europe civilization must now rethink its urbanisation process. Building must be built to last and to serve for generation, space must be managed in order to allow for less polluting means of transportation (less cars more bikes, more on foot and public transportation) meaning cities must now be more compact while still remembering the importance of air flow and waste management for good salubrity. Construction companies and policy makers msut now inspire themselves on the techniques and mindsets of the past and accepting to pay more but in order to invest for generations and not just for the present time.