Architecture and Vision on organic design

Called upon during the “Digital Life Design Conference” in Munich, which they took part in along with Ross Lovegrove and Paola Antonelli, Vittori and Vogler talk to Domus about what organic design means to them.

To explain the concept of “organic design”, while avoiding confusion or generalisations, it is best to recall its various meanings over the course of time. If we want to talk about “organic design” it has to be clear that doing so merely in terms relating to form is not enough today. In reality, up until now we have never used this expression to describe our work. However, it is certainly true that nature as a source of inspiration is a central element of our approach. What we want to achieve is not stylistic emulation but rather design that can make use of technology available to enable man to integrate himself with the environment or to sustain natural processes, before it’s too late.

As we know, the theme of “eco-sustainability” is now on every agenda, at a national and international level. Or at least, the word is spreading at the speed that news is taken up by the media. But let’s look back, think of Buckminster Fuller, his work, both theoretical and design, is an excellent example to draw on, also highlighting how the health of the environment, our planet, the issue of resources, are not an emergency that has arisen over the last ten to fifteen years. If we could look at the earth from space, we would all probably have a more definite impression of how radical a change is necessary. Not just because we immediately see the beauty to be protected and conserved, described for example by Yuri Gagarin when he came back from the mission that took him – the first man – into space, [“Circling the Earth in the orbital spaceship I marvelled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty – not destroy it” ], but also because the extreme environment of space – and design aimed at its exploration – forces us to take an approach towards the use of resources that we should also adopt here on earth. To create a real and significant shift, however, what is necessary is a vision for the future, if we are unable to conceive and imagine a different future we will continue to do what we have always done, with just some small changes. This also means taking risks, exposing oneself with one’s vision, with projects that are the result of an independent drive towards research, rather than dictated by an immediate market need or a client.

This is the direction we have taken with the projects we presented during the recent DLD Conference (where we took part, along with Ross Lovegrove, in a panel discussion dedicated to “The Future of Organic Design” chaired by Paola Antonelli); DesertSeal, AirTree, MercuryHouseOne and EcoUnit… Born out of a desire to experiment and a drive towards change, not only is nature a fundamental component in all these projects, they also seek to investigate and promote proposals for alternative ways of living. DesertSeal, despite its apparent simplicity, has been conceived in detail for the extreme environment of the desert, on the one hand we have applied materials derived from aerospace applications, on the other we have studied the context and resources available – making use not just of the sun but also the daytime thermal gradient in the desert where the cooler air tends to move upwards, for this reason there is a ventilator placed at the top of the tent, powered by a photo-voltaic panel, that serves to collect the air and bring it inside. This is the direction we have taken with the projects we presented during the recent DLD Conference (where we took part, along with Ross Lovegrove, in a panel discussion dedicated to “The Future of Organic Design” chaired by Paola Antonelli); DesertSeal, AirTree, MercuryHouseOne and EcoUnit… Born out of a desire to experiment and a drive towards change, not only is nature a fundamental component in all these projects, they also seek to investigate and promote proposals for alternative ways of living. DesertSeal, despite its apparent simplicity, has been conceived in detail for the extreme environment of the desert, on the one hand we have applied materials derived from aerospace applications, on the other we have studied the context and resources available – making use not just of the sun but also the daytime thermal gradient in the desert where the cooler air tends to move upwards, for this reason there is a ventilator placed at the top of the tent, powered by a photo-voltaic panel, that serves to collect the air and bring it inside.

Moving to another kind of extreme environment, that of the metropolis, we addressed atmospheric pollution in the city, where, apart from anything else, half the world’s population live. AirTree is an urban sculpture that has been conceived as both statement and an attempt to respond to the situation. Using a combination of technology and natural elements such as water and moss filters to locally clean the air of fine particles, it is a structure that generates an active exchange with the environment, creating a kind of ecological oasis that functions not only as a piece of street furniture but also has a “social” function, acting as a meeting place in the context of the city.

MercuryHouseOne meanwhile is a mobile living unit, its shape is inspired by that of a teardrop not only for aesthetic reasons but because this is a configuration that offers the maximum internal volume with the minimum external surface. The shell itself will be clad in a skin of 3 mm of Carrara sculptural marble. The unit is currently in production phase (GVM, Italia). The upper part is made with a panel in polycarbonate in which are integrated semi-transparent photo-voltaic cells allowing light to filter during the day, while during the night you can admire the stars while comfortably lying inside. The generous openings allow inhabitable space to be extended into the surrounding environment, that then becomes part of the experience. It is therefore a project conceived to involve all the senses, to inspire a different perception of space. Arturo Vittori, Andreas Vogler (Architecture and Vision)
MercuryHouseOne
MercuryHouseOne
MercuryHouseTwo
MercuryHouseTwo

Latest on Design

Latest on Domus

Read more
China Germany India Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Sri Lanka Korea icon-camera close icon-comments icon-down-sm icon-download icon-facebook icon-heart icon-heart icon-next-sm icon-next icon-pinterest icon-play icon-plus icon-prev-sm icon-prev Search icon-twitter icon-views icon-instagram