We, as humans have, self-proclaimed ourselves as the superior species on this planet…but is that actually true? May be we are, but surely ignoring the fact that we’ll be vanished without the ecological balance. In an era of globalization, does globalization really represent the universal human interest of well-being?
The urban jungle of our times sheds light on our selfishness. All we see around us is the concrete jungle that keep getting denser, slowly wiping off the bare beauty of nature.
We have all the possible studies about human emotions, fears, reactions, the kind of places we like and feel safe to live in; we build artificial islands, bridges, skyscrapers, 10 storey deep underground parking lots – with every possible resource we can use from our nature; but do we really care while destroying environments where non-humans once lived? It is time we start caring for the species around us.
Few months ago I came across reading about a popular belief called Pantheism. – It is a word derived from the Greek roots pan (meaning “all”) and theos (meaning “God”). It is the belief that everything composes an all-encompassing, immanent God, or that the Universe (or Nature) is identical with divinity. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal or anthropomorphic god, but differ in exact interpretation of the term.
Here are some thoughts I would like to share from Pantheism.
– Deep sense of peace and belonging is in the midst of Nature.– More concerned with saving the planet than saving one’s eternal soul.– Reverence for Nature and the wider Universe.– Active respect and care for the rights of all humans and other living beings.
When it comes to Architecture – planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambiance that reflect functional, technical, social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations, could we not take charge of building environments for non-humans! How interesting it will be if we could live in harmony with nature intervening it comfortably in urban environment of ours. Check this out!
Urban areas are quickly becoming the densest concentrations of human life on the planet and because of that – there are well documented positive and negative impacts to local biodiversity and ecologists. But animals also live near or in the cities, and live off of how the current living system works. It is time that we focus on solving, addressing or proposing urban issues.
On that note, I support Animal Architecture which is an ongoing investigation into the performative role of biology in design. This online project operates on the edge between humans and our surrounding “others” — illuminating alternative ways of living with nonhuman animals, discussing cross-species collaborations, and defining new frameworks through which to discuss biological design.
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