Structured Growth and Grown Structures

Abstract

Anything living or growing – from spore, to fruit, to soil, to compost – experiences constant pressure to transform. Similarly, the will to improve our living conditions, extend our lives, or even create a piece of music, involves coercing certain changes in the environment. Technology currently meets this pressure through a pattern of obsolescence and incremental upgrades, guided by a logic of novelty and reinvention. In contrast to living systems, our technological growth rarely involves cyclical processes; new technologies don’t often feed on the detritus of the obsolete.

As people living in highly technological societies, it is our responsibility to maintain a balance between the needs of living environments and the requirements of their “cultured” inhabitants. This can include improving the condition of the environment, developing “greener” technologies, adapting our lifestyles to minimise environmental impact, or affecting people’s perceptions by raising awareness through engaging media and art works (from film to games to graffiti).