Koen Olthuis as Keynote speaker at the 1st symposium of design for living with water
“A drop of water,
if it could write out its own history,
would explain the universe to us.”
Lucy Larcom
Water is the main life source for human being starting from birth. Throughout the history this vital element effected every field of life as well as the discipline of architecture and design, which have the mission to create comfortable and livable spaces for human. It is observed that apart from alternative living spaces to terrestrial architecture in traditional forms, during the recent years, the studies which include the analysis as to space hotels, floating spaces and effects of spatial characteristics of pole stations on the users have increased. One of the reasons for this, is that people’s need for alternative living spaces and resources has come up. The association of the concept of human-space-water is being considered together more frequent day by day.
In Recent years there is a growing focus on living with water due to the extreme climate changes, rising density, economical trends and sustainability problems. Scientist and futurists from all over the world are indicating the solutions for living with water and predict that the relationship between human and water will increase. Not only the countries which have the risk of flood, or rising sea levels, but also the other countries which has the probability of effecting by the climate changes are taking into consideration water based solutions. Also the flow of the capital and changing human life style requirements show us the water as an alternative living space.
Although the concept of living with water seems revolutionary the human relation with water is not a new trend. In the scope of this symposium, different integration types of water to spaces from the vernacular models to floating homes wil be discussed. As a respond to the world’s sustainability problems, from both economical, socio – cultural and also the ecological, we need to understand the importance of living with water. As the designers and engineers of the “climate change generation” we have the responsility to look at the past, present and the future and ask the opportunities of water that we could apply, inform and transform to our designs.
We invite designers, architects, engineers, sociologists, students and everyone who feel the need creating solutions sensitive to climate change and for sustainable future of the world on particulary design with water.
Koen Olthuis was one of the Keynote speakers of this 1st symposium hosted in Istanbul.