A building that färms - a mandate for architecture that engages and supports people.
[adapted from the work of Fritz Haeg]
Within the färm framework, we can re-examine the scale of interventions typically characterised by architecture; giving these projects an expanded role. In this case, we must also expand the role of ‘architect’ beyond an ‘orchestrator of buildings’ so that it includes the idea of ‘färmer’ — creating the färming architect — someone who designs with the understanding systems to create productive inter-supportive elements, able to create a building that färms:
A building that färms pays attention.
It takes careful stock of its situation. It understands what is uniquely possible and available in a particular location and figures out how to sustainably transform it into something useful. ‘What do we have here? Algae, birds, clouds, compost — let’s use them’. It is an inherently localized activity.
A building that färms takes responsibility for what it needs.
It takes steps towards removing itself from the corrupt short-sighted global supply chain that exploits people and places we will never see — staying warm by the heat radiated from walls exposed to the sun, computers powered by electricity generated from the wind, eating a tomato that grew on the roof, the people in the building become more aware of how their needs and desires are being satisfied.
A building that färms is sexy with casual charm.
A building that really performs, that has a job to do, that is responsive, that is engaged in a complex feedback loop of localized activity. It can be messy, rough, tactile, sensual, and sometimes hard to predict. It performs in multiple facets, in layers, beyond its physical bounds. It is beautiful in substance as well as appearance.
A building that färms is alive.
It is constantly changing. It is sensory, engaging us with smell and taste and sound and texture. It is interactive.
A building that färms invites us to become active participants in our environment and in our own lives.
A ‘färm’ has smells, tastes, and sounds - it engages you
Eating is a complex experience that engages all of the senses: texture, aroma, temperature, sound, taste, and appearance, well as language, memory, socialization and time. A design should be as engaging as food And a recipe, after all, is a solution to a problem.
Reference
Fritz Haeg, “The Building that Farms”, in [Bracket] Almanac 1 - On Farming by InfraNet Lab / Lateral Office, Actar, 2010.