Were the Greek and Roman temples that have lasted 2,000 years overbuilt? I could argue that they were, and far outlasted both their builders and even their societies. Yet…
And a few years ago a group I’m with built a community center on a Lakota Reservation with an 800 year design life. Foam and poured concrete. Only 14 working days total to build the entire 30’ x 40’ structure with a 10’ x 12’ anteroom, including finish work. I think we set some sort of record (of course no permits were required, but we exceeded all known standards by a lot), and with many donated materials and all volunteer labor the out of pocket cost was something like $10,000. Overbuilt? Most certainly. Most structures on the Reservation barely last 50 years. Yet…
And then so many products produced today wind up in landfill within a few years. Underbuilt? No doubt…at least for long term thinking.
My own thinking has been moving towards full life cycle design, where from the very beginning of the concept, the end is contemplated and planned for, with no waste. It would be as though matter is organized for a specific use, is used till finished, then dissolved back into the great matter pool for reuse over and over again.
Thanks for that John. I’m always up for a good urban chicken tale.
Were the Greek and Roman temples that have lasted 2,000 years overbuilt? I could argue that they were, and far outlasted both their builders and even their societies. Yet…
And a few years ago a group I’m with built a community center on a Lakota Reservation with an 800 year design life. Foam and poured concrete. Only 14 working days total to build the entire 30’ x 40’ structure with a 10’ x 12’ anteroom, including finish work. I think we set some sort of record (of course no permits were required, but we exceeded all known standards by a lot), and with many donated materials and all volunteer labor the out of pocket cost was something like $10,000. Overbuilt? Most certainly. Most structures on the Reservation barely last 50 years. Yet…
And then so many products produced today wind up in landfill within a few years. Underbuilt? No doubt…at least for long term thinking.
My own thinking has been moving towards full life cycle design, where from the very beginning of the concept, the end is contemplated and planned for, with no waste. It would be as though matter is organized for a specific use, is used till finished, then dissolved back into the great matter pool for reuse over and over again.
Kind of like organic life.