The Naked Planet
Last week I watched 'The Human Planet' an amazing TV series documenting how the human species is the only animal to have carved out a life in every habitat on earth. The series reminded me of a book that had a big effect on my own design process titled 'The Naked Ape'. Published in 1967 the book was radical in its day for its zoological analysis of humans. It was the first time I had thought of humans as just another animal on the planet with the book describing how much of our 'civilised' life is constructed to relieve our most primeval instincts.
One of the main roles of architects in society is to enable the rapidly growing human population to live in closer proximity, something that is not necessarily 'natural' to our species. So while functionally an architect must come up with clever solutions to draw light and air deeper into denser living environments there is also an element of joy, spirit or soul which much be uplifted to enhance the monotony of life in the concrete jungle.
