the post-anthropocentric dream
by kevin cuate
performance platform
FLY FLY FLY
Approximately 140,000-500,000 bird deaths annually attributed to wind turbines near migratory pathways. In addition to this, these operations can disrupt bird habitats and create barriers during their migratory paths.
Wind Turbine Farms are revolutionary agents that combat climate change. A single large wind turbine can save over 1,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. Wind turbines do not produce air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, improving public health.
Drill Baby Drill
At first, oil refineries were seen as a revolutionary achievement for mankind. This industry changed the game when it came to energy and fuel supply, boosting the American economy due to its increase in revenue. This exploitation ensured a supply of fuels needed for transportation, heating, and electricity, all for the needs of humankind. Although it was seen as a technological achievement at the time, this industry has single handedly contributed to the detriments of today. Oil refineries are notorious contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, a cause of today’s climate concerns, but also water pollution. Not only has this impacted surrounding ecosystems, it impacts us directly, even causing health concerns for many.
Recalibration
In light of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s call for a new form of subjectivity rooted in a planetary sensibility, we must cultivate a collective awareness that transcends away from individualism. This post-anthropocentric subject, recognizes its interconnectedness with both human and non-human entities, while maintaining a critical awareness of technology’s environmental impacts. While architecture has traditionally functioned as an apparatus designed to secure humanity’s anthropocentric space, it is distinct in its potential to be recalibrated to foster alternative forms of subjectivity. Architectural design has the potential to reprogram this relationship, fostering a new sensibility that encourages awareness of our entanglement with the ecosystem. Such a shift could catalyze a transition from exploitation to stewardship. As we confront an uncertain future, the role of architecture and technology must undergo a profound reassessment.
This thesis will demonstrate a recalibrated architecture striving for this cultivation of a planetary subjectivity by reimagining it as an uncanny form of technology capable of new performances. This awareness can lead to a more integrated approach to architecture, where the built environment actively participates in cultivating a new planetary subjectivity rather than merely serving human needs.
appartus: a complex network of social, political, and cultural mechanisms that capture, orient, and control the behaviors, opinions, and discourses of individuals
In a similar sense, philosopher Giorgio Agamben expands on Michel Foucault concept of the “apparatus”, which he described as any human construct that transforms humans and directs their actions, which produces its own subject by producing norms, desires, and behaviors. These subjects are linked to the shared ideas of anthropocentrism, individualism, techno-optimism, and unwillingness to examine the flawed premises. This form of subjectivity is the driving force behind humanity’s rapid progression toward extinction. Our technologies, as Heidegger’s concept of “ready-to-hand” suggests, are not just neutral tools but extensions of our practical engagement with the world, seamlessly integrated into our actions. However, this unreflective use blinds us to their broader implications, turning them into instruments of self-designed extinction.
enframing: using technology to turn nature into a resource for efficient use
Martin Heidegger was one of the first philosophers to propose this issue through his concept of “enframing”, illustrating how particular forms of technology cause environmental elements to appear as resources for exploitation for human needs, in seemingly perfect accordance with the technology that was designed to harvest it. Human technology has distorted our perception of the natural world, rendering it as a mere object of human will, a resource to be exploited. This instrumentalization of nature complicates our relationship with the environment, leading us to view it as external rather than as something continuous with our existence.
“The world is neither our oyster nor our servant”
Theorist Lukas Likavcan’s assertion that “the world is neither our oyster nor our servant” highlights a fundamental misconception held by much of humanity that the Earth does not exist solely for our benefit. Likavcan explores the idea that this crisis is not a planetary one, but rather a human one that threatens the human technosphere. This misconception reflects a broader misunderstanding of our role in the natural world and the boundaries between the “built” environment and the ecosystem. Although humanity possesses knowledge of their detrimental actions, their inability to care about the issue is driven by the instrumentality of human technology. The reliance on technology, primarily developed to enhance human comfort and convenience, has distorted these boundaries, leading to a separation that significantly contributes to this detriment.
Write a Title Here
This is a space to welcome visitors to the site. Grab their attention with copy that clearly states what the site is about, and add an engaging image or video.
“The history of architecture is a history of the human body under siege by its own inventions”
In their collaborative work, “Are We Human? Notes on an Archaeology of Design” theorists Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley proposes the idea that “the history of architecture is a history of the human body under siege by its own inventions”, presenting the idea that the environments that humans create, usually have unintended consequences that challenge our survival and well being. They argue that design is a form that is constantly changing and reshaping the way it means to be human or even what it means to survive, presenting the idea that humans are the only species that has systematically designed their own extinction. As the reality of the climate emergency becomes more apparent, a radical transformation is taking place in our attempts to mitigate the environmental degradation we have initiated. However, numerous scholars argue that it may be too late to reverse the extensive damage done. Consequently, we are likely to witness ongoing and catastrophic alterations to our global environment.
oil refineries in the U.S.A.
oil refineries in the Texas
site location
site location
site axon
historical context
native flora
native avian species
Phase 1: Ecostructure
structural section
structural render
facade detail
exterior render
exterior render
Phase 2: center for land use and interpretation
structure 1 section
water catchment
human entrance
top plan
active water system
water catchment pathway
educational platform
structure 2 section
exhibit platform
makerspace platform
sanitary platform
