I recently listened to a lecture given by Architect Bjarke Ingels on TED.com, in which he talks about stories behind three projects that sought to act as physical and interactive environments.

I like his approach in storytelling, because it communicates that his work is more than just aesthetically compelling structures. In addition to being beautiful works of art, the buildings shown in his presentation are functionally conscious of space, resources, and culture. The last project he spoke of is, in my opinion, the most amazing. He and his team are focusing on the Island of Zira, using the seven neighboring mountain peaks of Azerbaijan as inspiration. They designed the land into an inhabitable urban eco-system, completely transforming it from what is now an empty, lifeless mass of land to hopefully a beautiful life-sustaining architectural masterpiece.

Below, I’ve included some screen shots from his presentation that help summarize his ideas, as well as to represent a similar process that many architects, and designers alike, go through.

Ingels brings up this idea of Evolution vs. Revolution. Revolution often implies some sort of movement stepping away from the mainstream, exercising some form of rebellion against it, whereas Evolution implies the gradual adaptation and improvisation of new opportunities that stem from the issues of our ever-changing world. So instead of completely turning away from what we often don’t approve of, we look at it from a new angle and use it to our advantage.

Although Ingels addresses this from the viewpoint of an architect, I see this in almost every project I encounter. As a designer I am constantly searching for ways to bridge form + function with appropriateness + context. That usually means that I am faced with an issue of some kind, but instead of pushing it aside and letting someone else deal with it or hoping it will eventually work itself out, I find a way to accommodate for it in hopes that I can turn it into something useful. One thing I’ve learned through my career is that many problems are potential opportunities, and can be tackled constructively. Much like the leftover projects Ingels mentions. Sometimes a client doesn’t like what you pitch, causing a revisit to the drawing board to come up with a fresh approach. Fortunately, many of those projects can be recycled to meet the needs of other problems in different contexts later down the road, so really nothing is ever wasted.

I found his presentation inspiring. It’s amazing to see this type of approach being played out in this magnitude. Over the past month I’ve seen smaller, but just as compelling, movements happening around the world that take people on a new journey in which they engage in a whole new interaction with space.

I am very interested in this type of social transformation and will continue to post related topics.