No. 9 How Buildings Learn

This week we will be reading chapter 5 "Magazine Architecture: No Road" from How Buildings Learn, by Stewart Brand, proposed by Dennis McNulty. The chapter is available here. This book was also made into a BBC series by Brand with music by Brian Eno. The whole series seems to have been uploaded by Brand himself to google video here.
We will be meeting to discuss this reading on Tuesday 29th September in the Library Bar, Central Hotel at 7.30. Please email me at nowwhatread@gmail.com to attend.

No. 8 Architecture Without Architects

"Architecture Without Architects - Another Anarchist Approach" by Marion Von Osten is our next reading, proposed by Dennis McNulty. And I would like to proposed that we also read a text that Hugh Campbell suggested during our first reading group session: "The Megacity Decoding the Chaos of Lagos" by George Packer.

We will be meeting to discuss these texts on 22nd September 7.30p.m. Library Bar, Central Hotel, Exchequer St.
Please email me at nowwhatread@gmail.com to attend.

No. 7 Future Systems? - Review

Firstly I want to thank Florian and Nuala for proposing such interesting material. We had a lively discussion on what our futures may look like. We discussed the future role of architecture and the architect, and whether the fundamental needs of people would really change. Therer was also much debate on the merits of the internet and its all knowing power. Inevitably George Orwell's 1984 came up and it is available online here. Alain De Botton's "The Architecture of Happiness" was also discussed.

Again thanks to everyone for coming, see you next week.

Dearbhla







New American Library photo.

No. 7 Future Systems?

Following on from last week, this weeks readings are all about the future. The Big Here and Long Now
and Unthinkable Futures both by Brian Eno, and proposed by Nuala Flood. Also this week to compliment the readings we have a video (very 21st century) TED talks Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the web proposed by Florian Leavy.





We will be meeting to discuss these on Tuesday 15th September at 7.30 in the Library Bar, Central Hotel, Exchequer St. As always please email me at nowwhatread@gmail.com to attend.

Dearbhla

No. 6 Paris: Invisible City - Review

Our first reading group in the Library bar was a great success. Thank you to everyone for attending and thank you especially to Aideen English for proposing the text. Florian has suggested some TED talks related to our discussion. This one by Steven Lawler on Virtual Earth, which covers some of the mapping ideas we talked about.


And this TEDtalk by Blaise Aguera on Photosynth which relates to the idea of small snippets adding up to give a complete picture of the whole.

Thank you to Florian for suggesting these videos.

Dearbhla

No. 6 Paris: Invisible City

Our first "in town" reading is proposed by Aideen English. It is an interactive piece by Bruno Latour (text) and Emilie Hermant (photos) and is available here.
As Aideen says "It's very interesting for its intersection of photography, space, urban theory and social theory"
Bruno Latour has been described as a philosopher, anthropologist, and sociologist, but it would seem that applying labels to his work would not be appropriate. A brief account of his work is available here, also his own website http://www.bruno-latour.fr/biography.html

We will be reading the first chapter "Traversing" as a minimum, but I suggest reading as much a possible as it does look very interesting and relevant to the dicussions we have been having so far.

We will be meeting to discuss this reading on Tuesday 8th September at 7.30 at the Library Bar, Central Hotel, Exchequer Street.

Enjoy,
Dearbhla