Affirmative Architecture: Resonations and Reservations from AJH, KvV & FJE

Notes, reflections and sketches from the Affirmative Architecture symposium. We haven't covered everything, just a few things that resonated with us, and a few more that didn't.

Resonations

Ideas from the existing: most speakers talked about looking at what's there, and working with it.

Emma Williamson: Self-deprecating presentation on CODA 3.0; framed as 'stuff white people like'... and we like it.

Melanie Dodd: to quote RC; "I'm in love". Can we call this 'glass half full urbanism'? Focusing on what's already good rather than fixing what's bad created architecture theatrically balancing on the edge.

Takaharu Tezuka: Where do we start? Humour, cute kids inhabiting the projects, his joy in architecture, great video illustration, his colour coded life. The educational outcomes from the practice's Fuji Kindergarten are exciting; the level of active learning is huge - one child covered 6km in 3hrs, and triple the usual games. Living on the roof with no handrails, and personalised trapdoor/skylights!

vittinoAshe: Honest observations on Perth; both critical, optomistic and heartwarming. Great blend of poetics and pragmatics.

The Geoff Warn Show: Expands the concept of 'question' to new heights. Wonderful, thoughtful, insightful provocations.

Dunlop Volley Bridge: No idea how they came up with this one, but a pop culture solution to relate to tennis, the name of the town and a pre-defined engineering solution gets our vote for m3.

Stuart Vokes: In 8 years they've put a lot of pink of dots on the map. Architecture in the suburbs at its best. And debunking the 'Queenslander' myth.

Reservations

Anthony Hoete on Melanie Dodd: Is responding to someone's comment with "blah blah blah" refreshing, or insulting?

Adrian and Finn talking for (nearly) an hour: Fascinating talk, so we didn't really mind.

Terroir: Their work is awesome; Scott Balmforth under-sold the 'affirmation' in their projects.

Questions from the Office of the Government Architect: Here's one I prepared earlier? Give me the Geoff Warn Show any day.

Notebooks: FJE, KvV. (Click to enlarge).