The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect • Hacker News Board

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#61

Post by aaroninsf » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:03 PM UTC

motohagiography wrote: post #18

Solarpunk I suspect is more important that we know, because I think rich subcultures are the seeds of massive growth. It's just some funny drawings and internet fanfic twigging our sense of novelty on HN now, but when you see it as representing the desires and longings of young people for wilderness, and also know people who left cities in the last 10y, they were the thin edge of the wedge, where post-pandemic, young…

This comment moved me more than anything I've read on HN in years.

The neo-utopian evolution of "dropping off the grid" into "mesh networked sustainable resilient community" is a vision and ethos I can get behind. There has been a lot of loose talk in my circles about Foundation-like ideas for surviving the coming dark years, which I think of as "cultural VPN"... this is a very compelling way to articulate some of those and inspire with it.

Going to think about this in the mountains for a few weeks...

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#62

Post by tomc1985 » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:15 PM UTC

svantana wrote: post #58

tomc1985 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that rebellion is from a stimulus of some kind. It's a subculture in rebellion from disenfranchisement, war, fascism, or what-have-you. There is anger and lots of other negative emotions. This vision is too bland and perfect to be 'punk'. 'Avant garde' is a better term, since that is used to describe things 'rebelling' against the current aesthetic. 'Solavant Garde' doesn't have the same ring to it though.

The "what-have-you" in this case is the stronghold that capitalism and tragedy-of-the-commons has on urban society and our way of life. Of course, capitalism could produce such neigborhoods, at least on a small scale, simply because affluent folks will pay for it. But the ethos of solarpunk is to create these environments by taking matters into our own hands. Perhaps a decent analogy from the punk world is magazines…

I don't know, that argument isn't super compelling. It kind of reminds me of that one marketer at SXSW a while back that wanted the whole conference hall to have "idea sex" as some weird way of framing brainstorming or innovating.

Like if yall want to have your utopic fantasies then cool, but if you want to use the punk name there needs to be some raw grit

Besides... light has no meaning without dark to contrast it

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#63

Post by tomc1985 » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:17 PM UTC

goodpoint wrote: post #54

tomc1985 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They need to ditch the 'punk' word if it's not dystopic. Like have these people forgotten what it means to be a punk?

Given Wikipedia's definition Solarpunk fits squarely into the punk ethos: The punk ethos is primarily made up of beliefs such as non-conformity, anti-authoritarianism, anti-fascism, anti-corporatism, a do-it-yourself ethic, anti-consumerist, anti-corporate greed, direct action and not "selling out".

Which is weird because that is absolutely not the vibe that I am getting every time it comes up

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#64

Post by prvc » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:19 PM UTC

wrinkl3 wrote: post #22

There's currently a huge push online to make Solarpunk a thing, as a kind of an optimistic counterpart to Cyberpunk, but I'm skeptical about whether it can attain the same level of cultural traction as the other big *punks. Cyberpunk and steampunk both fetishize aesthetics from the past - 80's corporate Japan and the Victorian Britain, respectively, - there's a sort of nostalgic longing that keeps them culturally rel…

>There's currently a huge push online to make Solarpunk a thing

Its proponents seem to be flogging the Green New Deal, or related policies, but is this spontaneous, done out of conviction, or is it more coordinated?

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#65

Post by q_andrew » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:31 PM UTC

I find solarpunk really interesting. On one hand, it's the most "fresh" aesthetic of futurism we've seen since cyberpunk. On the other hand, most of this architecture isn't environmentally sustainable at all -- the massive amounts of water and energy it takes to keep trees alive on a rooftop is antithetical to an "eco city".

The artists appear to be inspired by fad concept renderings for sky-garden towers that were never built:

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/renderings-vs-reality...

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#66

Post by svantana » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:32 PM UTC

tomc1985 wrote: post #62

svantana wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "what-have-you" in this case is the stronghold that capitalism and tragedy-of-the-commons has on urban society and our way of life. Of course, capitalism could produce such neigborhoods, at least on a small scale, simply because affluent folks will pay for it. But the ethos of solarpunk is to create these environments by taking matters into our own hands. Perhaps a decent analogy from the punk world is magazines…

I don't know, that argument isn't super compelling. It kind of reminds me of that one marketer at SXSW a while back that wanted the whole conference hall to have "idea sex" as some weird way of framing brainstorming or innovating. Like if yall want to have your utopic fantasies then cool, but if you want to use the punk name there needs to be some raw grit Besides... light has no meaning without dark to contrast it

Your idea of what is punk sounds like the mass-marketing by malcolm mclaren. Consider a band like the Buzzcocks, all around friendly looking blokes but they pressed up their own 7" singles, that is the true spirit of punk.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#67

Post by goodpoint » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:33 PM UTC

tomc1985 wrote: post #63

goodpoint wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given Wikipedia's definition Solarpunk fits squarely into the punk ethos: The punk ethos is primarily made up of beliefs such as non-conformity, anti-authoritarianism, anti-fascism, anti-corporatism, a do-it-yourself ethic, anti-consumerist, anti-corporate greed, direct action and not "selling out".

Which is weird because that is absolutely not the vibe that I am getting every time it comes up

Comes up on which media? Very often mainstream media like hollywood or video game industry love to coopt the aesthetic of a movement and water down its message.

People often complain that the idea of cyberpunk is being turned from a protest against a dystopian future to a bland scifi style with fog and neon lights.

Instead, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin is an excellent example of solarpunk.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#68

Post by SquibblesRedux » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:36 PM UTC

q_andrew wrote: post #65

I find solarpunk really interesting. On one hand, it's the most "fresh" aesthetic of futurism we've seen since cyberpunk. On the other hand, most of this architecture isn't environmentally sustainable at all -- the massive amounts of water and energy it takes to keep trees alive on a rooftop is antithetical to an "eco city". The artists appear to be inspired by fad concept renderings for sky-garden towers that were n…

Replace trees with vines and place them mostly on the south side of the buildings and it may be viable. The trick would be engineering a renewable substrate for the vines to grow on.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#69

Post by clairity » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 7:44 PM UTC

JKCalhoun wrote: post #29

gmueckl wrote: post #10

This is the first time I hear the term "solarpunk". So this seems to encompass visions of an optimistic future when exploitation of nature, pollution, climate change etc. And strikingly, looking up the definition made me feel an almost juvenile excitement about an idea again which I haven't experienced in a long time. That made me realize that most contemporary visions of the near(er) future seem so bleak and dreadfu…

Looks to me like leprechaun-land. How cynical I have become. I agree with the sentiment though, just wonder if it would benefit from someone positing a middle-ground that would show a transitional approach. Perhaps some of the larger buildings (I'm thinking of the one with the fountain spilling down it) represent that.

because of the moderate climate, california has a lot of flat roofs. i've long wondered why apartment builders here didn't just plop (and planners allowed) a single family home right on top with enough dirt to grow a lawn and a few plants (with parking put underground). it's the best of both worlds--apartments and single family homes (albeit above ground level) can co-exist everywhere. that'd be one such middle ground.

Re: The Imaginarium of a Solarpunk Architect

#70

Post by aaaxyz » Mon, Jul 19, 2021, 8:34 PM UTC

mym1990 wrote: post #59

Some of the structures in Singapore(Supertree Grove) feel like a step towards this! Although I don't think they are fully there, I would be absolutely thrilled to see more architecture and design like that.

The building the Supertree Grove sits on was designed by Moshe Safdie. A lot of his works feature similar green and open spaces (jewel changi airport, eling park)