Mientras más grande es un edificio, más recursos y procesos se requieren para preservarlo y evitar su deterioro. Image © José Tomás Franco
Principle 10: USE AND VALUE DIVERSITY
"Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides." - David Holmgren
In this tenth principle, Holmgren says "don't put all your eggs in one basket," stating that diversity "offers insurance against the variations of our environment."
If we take notice, a city has different types of buildings, with different sizes, configurations, and orientations. Each was intended to respond to the specific conditions of each site and particular user. If instead, we find neighborhoods where absolutely all houses are the same, something is wrong. Why should a house located on the main street be equal to one that is located in a quiet side street with little movement? Why should a home that receives plenty of light from the north be equal to one that is oriented more towards the south? It makes no sense.
Diversity reflects a certain specificity in the responses that each architect has delivered, allowing each project to be designed in accordance with the circumstances surrounding it.
Si en una ciudad podemos notar que existen diferentes tipos de edificios, es porque cada uno de ellos fue pensado para responder a condiciones específicas, correspondientes a cada terreno y usuario en particular. Image © José Tomás Franco
Principle 11: USE EDGES AND VALUE THE MARGINAL
"The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system." - David Holmgren
"Don't think you're on the right path just because everyone else used it." Holmgren is clear to say that the most popular technique does not always match with the best approach. This principle tells us to seize and to value all the opportunities that at first glance don't seem relevant, and to analyze the commission received with open eyes, allowing us to see beyond the obvious.If our project seems to be moving in the wrong direction, it may be good to turn it around completely. If there aren't variables contained within the site that help us to design, it might be good to look beyond the walls surrounding it. On the edges, just by being outside the "norm" (or a centralized look), it could be that a series of spontaneous situations can happen which in most cases are correct because they arise naturally, without pressure or stereotypes. Our designs should arise in the same way; avoiding preconceived ideas and fashions that restrict us to working within certain margins, because we can easily ignore the "key point" of the project.
En los bordes ocurren una serie de situaciones espontáneas que en la mayoría de los casos son correctas al surgir naturalmente, sin presiones ni estereotipos. Image © José Tomás Franco
Principle 12: CREATIVELY USE AND RESPOND TO CHANGE
"We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing, and then intervening at the right time." - David Holmgren
Finally, Holmgren said that "the vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be" and that "understanding change is much more than a linear projection."Although it is a difficult task, as architects we must be able to imagine the future. The buildings we are raising today make up the context for other architects in the following decades and somehow, we are determining what will continue to be used or not.Our responsibility is to anticipate appropriately what is to come and the best way to do this is by making sure that each of our projects helps us orient ourselves, as human beings, to the best possible future.Perhaps if we follow these 12 principles we would be closer to leaving a good legacy. It's just common sense.