Many solutions can be found by looking back to previous eras. Not just in different approaches to using materials such as hemp, cotton, organic dyes etc., but also in the design forms – window sizes, using curtains to provide insulation to save energy and so on.
Looking back can also show the faults of previous designs – the Bauhaus for example had a reputation for being very cold in winter (all those metal framed single glazed glass walls) and very hot in summer (uncontrollable solar gain). Even the Bauhaus used solutions from the past – its window opening system for example is similar to the system used in Victorian greenhouses.
However what is missing form the equation is the spark that mixed disciplinary approaches can bring –artists architects, and designers working collectively. My next article will lift a curtain on how this might change thinking
Patrick Goff
