Architects
Christopher Wolfgang Alexander (born October 4, 1936 in Vienna, Austria) is an architect noted for his theories about design, and for more than 200 building projects in California, Japan, Mexico and around the world. Reasoning that users know more about the buildings they need than any architect could, he produced and validated (in collaboration with Sarah Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein) a "pattern language" designed to empower anyone to design and build at any scale. Alexander is often overlooked by texts in the history and theory of architecture because his work intentionally disregards contemporary architectural discourse. As such, Alexander is widely considered to occupy a place outside the discipline, the discourse, and the practice of Architecture.[citation needed] In 1958, he moved from England to the United States, living and teaching in Berkeley, California from 1963. He is professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. Now retired (though still active), he is based in Arundel, Sussex, UK.
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Alexander
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Alexander
Michael E. "Mike" Reynolds is an American architect based in New Mexico known for the design and construction of Earthships. He is a proponent of "radically sustainable living". He has been a critic of the profession of architecture for its failure to deal with the amount of waste that building design creates… He cites as an epiphany the moment he realized that any object, be it a pop bottle or an old tire, could become powerful and durable insulation when it was filled with dirt. He has written five books on the subject.Soon he was building and selling his experimental homes while continuing to use trial and error to improve them. Over time, the Earthships incorporated features designed to make them comfortable to live in while existing off the grid. Solar panels and geothermal cooling were added. The unusual homes caught the attention of celebrities and environmentalactivists. Actors Dennis Weaver and Keith Carradine each commissioned Reynolds to build high-end Earthships for them.
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Reynolds_(architect)
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Reynolds_(architect)
Deceased Architects
Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013) was an Italian-American architect. He established Arcosanti and the educational Cosanti Foundation. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.
The Cosanti Foundation's major project is Arcosanti, a community planned for 5,000 people, designed by Soleri; Arcosanti has been in construction since 1970. Located near Cordes Junction, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Phoenix and visible from Interstate I-17 in central Arizona, the project intends to provide a model demonstrating Soleri's concept of "Arcology", architecture coherent with ecology. Arcology is envisioned by Soleri as a hyperdense city, designed to maximize human interaction; it should maximize access to shared, cost-effective infrastructural services, conserve water and reduce sewage; minimize the use of energy, raw materials and land; reduce waste and environmental pollution; and allow interaction with the surrounding natural environment. Arcosanti is a prototype of a desert arcology. Soleri's other arcology designs envisioned sites such as the ocean (Nova Noah), et al.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri
- Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adambrock/451596258/
The Cosanti Foundation's major project is Arcosanti, a community planned for 5,000 people, designed by Soleri; Arcosanti has been in construction since 1970. Located near Cordes Junction, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Phoenix and visible from Interstate I-17 in central Arizona, the project intends to provide a model demonstrating Soleri's concept of "Arcology", architecture coherent with ecology. Arcology is envisioned by Soleri as a hyperdense city, designed to maximize human interaction; it should maximize access to shared, cost-effective infrastructural services, conserve water and reduce sewage; minimize the use of energy, raw materials and land; reduce waste and environmental pollution; and allow interaction with the surrounding natural environment. Arcosanti is a prototype of a desert arcology. Soleri's other arcology designs envisioned sites such as the ocean (Nova Noah), et al.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri
- Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adambrock/451596258/