Layering

Much of American life in the early 21st century could be characterized as chaotic, frenetic, multi-faceted, even placeless. We are constantly on the move in the overloaded storm of the information economy. This is a new phenomena for human beings, and as such, we also have an equally innate desire to seek calmness, refuge, and a place apart. We can tolerate only so much pandemonium before bad things happen. The spaces in which we live and work should not exacerbate this condition, especially since the built environment frames much of our lives. We need balance. In this new economy, much of what passes for building has little regard for its impact on the land, use of natural resources, or even how well it works. This is especially alarming in light of dramatic global climatic change. Displacement of nature continues as the order of the day; it seems land has been replaced by real estate, meaningful building replaced by style. Gone is a reverence for what, where, and how we build. For architects in the face of this global crisis, there is a moral impairative to tread lightly and to give more than lip service to real stewardship of the earth. Our very existence may depend on it.