Thursday, September 10, 2015 2:00 pm
-
2:00 pm
EDT (GMT -04:00)
Of the thesis entitled:ÌýSynanthropic Suburbia
Abstract:
Animals
areÌýinvading
the
city.
Coyotes
are
sighted
on
downtown
streets
with
greaterÌýfrequency,
raccoons
notoriously
forage
through
greenbins
as
their
primaryÌýsource
of
food,
and
all
forms
of
animals
inhabit
the
surfaces,
edges
andÌýcavities
of
the
built
environment.
Once
wild
animalsÌýare
now
adapting
to
theÌýurban
ecosystem
and
a
new
human
animal
relationship
is
emerging.
Between
theÌýdomestic
and
the
wild
are
the
synanthropic
species,
defined
as
animals
whoÌýbenefit
from
living
in
close
proximity
to
humans
yet,
remain
beyond
theirÌýcontrol.
Since
these
animalsÌýare
neither
beloved
pets,
nor
wild
beasts,Ìýsynanthropes
are
often
deemed
pests.
However,
they
are
the
urban
mediate,Ìýcapable
of
living
alongside
the
pervasive
human
population
by
adapting
toÌýanthropogenic
behaviours
and
environments.
As
the
conceptual
division
betweenÌýcity
andÌýnature
dissolves,
architecture
is
called
upon
to
negotiate
the
physicalÌýboundary
between
human
and
synanthropic
animal.ÌýSynanthropic
SuburbiaÌýtherefore
reimagines
human
animalÌýinteractions,
using
architecture
to
structure
hybrid
relationships
thatÌýpositively
contribute
to
the
urbanÌýecosystem.
The thesis isÌýpositioned within a landscape of rapid ecological transformation – the suburbsÌý– and engages the space of greatest tension between human and animal – theÌýdomestic territory of the house. The objective is to investigate theÌýinterrelationship between scales of design andÌýecological impact. How can theÌýmultiplications of small scale, architectural interventions influence largeÌýscale territorial systems and patterns?ÌýSynanthropicÌýSuburbiaÌýseeks to answer this question through a series of telescopingÌýdesign experiments that position six animal species asÌýactive players byÌýengaging their habitat requirements, biological behaviours, and seasonalÌýpatterns. Three architectural prosthetics re-imagine conventional buildingÌýcomponents into hybrid systems that augment the single family home and defineÌýthe physical interface between humanÌýand non-human species. The multiplicationÌýof the prosthetic systems engages the broader biological requirements of aÌýspecies and integrates the spatial development patters to define newÌýsynanthropic suburban typologies. These syn-urban building blocks are thenÌýproliferated across theÌýterritorial scale to create a robust, novel ecosystemÌýthat is capable of supporting a diversity and density of human and non-humanÌýspecies. The design process seeks to unpack the interconnectivity betweenÌýcomplex socio-ecological systems through the multiscale design of the suburbanÌýbiome.
In the currentÌýcontext of global urbanization and socio-ecological change,ÌýSynanthropic SuburbiaÌýtakes theÌýopportunity to restructure human biological and cultural relationships withÌýnon-human species. Animals are now equal citizens with the agency to contributeÌýto the dynamicÌýprocesses of production, consumption and inhabitation of theÌýsyn-urban biome. Synanthropic architecture blurs the spatial definition betweenÌýhuman and non-human to maximize the mutual benefits of cohabitation. EventuallyÌýhuman perceptions could shift and more hybrid conditions ofÌýhuman-animal livingÌýcould emerge, yet, one question will always remain,Ìýhow close is too close?
Ìý
The thesis isÌýpositioned within a landscape of rapid ecological transformation – the suburbsÌý– and engages the space of greatest tension between human and animal – theÌýdomestic territory of the house. The objective is to investigate theÌýinterrelationship between scales of design andÌýecological impact. How can theÌýmultiplications of small scale, architectural interventions influence largeÌýscale territorial systems and patterns?ÌýSynanthropicÌýSuburbiaÌýseeks to answer this question through a series of telescopingÌýdesign experiments that position six animal species asÌýactive players byÌýengaging their habitat requirements, biological behaviours, and seasonalÌýpatterns. Three architectural prosthetics re-imagine conventional buildingÌýcomponents into hybrid systems that augment the single family home and defineÌýthe physical interface between humanÌýand non-human species. The multiplicationÌýof the prosthetic systems engages the broader biological requirements of aÌýspecies and integrates the spatial development patters to define newÌýsynanthropic suburban typologies. These syn-urban building blocks are thenÌýproliferated across theÌýterritorial scale to create a robust, novel ecosystemÌýthat is capable of supporting a diversity and density of human and non-humanÌýspecies. The design process seeks to unpack the interconnectivity betweenÌýcomplex socio-ecological systems through the multiscale design of the suburbanÌýbiome.
In the currentÌýcontext of global urbanization and socio-ecological change,ÌýSynanthropic SuburbiaÌýtakes theÌýopportunity to restructure human biological and cultural relationships withÌýnon-human species. Animals are now equal citizens with the agency to contributeÌýto the dynamicÌýprocesses of production, consumption and inhabitation of theÌýsyn-urban biome. Synanthropic architecture blurs the spatial definition betweenÌýhuman and non-human to maximize the mutual benefits of cohabitation. EventuallyÌýhuman perceptions could shift and more hybrid conditions ofÌýhuman-animal livingÌýcould emerge, yet, one question will always remain,Ìýhow close is too close?
Ìý
The examining committee is as follows:
Supervisor:
Committee Members:
LolaÌýSheppard​,ÌýUniversity of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
MatthewÌýSpremulli,ÌýUniversity
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
Robert Corry, University of Guelph
Ìý
External Reader:
Joyce Hwang, University at Buffalo
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Ìý
Thursday
SeptemberÌý10,
2015
2:00PM
ARC
Loft
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.