The question answer period on the last class before thanksgiving quickly became a conversation on the state of things. Professor Sherman drew an exponential graph and limit graph on the board and we discussed ways of making the transformation easily. After class, I continued the conversation with him about the state of things.
The main point is that our current level of growth in population, wealth, etc. is not sustainable. Eventually, and our estimates were sooner rather than later, the world will meet its limit. Malthus came up with a slight twentieth century adjustment. World population will be rectified by famine, illness, or war, or will be excused due to new technologies.
So how does architecture fit in to this morbid picture. It is not our job to find a new technology to allow more population, it is just our job to make the transition to sustained levels instead of sustained growth as smooth as possible. We can do this by using less energy, as we approach that limit, and using less space. It is our job to make it okay to live in a constant world instead of the twentieth century growing world.
matthimes 