The Transcendent City / Richard Hardy

Aug 2010

By Karen Cilento — Filed under: Architecture News ,Videos , Richard Hardy, The Transcendent City

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A recent graduate from London’s Bartlett School of Architecture, Richard Hardy has produced a fascinating animation for Nic Clear’s Unit 15 that pushes futuristic architecture to a new level. Using David Foster Wallace’s ‘Infinite Jest’, a novel that questions certain aspects of Americans’ obsessive behavior – in terms of the intense fascination with entertainment, materialism, technology etc – the studio challenged students to analyze the implications of society’s “obsessive/addictive behavior…to develop tactics to cope with the difficulties of creating an architecture in uncertain times.”

More about the project after the break.

View toward Wind Generators © Richard Hardy

Hardy’s approach responds with a futuristic new world, filled with machines that have surpassed human intelligence. These machines have created a new sustainable city that effectively responds to its environment by obtaining energy from site specific renewable resources.

View toward Nerve Center © Richard Hardy

“The Transcendent City is an autonomous artificial machine that extends across the earth adapting to the natural eco-systems it encounters… The system’s desire is to maintain homeostasis within itself whilst maintaining homeostasis within the greater system, Gaia,” Hardy explained.

Monitoring Device © Richard Hardy

The video comments on our obsession with pushing the limits of technology, yet makes us step back to see how our artificial creations could potentially cooperate with the natural and function as a complimentary system.

Monitoring Device © Richard Hardy

“The project questions whether the conception of artificial intelligence has been a necessity in human evolution and if we therefore should embrace emergent technologies to engage with problems of sustainability and the city,” added Hardy.

What do you think of Hardy’s video?

Jungle of Monitoring Devices © Richard Hardy

Axonometric View © Richard Hardy

Video info: THE TRANSCENDENT CITY from Richard Hardy on Vimeo.

As seen on bldgblog.

Cite:
Cilento , Karen . "The Transcendent City / Richard Hardy" 05 Aug 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 25 May 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/71932>

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jk says:

… ugh.

# August 5, 2010 at 09:17

pero says:

hmmmm…it’s hard to say anything about it. mabey no – i’ve found a word – sick!

# August 5, 2010 at 09:38

gcv says:

Bartlett graduates have distinct style, which I personally enjoy although it’s a bit noir.

Perfect drawings !

# August 5, 2010 at 10:05

Chris says:

Love it, it’s like some kind of robotic nature!

# August 5, 2010 at 11:56

Francisci says:

the question is should we use emergent tecnologies for enviromental issues? the implications of using emergent tecnologies for near future for emviromental issues is quite an interesting question.
We either do solve problem or we just make them worst… that´s the implication of such decision.

i believe we will make them worst….

# August 5, 2010 at 12:58

emmanuel mbo says:

it’s great. couldn’t tell at first but i think an ecosystem without man is,for lack of a better word freaky. may be they could be “hibernating” as the energy resources replenish.

# August 5, 2010 at 20:24

ardancer says: