Questining Modernism, Urbanism, Globalism, Profitism, Humanism, Naturism, Localism

Questining Modernism, Urbanism, Globalism, Profitism, Humanism, Naturism, Localism

By Tay Kheng Soon (Akitek Tenggara)

Since the 90’s Arcasia has vexed over the professional politics of identity challenged globalization. Asia based its development model on the west unless we have more powerful ideas that address the crisis of capitalism itself we will repeat its errors. This is talk on architecture though it will touch on politics.

We need to re-position our focus. We need the re-think the mathematics of form. New architecture can only come from new planning. New planning comes from new methodology and new planning vision. The new methodology is 3D modeling of total floor space versus land area.

World Settlement Options

Lets look at the world first. World arable land is 19,500,000km². If everyone needs 40m²  floor space each, the total floor area for 7,000,000,000 people is 280,000,000,000m² or 1.4% if all buildings are one storey. If they are two storeys, the footprint is 0.7%. So there are many options for human settlement types.

Every architect of every building serve its master, thus every architect is an agent of someone’s idea. It’s time to lead.

Singapore Settlement Options:

Land                                        : 714,000,000m² (714km²)

Population                               : 5,000,000

Per-capital floor space           : 50m²

Total floor area                       : 250,000,000m²

Total footprint for 4 storeys is therefore 1/12^th or 8.3% of the island.

If average is 28 storeys, the footprint is 1/84^th or 1.2% of the island.

If space between building is 4 times the footprint, then the land required is 4,8% of the island.

These calculation assume stacking all functions. It is the 3D design method. The more we density some place, the less we need in another. What Singapore could have been is totally rubanised.

Rubanitation

Rubanitation is the solution to urban and rural areas. In India, Urban and Rural areas along the agricultural corridor creates the best of both the worlds. We can devide the area consists of cells at different densities:

·         Low density  (8,000 people)

·         Mid low density (23,000 people)

·         Mid high density (31,000 people)

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