Given the ongoing climate and socio-ecological emergencies, it is paramount to support a socially just rethinking of the world we inhabit, which is intrinsically dependent on the health of the earth’s systems. This requires a radical transformation of the role of environmental designers in developing propositions, mitigation strategies and advocacy initiatives.
This issue of AD explores the principles behind the Green New Deal and how they apply to the architectural and landscape professions. Whatever form the Green New Deal will take and is taking, it will be materialised through infrastructure, buildings, landscapes and various other constructed forms. The contributors to this AD examine the theoretical frameworks and design practices within which the protocols of the Green New Deal could be integrated. Initially, such a goal requires a survey of the available design tools and methodologies necessary to achieve a transition to a decarbonised economy in an equitable manner. The articles feature design practices who are transforming their existing modes of operation to work in environments were fossil fuels are kept well below ground, and to explore renewable forms of local, regional and planetary urbanisation.
Contributors: Lindsay Bremner; Miriam Brett and Mathew Lawrence; Billy Fleming, Christina Geros, Jon Goodbun and Godofredo Enes; Kai Heron and Alex Heffron; Jane Hutton; Daniel Kiss and Swadheet Chaturvedi, Elena Luciano, Yasmine Yehia and Rafael Martinez, Liam Mouritz and Alex Breedon; Clara Oloriz; Manuel Shvartzberg Carrió; and Troy Vettese, Drew Pendergrass and Filip Mesko.
Featured architects: Groundlab, Monsoon Assemblages, and Julian Siravo.
Jose Alfredo Ramirez is an architect co-founder and director of Groundlab (recently placed as a design laboratory within the AA) and Co-Director of the Landscape Urbanism MArch/MSc Graduate Programme at the Architectural Association. He studied Architecture with honours in Mexico City and a Landscape Urbanism MA at the Architectural Association.Over the course of his AA Landscape Urbanism directorship, the programme has been transformed from a master in arts into two degrees: masters in science and in architecture, adding a number of research areas and degrees of resolution. In terms of research areas, the programme has expanded into contemporary cartographic practices (projective, remote sensing and participatory cartographies), digital and physical simulations of landscape dynamics (numerical models in riverine, arid and coastal landscapes), and European landscape policies and its impact in the built environment (cities, metropolitan, areas and productive landscapes). The master has also delved into the concept of territory to understand the social, legal, economic, and political aspects of Landscape Urbanism as a discipline, proposing unique design thesis that deal with large territorial scales through to architectural and landscape proposals.At Groundlab, At Groundlab, he leads research design projects on how the built environment impacts climate change, landscape design and urbanisation in the global south and has led the development of projects at the junction of architecture, landscape and urbanism in a variety of contexts such as Argentina, Chile, China, Mexico, Spain, Russia, Chile, UK among others. He has experience working in large-scale urban projects such as the redevelopment of a 12km distance of Santiago de Chile's main avenue, Alameda/Providencia into an integral transport and urban corridor, envisioning how a Green New Deal will impact in Glasgow UK.Alfredo has published and lectured worldwide on landscape urbanism as well as the work of Groundlab.Jose Alfredo is a dual Mexican and British citizen and has published several articles in English and Spanish, including the book Critical Territories as well as given lectures on the topic of Landscape Urbanism and the work of Groundlab worldwide.
