SMALL AT LARGE

GLOBAL VISIONARY

SCIENCE FICTION, , FANTASY , STAGE SETS,

A WAKE UP CALL RECENTLY, WHEN I WAS ASKED BY A RESPECTFUL ADMIRER “WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE DONE?”

A JUST QUESTION, THAT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE.

ARCHITECTS ARE REALISTIC. THEY ARE IN IT FOR THE HERE AND NOW COMMISSION. FOLLOW THE MONEY. A SERVICE PROFESSION. THE SHOTS CALLED BY THE DEVELOPERS, WHETHER PRIVATE OR GOVERNMENTAL.

I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT IS A SOLUTION FOR AN ECO AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR PLANET EARTH? THE VERTICAL CITY FOR DETROIT 1965- 1967, THAT WAS FINANCED BY AN ELIEL SAARINEN MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE SCHOLARSHIP AT CRANBROOK.

 

DETROIT REGION

THE SAME QUESTION APPLIED TO LOS ANGELES REGION, THE RESULT BEING THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE FOR LOS ANGELES 1969-1972 FINANCED BY TEACHING AT CAL POLY POMONA UNIVERSITY AND BEING FOUNDING FACULTY AT SCI-ARC. I WAS INSPIRED TO PROPOSE VISIONARY REALISTIC SOLUTIONS TO MANS URBAN PROBLEMS. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS PRE MATURE AND NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY. FALLING INTO THE CATEGORY OF PIE IN THE SKY COMIC BOOK VISIONARY, MY SCHEMES BEING DRASTICALLY MORE ADVANCED THAN PALO SOLERI IN ARIZONA , METABOLISM IN JAPAN, ARCHIGRAM IN LONDON AND WHAT BUCKMINISTER FULLER BUILT AND PROPOSED.

IT SEEMED SO SIMPLE: DESIGN WITH NATURAL PRINCIPLES, USE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, AND CREATE SOCIAL EQUALITY, AT A GLOBAL REGIONAL URBAN SCALE.

LOS ANGELES REGION

 

THERE FOLLOWED A LACK OF INTEREST TO DESIGN AT A GLOBAL SCALE.AND YET THE NEED WAS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER.

NOW TECHNOLOGY STREAKING AT A RAPID PACE COMBINED WITH MAN’S DISASTROUS BEHAVIOR WITH HIDEOUS CRIMES TO HIS FELLOW MAN AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE POPULATION GOING FROM 1 BILLION IN 1800 TO CLOSING IN ON 8 BILLION EXPONENTIALLY.

LOTS OF CONFUSION OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW TECHNOLOGY. WHERE AS IN THE PAST THE NEW TECHNOLOGY BUILT IN AN EVOLUTIONAL ARY WAY, THE NEW TECHNOLOGY CREATES INFINITE POSSIBILITIES THAT OFTEN ARE NOT COMPATIBLE NOR NEEDED.
WE HAVE NOT LEARNED HOW TO SAY NO TO TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES. THE CONCEPT BEING TECHNOLOGY CAN NOT BE STOPPED.

IN 2013 I HAD A RELASP OF URBAN INTEREST AND DESIGNED A HERE AND NOW SCHEME CALLED THE DOWNTOWN TROPISPHERE. THE SAME RESULTS, NO INTEREST, YET BUILD ABLE AND ADDRESSING THE GREEN CONCERNS AND SOCIAL PATTERNS OF TODAY.

GENERIC DOWNTOWN REGION

 

I LOOK AT MY PROFESSIONAL WORK AND REALIZE AT 28 I WAS INSPIRED TO CREATE WHAT WAS NEEDED, AT 80 I HAVE REGRETS ABOUT COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN TO BUILD AND PROPOSE AT LIMITED SCALES.

ALL THE ASPECTS OF WHAT I WAS DEALING WITH IN 1965 ARE NOW CATASTROPHIC CONCERNS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW.

PERSONALLY WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY, OR A MAJOR PART OF IT. SO NOT DEVELOPING MY GIFTS THAT I WAS GIVEN, IS REGRETTABLE.

THE BILLIONAIRE GALS AND GUYS WITH UNLIMITED MEANS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN ARE WIMPS WHEN IT COMES TO THINKING BIG.

I RECENTLY WRITING PHIL KNIGHT, THE ONLY BILLIONAIRE THAT I KNOW PERSONALLY PLEADING FOR DINERO TO BUILD LIFE SPAN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES FOR JOSHUA TREE.

THINK BIG, DO NOT COMPROMISE, AND WORK HARD. MY MOTTO AT CRANBROOK 1965 WHEN GEARING UP TO CREATE VISIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

WHAT I DID NOT BARGIN FOR, WAS THAT MY DESIGN TALENT DISTRACTED ME TO BUILD AT EVERY SCALE. THUS LOSING SIGHT OF WHAT REALLY MATTERED FOR HUMANITY. MY DAUGHTER YASMINA RECENTLY SAYING I SHOULD GO INTO THE CERAMIC POT BUSINESS, WHICH I HAD A BRIEF LOVE AFFAIR WITH IN 1963, TO GET FINANCIAL RENUMERATION AND PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT PEOPLE ARE INSPIRED BY.

 

CERAMIC POTS TO CREATE A FINANCIAL BASE 1963

YES, THE DINERO IS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE, BUT A TRAP TO STOP THE MIND FOR HIGHER CALLINGS. UNIVERSITIES WERE CREATED TO THINK FRESH AND INVESTIGATE THE UNKNOWN. THE MONEY RETURN NOT THE ISSUE. AT SCI-ARC I HAD A FINANCIAL BASE THAT ALLOWED ME TO EXPLORE WITH STUDENT ENERGY. NOW AGAIN I WISH TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOW.

WHAT IS LACKING IS SEEING THE BIG PICTURE OF URBAN SCALE BUILDING. ELON MUSK WITH MULTIPLE INTERESTS OF SPACE EXPLORATION, BURROWING UNDER CITIES, RUNNING ON ELECTRICITY, ETC. ALL WORTHY ENDEAVORS, BUT NOT SETTING A PLAN IN MOTION TO RESTORE AND RESPECT THE NATURAL CYCLES OF NATURE.

I NOW HUNKERED DOWN IN THE DESERT.

THE ONLY LIVING THING I HAVE TO RELATE TO ON A DAILY BASES BEING THE LOCAL WILD RABBITS. THE PECKING ORDER IN PLACE. WHEN PUTTING ORGANIC SCRAPES OUT THE LARGER SIBLINGS CHASE THE SMALL ONES, NOT FOR LACK OF FOOD, BUT DEMANDING CONTROL. A COMMON RULE OF NATURE THAT RISES TO THE TOP IN SO CALLED CIVILIZED SOCIETIES. NOTHING NEW.

THE UNITED NATIONS WAS SET IN MOTION TO THINK GLOBALLY FOR HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS.

The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, took place in Quito, Ecuador from 17-20 October 2016, and was the first UN global summit on urbanization. THE PRESENTATIONS CONSERVATIVE.

GLOBAL THE GOAL WITH ADAPTATION TO LOCAL SITUATIONS,
A BRIEF CURRENT RESEARCH SHOWS A LACK OF GLOBAL EXPERIMENTAL VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE. THERE ARE COMPUTER GAMES AND LOCAL PROPOSALS, BUT NOT ANY CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO TAKE ON THE PROBLEMS AT GLOBAL SCALE.

THE SO CALLED NEW ECO URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING LACK BOLD SOLUTIONS OF THE SCALE AND TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY .
THEREFORE, IT IS APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY FOR ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN PROGRAMS TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING VISIONARY PROPOSALS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS NOW AVAILABLE FOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS.

GLEN