Biosphere X
What does it mean for land use to be ethical? Founded upon the belief that environnmental issues are inherently political, this studio proposed land use strategies by engaging ongoing debates about ethical land use practices.
Any given plot of land is subject to demands for industrial profit, healthy ecosystems, public space, private ownership, and individual interests. These interconnected but often contradictory desires reflect a broad range of political attitudes towards conservation and government regulation. Founded upon the belief that environmental issues are inherently political, this studio will explore and propose land use strategies by engaging ongoing debates about ethical land use practices.
In order to frame these issues, we will explore and critique the ideologies of hippies and hunters. The longstanding bitterness between these two archetypes is not surprising – while hunters track, mimic, and kill wildlife to revel in the beauty and violence of an untamed land, environmentalists such as Earth First! fight passionately to protect common property from any anthropocentric transformation. Market-oriented hunters argue that land conservation be funded by taxes on hunting equipment, permits, and tourism industries. In contrast, communes like Drop City and Black Bear Ranch rejected consumer culture in favor of an experimental society based on spontaneous creativity, shared property and productivity, and social affiliations that challenge the family institution. Despite their seemingly irreconcilable differences, however, alliances between the two camps frequently arise. Hippies and hunters share a libertarian mistrust of government that underlies a broader desire to return ‘back to nature,’ but also call upon the government to protect wildeness areas from residential and industrial developments. In other middle-ground strategies, environmentalists often support partnerships between the government and corporations, trading rights to develop land for water management and wildlife preserves.
The test bed for this studio is Biosphere 2. This 3.14 acre structure housed seven ‘biospherians’ for two years from 1991-1992 in an (almost) completely enclosed and self-sustaining environment. The ambitious experiment aspired to serve as a prototype for space colonies, and conduct research on ecosystem functions on Biosphere 1, or Earth. Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s domes and NASA’s space shuttle, Biosphere 2 embodies the Utopian aspirations and controversial principles of off-the-grid isolation and self-reliance embraced by hippies and hunters. Biosphere 2 has been challenged by inevitable breaches of the air seal, fierce infighting among biospherians, and misdirected scientific experiments eventually revived by Columbia University and University of Arizona researchers. While Biosphere 2 continues to fight to assert its scientific viability, its new owner is developing plans to build housing, commercial, and resort developments on the property to capitalize on neighboring Tucson’s lucrative suburban expansion. Biosphere 2 is now poised to confront Biosphere 1.
Teaching Assistant: John Cerone
Master of Science Advanced Architectural Degree Studio