11/12(1995) 't It ,· , I CONTENTS EDITORIAL OFFICES: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN MAGAZINE 42 LEINSTER GARDENS, LONDON W2 3AN TEL: 0171-402 2141 FAX: 0171-723 9540 Battle McCarthy Multi-Source Synthesis: EDITOR Maggie Toy Landscape Sustained by Nature• Nina Pope EDITORIAL TEAM: Iona Spens (Senior Editor), Iona Baird, Rachel Bean, 'Hybrid Housing' • Neil Spiller (AI)Con • Stephen Watt, Sara Parkin ART EDITOR: Andrea Bettella Academy Highlights• News• Books CHIEF DESIGNER Mario B-ettella DESIGNERS: Toby Norman, Gregory Mills CONSl,IL TANTS: Catherine Cooke, Terry Farrell, Kenneth Frampton, Charles Jencks, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROFILE No I 18 Nina Pope, View from Ivy Heinrich Klotz, Leon Krier, Robert Maxwell, Cottage, site-specific art for Demetri Porphyrios, Kenneth Powell, Colin lckworth House, 1995 Rowe, Derek Walker ARCHITECTS IN CYBERSPACE SUBSCRIPTION OFFICES Martin Pearce From Urb to Bit• William Mitchell UK VCH PUBLISHERS (UK) LTD Soft Cities• Philip Tabor I am a Videocam • Karen 8 WELLINGTON COURT , WELLINGTON STREET - ~ CAMBRIDGE CB1 1HZ A Franck• Celia Larner & Ian Hunter• Sheep T ~' ----==-- TEL (01223) 321111 FAX: (01223) 313321 Iconoclast• Sarah Chaplin • Sadie Plant• Roy USA ANO CANADA VCH PUBLISHERS INC I t i 303 NW 12TH AVENUE DEERFIELD BEACH , Ascott • Marcos Novak• Mark Titman• Michael ~ 7/ ,.. FLORIDA 33442-1788 USA TEL (305) 428-5566 / (800) 367-8249 xKavya. l'f ''t'i / \· , / .. I , • ,... fi,_~ McGuire • Nick Land. Dunne+ Raby. I FAX (305) 428-8201 Neil Spiller• John H Frazer• Bernard Tschumi • I ; ·· ~ I ALL OTHER COUNTRIES VCH VERLAGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH Arakawa+ Madeline Gins ·• Stelarc BOSCHSTRASSE 12, POSTFACH 101161 Christopher Janney, Harmonic Runway, Miami 69451 WEINHEIM I nter[lational Airport, 1995 FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY TEL 06201 606 148 FAX Q6201 606 184 © 1995 Academy Group Ltd All righls reserved No part ol this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying +recording or any information storage or retrieval system without perm1ss1onin writing from the Publishers Neither the Editor nor the Academy Group hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed by writers of articles or letters in this magazine , The Editor will give careful consid­ eration to unsolicited articles , photographs and drawings; please enclose a stamped addressed envelope tor their return (if required) Payment tor material appearing in AO is not normally made except by pnor arrangement All reasonable care will be taken of material in the possession of AD and agents and printers. but they regret that they cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage . Architectural Design Is published six times per year (Jan/Feb; Mar/ Apr; May/Jun; Jul/Aug; Sept/Oct: and Nov/Dec) ,Subscript1on rates for 1994(incl p&p): Annua/subscriplionpnce ' UKonly£65 00. World OM 195, USA $135 00 for regular subscribers Student rate, UK only £50,00, World OM 156, USA$105 ,00 incl postage and handling charges individual ,ssues: £14 .95/DM 39 50 (plus £2 .30/DM 5 for p&p, per issue ordered) , US $24 95 (incl p&p) For the USA and Canada, Architectural Design is distnbuled by VCH Publishers Inc. 303 NW 12th Avenue, Deerfield Beach , FL 33442-1788; Telefax (305) 428-8201 Telephone (305) 428-5566 or (800) 367-8249 . Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Deerfield Beach, FL_ POSTMASTER . Send address Marcos Novak, Partition changes to Architectural Design, 303 NW 12th Avenue, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-1788 Printed in ltaly,Orig1nat1on by Print Tek Lon­ Chamber, from 'Dancing don All prices are subject to change without notice . [ISSN: 0003-8504] With The Virtual Dervish' BATTLE McCARTHY MULTI-SOURCE SYNTHESIS Landscape Sustained by Nature He leapt the garden wall and saw that all People have always been fascinated by the nature was a garden. difference between wild landscapes and their Horace Walpole, writing about William Kent, man-made/constructed counterparts. Some of the 18th-century landscape architect. the most successful man-made landscapes, like those of Capability Brown, were designed In the archetypal suburb, wide empty streets as a human interpretation of a natural form are lined by parked cars separated by barren whilst the landscapes of power (Versailles, the and sterile strips of grass. It is a space largely White House lawn) have consistently tried to untouched by human activity; except on subjugate and control nature. The ancient Sunday mornings, the time for washing of cars Persian view of nature was more sophisticated: and mowing of lawns. The weekly routine it took in both views, celebrating both the probably serves a social purpose - allowing preciousness of the cultivated garden, and the residents to exhibit themselves and their cars emotive beauty of wilderness. briefly to each other - but is this enough to Underlying this confusion over aesthetics is justify the ecological sterility of those ubiqui­ the lack of understanding of function in land­ tous lawns? scape. Brown's landscapes were functional in a simple way; employing sheep and cows to asl year the British public spent over keep the grass short and keep tree branches £250 mil lion on lawn mowers and other above ground, creating a classic landscape L grass-re lated mate rials and machines to characterised by rolling grass-covered hills maintain their private gardens. Taking into dotted with broad-leaved trees of the familiar account the additional cost of petrol and shape. But we have since forgotten the func­ electricity to run the equipment, together with tional reason for the appearance of this and the considerable industrial, commercial and many other landscape types, and as we try and retail support required, it would appear that the replicate them without their creating function UK is supporting a huge market based purely we have to fall back on the powerful tools of on keeping grass at an acceptable height and chemicals , machines and energy. colour. If we also consider the 100,000 acres of Until recently only the most obvious human­ local authority parkland and the thousands of centred functions have been designed for: miles of road verges throughout the country, fields for production of grain, parks for walking we get a picture of a massive human folly. the dog, lawns for playing croquet. Each of . The fuel alone required for the various grass these landscapes performs its limited human maintenance machines in the UK could prob­ function in the short term, although each is ably power a third world city whilst the many sterile and destructive in its own way. We know hectares of neat and tidy grass represent that if we continue to alter and simplify the ecological sterility, destabilising ecosystems natural order of the planet what's at risk is not OPPOSITE: False-colour transmis­ and actiyely contributing to the destruction of the earth itself (which will simply evolve new sion electron micrograph of a cell infected by influenza virus; courtesy biodiversity through the application of forms of life and ecological processes), but our of Dr Gopal Murti/Science Photo pesticides. own social systems and ultimately our own Library; FROM ABOVE: One­ This is not a new story and neither is it the species. To avoid this self-destruction we dimensional human uses of landscape - flower clock being most extreme example of how we mismanage must adopt more sustainable systems and for planted in a municipal park; our landscape in environmental terms. How­ this we need to understand and be able to industrial horticulture; landing ever, it highlights one of the fundamental mimic nature. strip; OVERLEAF: Assessment of landscape types for the Groningen problems facing broad acceptance of an To create sustainable landscapes we need Zuid-Oost site - existing types ecologically sustainable way of life for all, and to develop a methodology for assessing, (left), proposed landscaped that is public taste. In Britain especially we are planning and designing landscapes that goes types (right). Each 'mark' has been calculated by an ecologist weighed down by the culture of tidiness and by well beyond the counting of wildlife species or as an assessment of ecological the negative associations of weeds and ram­ the judgement of scenic value. The critical value under each category. The pant nature. Is it conceivable that public taste currency of the future should be energy - assessment has helped guide decisions about the relative land will stifle sustainability in the same way that it rather than, for instance, monetary value - and area and placing of each type in has marginalised architecture? environmental judgements should be based on the new framework structure. Ill lndustrlalhlnterland Productivity ,, Protection I Enchantment Self-managing Cumulatlvt rating ':I Wlldllft I Wetland Productivity • II Protection I: Enchantment Self•managlngc I!-'! Cumulativerating I ·' Wlldllft ArableFarmland Protection Enchantment Self-managing Cumulativerating Wildlife II Canal Edge I, Productivity ~ Protactlon Enchantment Self-managing"' I!-'! f Cumulativerating -~::- .., Wlldllft II Rivercorridor pasture Productivity I a Protection - I I Enchantment "' Self-managing= Cumulativerating I Wlldllft "'l-1 ---- 11 ProductivityiiiiiJ Protection Enchantment Self-managing"' ,: WIidiifei--------- • i Shel1trbeltl i.:-:..-:...-:..-:...-:...-:...-:...-:...-_-_-_-::-::-:::•1 a Kree nbeltl Productivity-L111• ____ ...:..___:_J l, I Ench1ntm1ntProtactlon.~tr-~;;i~~i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i~i ' ~ S.lf,m1neglng.... CumulltlVI rating