Course: Unit XV Local Adaptation
‘Local adaptation’ is when a population of organisms has evolved to be more well-suited to its environment than other members of the same species. We seek the same outcome in architecture, an architecture of local adaptation to climate, culture and context.
We aim to explore this topic by combining two approaches: through making and the hands-on engagement with a particular place, a local material and close observation of on-site phenomena (a low-tech analogue approach) and through the use of digital tools for analysing, drawing and making, such as Grasshopper, Ladybug, 3d printing and scanning.
The key outcomes of the unit have been to gain a deep understanding of the architectural and functional requirements of a particular place, capitalising on our experience producing architecture that is locally adapted to climate, context and culture, combined with access to world-class expertise in digital fabrication and computational design. Individual projects have evolved from the close observation and analysis of an environmental condition and have been made from a local material-using digital tools.