GUEST ESSAY: Is Architecture Evolving?

By Hojun Wiitanen

What is architecture? The conceptual misinterpretation of architecture is an “object”. Architecture is not an object and not only a building because buildings are mainly stuff. In my opinion, Architecture is an active connection and a system that initiates a relationship between material spaces and people. Also, it structures that relationship, and it structures what we call the relation between space and organized society. The architecture cannot evolve when people use spaces for the sole use of shelter rather than connecting material spaces and people; therefore, to evolve the architectural value of connecting material space and people, basic human needs should be satisfied. 

In 1995, The movie Waterworld, which was written by Kevin Reynolds, produced an important role related to dystopian movies. The movie is set in a dystopian future where the polar ice caps have melted, causing an extreme rise in water level that submerges virtually all the land under water, forcing the population to live at sea. Waterworld shows the remains of the human civilization that live on dilapidated floating communities known as Atolls and Smokers. The civilization on the poor condition of a giant ship and lack of resources of life created a chaotic culture. Also, in the movie, people believe that there is an imaginary “Dryland” somewhere in the endless ocean. The main narrative follows the characters as they attempt to survive the Waterworld and search for the Dryland. In Waterworld, we see two distinct groups that show extremely different modes of societal structure and behavior, and this is reflected the disparate characteristics of the architecture which they inhabit. Smokers are representing a diminishing architecture that is innately dystopian, while the citizens of Atoll represent an evolving architecture of promise and utopia (figure1).   

Relationship between Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Architecture

Waterworld explains how Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is applicable to architecture. The apocalyptic nature of the of the movie illustrated how space is used primarily as method of survival as opposed to connecting materials and people; therefore, one could argue that the value of the architecture is low in that it only consists of pragmatic structures. Space should be used to create a sense of place that consists of history or an individual’s memory, such aspects increase the value of architecture. In the movie, there are people who have reached basic human needs and seek the utopian promise of the Dryland. The ability to live on dry land provides a sense of safety and security, and its basic human necessity fuels the population with hope on their journey. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology that includes five different stages of human needs. These stages can be visualized as hierarchical levels within a pyramid, and appear as the following in order of importance; physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization (1). The base of the pyramid is determined by physiological needs, which are food, water, air, and sleep (2). The second level of the hierarchy is safety and security, including the needs for shelter, order, security, and predictability (3). The third level of needs is love and belonging, such as needs for companions, friends, family, and identification with a group (5). The fourth level is esteem needs. This category of needs is important to have both honors from other people that results in feelings of prestige, self-esteem, and status, and acceptance that results in feelings of adequacy, competence, and confidence (6). Finally, self-actualization sits at the top of the pyramid. Self-actualization is the instinctual need of humans to obtain the most of their skills and to attempt to be the best they can, such as creativity, spontaneity, problem-solving, and acceptance of facts (7).

Waterworld, the rise of sea level, which creates a lack of space for the people that makes people consider architecture different. Atoll citizens and Smokers’ behavior illustrates how Maslow's hierarchy is related to their architecture. Both groups are living in difficult conditions from an increase in sea-level, but each group shows the different conditions of architecture. The city of Atoll satisfied five levels of human needs, such as physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The city of Atoll provides food, water, and a place for citizens to sleep, which is the first level of Maslow's hierarchy. In addition, scenes in the movie demonstrate the Atoll’s ability to provide a sense of safety and security against the Smokers by using sheet metal to create large water gates, protecting its citizens and essentially satisfying the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy in the process (figure 2).

Throughout the movie, citizens of Atoll are shown as society that has as sense of community with interpersonal relationships and communal events. The fourth, the need for esteem, is shown when Kevin Costner was trying to leave city of Atoll and a guard stops him because of orders from an elder in the community. This evidence shows the role of respect and regard in the community, was can be interpreted as access to esteem needs. The fifth and final level of Maslow's hierarchy of human needs is perhaps most evident in the tree and the recycling pit, which shows evidence of the Atoll’s citizens ability to problem-solve and innovate, representing the stage of self-actualization (figure 3).

On the other hand, the smokers living in the same condition, which is a difficult condition to survive, but they have a totally different architecture. The giant ship home to the Smokers has no private space because the walls are simply a sheet of fabric. It is very similar to a tent but in a lousy condition. In addition, all the architecture was constructed without a consideration for long term usage and no caution of the risks and dangers associated with unstable structures. The purposing of materials and structures in the spaces show no signs of evolution from their initial intended purpose. On the other hand, the City of Atoll uses the previous world materials that are re-purposed to create new systems such as recycling pits to create energy, and the tree which serves as a valuable resource to the citizens. Fishing nets are used as decoration and shade, showing how some items go so far as to serve an ornamental purpose. These two extremely different architectures show a relationship between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs and the development of architecture. The City of Atoll represents sustainable architecture and exercises the idea that a building has a self-operating system, and it produces a resource for people. The architecture in the City of Atoll shows considerations of structures and materials that can last longer than the Smokers’ structure, furthering contrasting the ability to plan for future security. The Smokers’ giant ship is the opposite of the City of Atoll; the architecture does not show any considerations for a sustainable life, instead, the space is built with the only consideration being survival and is therefore inadequately equipped to progress its inhabitants to higher levels of needs (figure 4).

Moreover, the Smokers’ only concern is about an existing resource; gasoline tanks, for which half the space is dedicated to storing. The deck is used as the main gathering space and rooms in which there is no organization of plan — the edge of the deck with a sheet of fabric used for a room along the guard railing. The evidence observed in the components of the architecture shows that the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs has an effect on the behavior of both the Smokers and the citizens of Atoll; when people cannot reach a certain level of human needs, the potential value of architecture is left unrealized. What is left is an architecture that stands purely as an object, absent of memory, character, and identity.

Shanty town and Waterworld

Shanty towns are an example in the real world where people use architecture solely as a means of shelter and survival, they are unplanned urban areas constructed on the edges of a city, with a low quality of living for their inhabitants. Shanty towns are overpopulated, and the high population density of the area creates numerous difficulties, such as lack of space and the extreme struggle for resources such as food and jobs, forcing people into chaotic jobs in the informal sector to earn money (7). Waterworld Smokers are living in a similar condition to those in shanty town; they both inhabit overpopulated ad hoc structures and experience a low quality of life. Overpopulation can facilitate the rapid spread of diseases around the area, and since the spaces are constructed without infrastructure, there is little to no public waste collection, so debris occupies around, and sewage contaminates drinking water, increasing the risk of diseases (8). This also means that resource become more scare and thus more valuable for the people. The issues found in shanty towns result in a deficient quality of life for their inhabitants and make it incredibly challenging to break out of poverty. Also, this way of living prevents people from accessing the meanings of architecture that extend beyond simply shelter. Waterworld demonstrates the dynamics these issues and their effect on members of the society. Food and water are essential resources, and Kevin Costner exchanges that with dry dirt, which is extremely rare items that everyone desires to own it. Also, at the beginning of the movie Kevin Costner purifies the own urine for potable. Also, Waterworld and Shantytown both use minimal material to build their structure. The minimal materials are a scrape of steel pile and corrugated metal, but the intention of using minimal material was lack of resources and it creates uninhabitable space (figure 5).

To conclude, architecture is an active connection and a system that initiates a correlation between material spaces and people. Architecture also consists of a memory and life that is related to the identity and character of the user. Architecture is deeply related to human's daily living; the behavior and personality of individuals is reflected in both function and appearance. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is an example that shows a correlation between human needs and architecture that is evident in the movie Waterworld. In the movie we see how two societies exposed to the same harsh conditions can develop in disparate ways, and the differences are reflected in the characteristics of their built environment. Smokers represent a diminishing architecture, while citizens of Atoll represent an evolving architecture. Smokers do not satisfy Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and their architecture is focused only on survival. On the other hand, citizens of Atoll have satisfied most, if not all, the levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Atolls citizens inhabit an architecture that has evolved to fit in the surrounding environment; it offers the safety of stability and creates the opportunity for growth. Therefore, the value of architecture evolves as societies and communities advance through the needs identified in Maslow’s Hierarchy.

CITATIONS

1. Bob Poston, An Exercise in Personal Exploration: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (the surgical technologist), 347-353.

2. Ibid., 349.

3. Ibid., 350.

4. Ibid., 350.

5. Ibid., 351.

6. Ibid., 352.

7. Shuishan Zhao, Yin Haijie, and Wu Yue. “Reconstruction Issues Research of Harbin Shantytowns.” 1407-1409

8. Alessandro Rossi. “Health Services and Environmental Factors in Urban Slums and Shanty Towns of the Developing World.” 1-17

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Poston, Bob. “308: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.” An Exercise in Personal Exploration: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Accessed December 1, 2019. http://www.ast.org/pdf/308.pdf.

Rossi-Espagnet, Alessandro. “Health Services and Environmental Factors in Urban Slums and Shanty Towns of the Developing World.” Food and Nutrition Bulletin 9, no. 4 (1987): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/156482658700900420.

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Zhao, Shuishan, Haijie Yin, and Yue Wu. “Reconstruction Issues Research of Harbin Shantytowns.” Iccrem 2013, July 2013. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784413135.137.