Into Complexity. A Pattern-oriented Approach to Stakeholder Communities

The NWO-programme ”the societal aspects of genomics”, has called for stronger means of collaboration and deliberative involvement between the various stakeholders of genomics research. Within the project group assembled at the University for Humanistics, this call was translated to the ‘lingua democratica’, in which the prerequisites of such deliberative efforts were put to scrutiny. The contribution of this thesis has taken a more or less abstract angle to this task, and sought to develop a vocabulary that can be shared amongst various stakeholders with different backgrounds, interests and stakes for any complex theme, although genomics has more or less been in focus throughout the research. As ‘complexity thinking’ is currently a theme in both the ‘hard’ sciences as the social sciences and the humanities, and has always been an issue for professionals, this concept was pivotal in achieving such an inclusive angle. However, in order to prevent that complexity would become fragmented due to disciplinary boundaries, it is essential that those aspects of complexity that seem to return in many discussions would be made clear, and stand out with respect to the complexities of specialisation. The thesis has argued that the concept of ‘patterns’ applies for these aspects, and they form the backbone of the vocabulary that has been developed. Especially patterns of feedback have been given much attention, as this concept is pivotal for many complex themes. However, although patterns are implicitly or explicitly used in many areas, there is little methodological (and philosophical) underpinning of what they are and why they are able to do what they do. As a result, quite some attention has been given to these issues, and how they relate to concepts such as ‘information’,‘order’ and complexity itself. From these explorations, the actual vocabulary was developed, including the methodological means to use this vocabulary. This has taken the shape of a recursive development of a so-called pattern-library, which has crossed disciplinary boundaries, from technological areas, through biology, psychology and the social sciences, to a topic that is typical of the humanities. This journey across the divide of C.P. Snow’s ‘two cultures’ is both a test for a lingua democratica, as well as aimed to demonstrate how delicate, and balanced such a path must be in order to be effective, especially if one aims to retain certain coherence along the way. Finally, the methodology has been applied in a very practical way, to a current development that hinges strongly on research in genomics, which is trans-humanist movement

New Models of Higher Education

Education, Higher--Planning. | Education,Higher--Evaluation. | Universities and colleges--Planning. | Universities and colleges--Decentralization. | Academic achievement

Casco Bay Weekly : 16 December 1993

https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/cbw_1993/1045/thumbnail.jp

Approccio bioclimatico

La concettualizzazione dell’”approccio bioclimatico” alla progettazione edilizia, nell’ambito della letteratura scientifica, trova una prima e specifica formalizzazione negli anni sessanta, soprattutto conseguentemente alla spinta e all’influenza di innovativi studi condotti da V. Olgyay e B. Givoni , benché specifiche indicazioni circa l’importanza degli approcci progettuali basati sullo studio dell’interazione tra architettura e clima, risalgano all’opera di Vitruvio “De Architectura”, trattato scritto nel II sec. D.C. (libro primo: “la scelta dei luoghi salubri”, “L’orientamento della rete viaria rispetto alla direzione dei venti”; libro sesto: “L’edilizia privata in relazione a climi e latitudini”) e, nel corso del XX secolo, siano state illustrate e sottolineate da architetti quali W. Gropius , F.L. Wright (nelle “Usonian House”, dove ci si basa su un alternativo sistema di sfruttamento dell’energia solare e dei moti convettivi dell’aria per il condizionamento invernale ed estivo dell’edificio) e, in Italia, teorizzate da studiosi come G. Vinaccia e G. Rigotti . Nonostante la formalizzazione di importanti studi tesi a confermare e valorizzare l’importanza dell’approccio bioclimatico nella progettazione architettonica e urbanistica, definendone i principi e le caratteristiche peculiari, per molti anni si è continuato a progettare ed edificare in maniera poco sensibile a tali istanze e approcci: “…nessuno si azzarderebbe soltanto a pensare di costruire un edificio senza il necessario controllo statico. Eppure non si è ancora convinti della utilità di progettare tenendo conto dei parametri del benessere in generale e di quello termico in particolare...Si progetta e si costruisce ancora senza preoccuparsi ad esempio dei rumori e delle vicende climatiche alle quali l’edificio verrà assoggettato. Si ha una fiducia illimitata nello spirito di sopportazione da prova di nevrosi dell’utente medio e si confida nelle capacità risolutive dell’impianto….” (D. Del Bino, 1983). Attualmente, la presa di coscienza delle conseguenze, di ordine ambientale (cambiamenti climatici, esaurimento delle risorse energetiche non rinnovabili, ecc.) alle quali ha progressivamente condotto questo atteggiamento culturale, ha portato alla definizione di normative di livello comunitario (recepite diffusamente dai vari Paesi) che pongono importanti vincoli alla progettazione delle nuove realizzazioni edilizie e degli interventi di ristrutturazione di rigenerazione urbana e dell’edificato preesistente. L’”approccio bioclimatico”, è stato quindi rivalutato e ricaricato di nuove e importanti valenze in funzione degli obiettivi di contrasto ai cambiamenti climatici in corso, al centro dei quali, la tematica energetica riferita al contesto costruito, riveste un ruolo fondamentale e sostanziale, soprattutto in relazione al fatto che “L’energia impiegata nel settore residenziale e terziario, composto per la maggior parte di edifici, rappresenta oltre il 40% del consumo finale di energia della Comunità. Essendo questo un settore in espansione, i suoi consumi di energia e quindi le sue emissioni di biossido di carbonio sono destinati ad aumentare” (premessa alla Direttiva 2002/91 CE del Parlamento Europeo sul rendimento energetico nell’edilizia ).The conceptualization of the "bioclimatic approach" to building design, in the context of scientific literature, finds a first and specific formalization in the sixties, especially as a result of the thrust and influence of innovative studies conducted by V. Olgyay and B. Givoni, although specific indications about the importance of design approaches based on the study of the interaction between architecture and climate, go back to the work of Vitruvius "De Architectura", a treatise written in the second century. A.D. (first book: "the choice of healthy places", "The orientation of the road network with respect to the direction of the winds"; sixth book: "Private building in relation to climates and latitudes") and, during the twentieth century, have been illustrated and underlined by architects such as W. Gropius, FL Wright (in the "Usonian House", where it is based on an alternative system of exploitation of solar energy and convective air motions for the winter and summer conditioning of the building) and, in Italy, theorized by scholars such as G. Vinaccia and G. Rigotti. Despite the formalization of important studies aimed at confirming and enhancing the importance of the bioclimatic approach in architectural and urban planning, defining its principles and peculiar characteristics, for many years we have continued to design and build in a way that is not very sensitive to these requests and approaches: “… no one would just dare to think of building a building without the necessary static control. Yet we are not yet convinced of the usefulness of designing taking into account the parameters of well-being in general and of thermal well-being in particular ... We still design and build without worrying, for example, about the noises and climatic events to which the building will be subjected . You have unlimited confidence in the spirit of neurosis-proof endurance of the average user and trust in the resolving capabilities of the system .... " (D. Del Bino, 1983). Currently, the awareness of the environmental consequences (climate change, depletion of non-renewable energy resources, etc.) to which this cultural attitude has progressively led, has led to the definition of community-level regulations (widely implemented by the various countries ) which place important constraints on the design of new buildings and urban regeneration and pre-existing building renovation interventions. The "bioclimatic approach" has therefore been re-evaluated and reloaded with new and important values ​​in relation to the objectives of contrasting climate change in progress, at the center of which, the energy issue referred to the built context, plays a fundamental and substantial role, above all in relation to the fact that “The energy used in the residential and tertiary sector, composed for the most part of buildings, represents over 40% of the final energy consumption of the Community. As this is an expanding sector, its energy consumption and therefore its carbon dioxide emissions are destined to increase "(introduction to Directive 2002/91 EC of the European Parliament on energy performance in buildings)