Last night (wednesday 23rd Jan, 2008) I was at UCL’s Darwin Theater to attend a lecture by Geoff Manaugh, the author of BLDGBLOG.
He was speaking as a part of the Bartlett International Lecture series and a very interesting talk it was, though much of the content was of course from his blog. I have taken some quick notes (mostly keywords and the odd phrase) and they are presented here. Also check out Matt’s notes. As always, spelling is probably very bad. sorry.
BLDGBLOG – Darwin Theatre, UCL.
23rd January 2008.
How it started:
Living in Philidelphia, taking a free morning course on Archigram and reading a lot of JG Ballard.
Depressed & Claustrophobic.
Started to write about what he was interested in, what he wanted. -> Changed his life.
Uses blogger as it is free, like sunlight. So does not feel that there is a responsibility to write there, he writes because he wants to.
Climate Map 2071
London will have the climate of coastal Portugal
Building appropriate for the climate, but Canary Wharf is built for the climate of 2009, not 2071.
Climate Change Malancholy – (photographer, Australian, written about in Wired) – uses the term SolNostalgia
The earth is becoming unearthly.
Through climate change the earth is becoming an eco-adventure. A new alien planet.
Hashima- Battleship Islan, Japan. An old mining colony now deserted but you can visit it and wander through the ruins.
Bannerman Island, in the Hudson River, built by an arms dealer. Story/Myth that old gun barrels were used in the building of the place, idea of turning weapons into architecture.
Mansall Towers (??) – Whitstable – end of world war II. Recently an artist got a grant to live on the towers and write poetry.
Private Luxury Off Shore Oil Rig Market (approx $100 million for an oil rig, recent appartment sold in NYC for $70 odd million, Richard Rogers is building $85million appartments in London. Why is no one buying their own oil rig to live in).
Artificial reefs – collaboration between Jordanian and Isrealie scientists.
The reef is branded, OBS. The structures are similar to asronomical equipment, sunk to form reefs.
These reefs are designed to attract people as well as coral etc. So that people would visit the artificial reef rather than the natural one, so as to allow it to recover. A disney reef, simulation.
The future of colonialism is in reef science.
Assembling California – Book – John McPhee
Standing on california you are standing on lost islands. Arnie is the govenor of lost archipeligos.
A view to a Kill. James Bond film. – Terrestrial weaponisation. Baudrillard or Villio must have been involved in the plot 
(see: Battle Beneath The Earth – film (Thanks Matt!)).
The US military are the next Archigram.
Geological pre-history to the war on terror. creation on cave complexes.
‘Instancing Gates’ – Wolrd of Warcraft
Nick Catford – Photographer, Subteranian Britannica
Trap doors – across soverign space tunnels across the mexico/us border.
Non invasive archeology – Ground Penetrating Radar.
Duncan cambell (??) (1985? New Statesman)
Opened a man hole cover on a traffic island in Bethnal Green and then cycled, underground across london to whitehall and back. This manhole cover is now paved over.
Urban exploration – Michael Cook & Silagen – Photographers.
Mars Rover – the landscape photographers of the future.
Comarative Planteology – Kim Stanley Robinson
Naming the planet – Columbia Hills Complex, named after dead astronauts. NASA is implementing Ballards fiction.
Mars Analogue Sites (they are scattered across the earth, there is a book in travelling and documenting these sites. (( WOW! now that is a project that I want to do )) ).
Final Image: The New Zelander – returns to find a ruined london. The centre cannot hold, only those on the outskirts, the edges / fringes still exist.
‘People want to see change’
‘Architecture as a political project’
‘Architect as anthropologist’
‘Architect as researcher’
Rubble – Book – Jeff Byles