Futuristic family home by Gonzalo Vaíllo Martínez based on biogenetic forms

Khalsa said:
Ok, so apparently this is more of a mirroring opportunity than I thought. Naturally (for me, at least), now I feel rather embarrassed about posting this in the first place. But I'm going to try and move past that and explore the issue that presents itself here.
Sounds good.

[quote author=Khalsa]
Since it seems that my opinion is not that of the majority in this case, it seems like there is a flaw in my own reasoning here. It seems worthwhile that I should at least attempt to explain my reasoning behind my conclusions, however faulty they may be.
[/quote]

As far as I can see, the difference between the opinion of the responders here with your opinion is not due to reasoning or thinking. I had a visceral reaction looking at the images - one of repulsion and disgust. This was instinctive and immediate. Then when I try to process, understand and then explain "why", I can use reason and thinking. However, more appropriate in this context would be using the rational "feeling" function ( link ) which evaluates the content of what was perceived along with thinking.

[quote author=Khalsa]
What first attracted me to the idea presented in these articles was a theory I'd been kicking around in my head. Architecture and construction (as it exists today), are, generally speaking, rather inefficient and disruptive to the environment. In some science-fiction, I've come across descriptions of societies that had reached such an advanced state that they were able to "grow" their own structures and dwellings, allowing them greater resource management and ecological balance. The idea intrigued me, so I began to wonder how it might be feasible. I do have some thoughts on the matter, but I think to go into detail with them here would only serve as a distraction from the matter at hand.
[/quote]

So you are, perhaps justifiably, dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs in architecture. You are looking for new and better ideas in this area.

[quote author=Khalsa]
Regarding personal aesthetic choice, I admit that some images were far too organic looking, as the predominance of flesh colors made it resemble something like a great beast. In my "personal version", I Imagined something more like a glass, semi-subterranean nautilus shell. My curiosity was more towards the overall idea of organic construction, and how people would feel about living in a "grown" dwelling.
[/quote]

Here it seems that you did not take into account how the design under discussion, the concrete reality here and now, looked and felt but got lost in your own imagination, your own version of how it "could be". This would be part of the difference you are trying to understand.

[quote author=Khalsa]
It should be pointed out that I have read a lot of horror fiction, which has shaped my artistic opinions to a certain extent; my general enthusiasm was more me "geeking out" than anything else (osit).
...................
On a more personal note, I'll be the first to admit I am a flawed individual, sometimes I fear deeply so. So perhaps there is a more significant meaning to my initial attraction to a darker style than what most people would prefer. I've read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King growing up, so certain concepts don't disturb me as much as they used to, as long as they are in a fictional or theoretical context. . Real life horror and grotesqueness are another matter entirely.
[/quote]

I do not think instinctive human reactions to horror and grotesqueness in art/fiction or reality are neatly separated. What we do about these first reactions are of course very different and depends on context. If we internalize images of a repulsive and disgusting nature without realizing at the time that they are so, these images which form a component of our memory exist in our unconscious without the proper evaluative feeling tone associated with them. We can read or learn from others' reactions to such material and intellectually understand they are repellent later, but until they hit us at the level of the body, we will be vulnerable towards moralizing interpretations and intellectual justifications through unconscious selection and substitution.

I felt a difference in your interpretation of the architecture between your first and later post. When your attention was drawn to the fact that people here found the construction repulsive, you perhaps looked a little more closely at how you felt - or thought about how you should have felt about it. Either way, it can be a positive step IMO. Please keep in mind that impressions (what you read, see, hear in the form of books, pictures, music, games, social interactions) are food. We have all been brought up with bad food in this sense, so we are all more or less "flawed". We can however change things by knowledge input and paying attention to reality.

In this context, maybe you could look at the images of the construction again and write down in a private journal the words that come up for you ? Do this by yourself without judging what comes up as right or wrong but reflect on what you come up with after you finish the exercise.
Fwiw
 
Khalsa said:
Ok, so apparently this is more of a mirroring opportunity than I thought. Naturally (for me, at least), now I feel rather embarrassed about posting this in the first place. But I'm going to try and move past that and explore the issue that presents itself here. Since it seems that my opinion is not that of the majority in this case, it seems like there is a flaw in my own reasoning here. It seems worthwhile that I should at least attempt to explain my reasoning behind my conclusions, however faulty they may be.

What first attracted me to the idea presented in these articles was a theory I'd been kicking around in my head. Architecture and construction (as it exists today), are, generally speaking, rather inefficient and disruptive to the environment. In some science-fiction, I've come across descriptions of societies that had reached such an advanced state that they were able to "grow" their own structures and dwellings, allowing them greater resource management and ecological balance. The idea intrigued me, so I began to wonder how it might be feasible. I do have some thoughts on the matter, but I think to go into detail with them here would only serve as a distraction from the matter at hand.

Regarding personal aesthetic choice, I admit that some images were far too organic looking, as the predominance of flesh colors made it resemble something like a great beast. In my "personal version", I Imagined something more like a glass, semi-subterranean nautilus shell. My curiosity was more towards the overall idea of organic construction, and how people would feel about living in a "grown" dwelling. It should be pointed out that I have read a lot of horror fiction, which has shaped my artistic opinions to a certain extent; my general enthusiasm was more me "geeking out" than anything else (osit).

I'll address each reply one by one, for the sake of clarity.

3D Student said:
Too weird, creepy, and cold. It reminds me of the structure of an ant colony. Although very organic in form, I find myself looking for comfort in the hard angled walls of conventional houses. Actual Hobbit houses, made of wood and grass like in the movies, I do however find appealing. I think it's the metal that really throws off that design as a warm home to live in. Wood is much more inviting.

Thank you, this is very informative. I expect a lot of people find similar comfort in traditional angles and regularity of surface in traditional architecture. I myself would prefer the addition of more natural elements, such as wood and grass, to the overall design if I were to live in it.

clerck de bonk said:
Does this design take 3d reality into consideration at all? (ie. construction, materials, weather conditions..., COSTS!)

As I understand it, the whole idea is largely theoretical. It sounds like such factors were taken into consideration, as the designer himself admitted cost alone would likely prevent this as a viable option for now. This was more of an exploratory "what if" scenario, I think. It would certainly take a lot more research in nanotechnology, and possibly genetic engineering, to make anything like this viable.

Laura said:
Khalsa said:
Anyway, what I was wondering is how others would react to making a home in this kind of structure. Are people generally creeped out by it, or are there others who find it interesting, as I do?

After your comments, I was prepared for it to be cool, hobbit-like, whatever. It's not. It's repellant. Ugly. So, I just don't know what to say if you like it. People usually hang out together because they have a lot of things in common, you know, like colinear. So I guess we just aren't colinear here.

Ok, I don't think I should have made the Hobbit connotation. Granted, there's not much of Tolkien to be found in the designer's artistic interpretation; what I meant to imply was that the design was partially subterranean. It's definitely not as friendly. My mistake there, it was not my intention to horrify Tolkien fans, it was more a personal interpretation of what I saw in the concept of organic housing.

On a more personal note, I'll be the first to admit I am a flawed individual, sometimes I fear deeply so. So perhaps there is a more significant meaning to my initial attraction to a darker style than what most people would prefer. I've read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King growing up, so certain concepts don't disturb me as much as they used to, as long as they are in a fictional or theoretical context. Real life horror and grotesqueness are another matter entirely.

This sort of process is an emotional trigger for me. I've been bullied a lot throughout my life, so the whole "peer approval" dynamic is something that gets to me, every time. I know that is neither the purpose nor the intent of mirroring, so I'm doing my best to work through this process. In my desire for clarification and transparency, I may have produced a longer response than the situation warranted. My apologies if this is the case.

If this and/or future posts of mine on this forum are taken as evidence that my interactions are harmful here, I fully respect your right to ban me. It is not my intent to disrupt your work. I hope this is a simple misunderstanding, and nothing more. I am only trying to learn and grow.

I'm totally impressed by the way you are handling this mirror. Mirroring is a big part of what this network is all about. But don't get too down on yourself. I don't perceive anything harmful in your post, apart from that picture of a decomposing dragon :)

Seriously, thanks for explaining the dynamics/thoughts behind your post.
 
Leonarda said:
It reminds me of the "predator's mind" in Castaneda's books in physical form.

It also reminded of the 'shadows' described by Castaneda.

Only a very few humans beings can be spotted on the architectural pictures. Each time these are some dark / black silhouettes.

Basically the architect designed a cold dragon and in its entrails reside shadow humanoid creatures. Quite gloomy eh?

If the architect wants its 'creation' to fit the surrounding environment, he should build it next to Denver airport? :whistle:

2217NPL_house_by_Gonzallo_Vail.jpg
 
Speaking of hobbit houses, an amateur guy built a 500 sq ft dome house in Thailand at a cheap price of about $8K in six weeks. It seems more suited for tropical living conditions but the guy was apparently looking at building in Oregon as well.
_http://inhabitat.com/magical-dome-house-in-remote-thailand-constructed-in-six-weeks-for-just-8000/thai-dome-home-by-steve-areen-01/
 
Khalsa said:
On a more personal note, I'll be the first to admit I am a flawed individual, sometimes I fear deeply so. So perhaps there is a more significant meaning to my initial attraction to a darker style than what most people would prefer. I've read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King growing up, so certain concepts don't disturb me as much as they used to, as long as they are in a fictional or theoretical context. Real life horror and grotesqueness are another matter entirely.
There's quite a bit of those kind of concepts in mainstream culture that I think becomes normalized for many, particularly people who feel especially marginalized or like an outsider.

Khalsa said:
This sort of process is an emotional trigger for me. I've been bullied a lot throughout my life, so the whole "peer approval" dynamic is something that gets to me, every time. I know that is neither the purpose nor the intent of mirroring, so I'm doing my best to work through this process. In my desire for clarification and transparency, I may have produced a longer response than the situation warranted. My apologies if this is the case.
I'm really sorry you were bullied.

I think that can cause a person to shy away from the beauty of nature in this life. Sort of like internalizing the mindset of those who bullied you. So perhaps what you think you 'like' isn't really a part of you but rather a response to externally scary situations in order to prove to yourself that you weren't afraid. This may not apply to you but might be something for you to consider. Anyway, I think you're doing really well in expressing yourself.

Khalsa said:
If this and/or future posts of mine on this forum are taken as evidence that my interactions are harmful here, I fully respect your right to ban me. It is not my intent to disrupt your work. I hope this is a simple misunderstanding, and nothing more. I am only trying to learn and grow.
There's nothing wrong with you.

It's easier said than done, but maybe try to think of this as a great opportunity to find out something new about yourself and perhaps finally be rid of some of those old demons that have been haunting you for way too long now?

Along the lines of houses, I saw this one recently and thought it was pretty neat:

_http://inhabitat.com/couple-leave-their-jobs-to-build-a-recycled-windows-love-nest/

I think when most people think of coming home, they envision a place that is welcoming and cozy. A place where they can feel safe and loved. Everyone deserves that, yes? :)
 
Pierre said:
Leonarda said:
It reminds me of the "predator's mind" in Castaneda's books in physical form.

It also reminded of the 'shadows' described by Castaneda.

Only a very few humans beings can be spotted on the architectural pictures. Each time these are some dark / black silhouettes.

Basically the architect designed a cold dragon and in its entrails reside shadow humanoid creatures. Quite gloomy eh?

If the architect wants its 'creation' to fit the surrounding environment, he should build it next to Denver airport? :whistle:

2217NPL_house_by_Gonzallo_Vail.jpg

Looks like a rorschach test :) I see mutilated human face looking at the left side of the picture and expressing despair and sadness.
 
To me it looks like an interpretation of a nightmare landscape of a sick mind. Yuck :shock:

Gimme the hobbit home any day over this abstract thing that should only be seen in paintings.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.
 
obyvatel said:
Speaking of hobbit houses, an amateur guy built a 500 sq ft dome house in Thailand at a cheap price of about $8K in six weeks. It seems more suited for tropical living conditions but the guy was apparently looking at building in Oregon as well.
_http://inhabitat.com/magical-dome-house-in-remote-thailand-constructed-in-six-weeks-for-just-8000/thai-dome-home-by-steve-areen-01/

Yes, that's much more to my liking as well. It reminded me of this topic: Earth Sheltered Home Design
 
Michael Martin said:
If I found myself inside that house I would first be wondering if some gigantic dragon somehow swallowed me whole and I'm inside it's stomach or other part of its digestive tract. I think it is the undulating walls and flesh color that give me that impression.

Nothing "organic" about it. "No straight lines" does not equal "organic".

Totally agree, if I found myself in there, I'd think I was in the Belly of the Beast. It's like some sort of dark, labyrinthine Dali-esq nightmare. Nothing wholesome or organic about it that I can see. Give me the Shire any day :)

Mrs. Tigersoap said:
Oh, wow, this thing looks like a jumbled mess! :shock:

Well, it's normal to be flawed, we all are. :)
I used to be into 'dark' stuff as well. I liked creepy things (or so I thought). It's important to realize that 'darker' things exist in life but it's also important not to identify with them. Art that glorifies the bizarre, the dark, the empty is ponerized. More and more, younger generations are taught that the dark and the bizarre (or even the horror) is cool while what is beautiful, harmonious is considered bourgeois or corny.

Well said Mrs. Tigersoap.
 
This strongest impression I get from the images is of something that is decomposing, propably not a healthy choice of living space.
Kind of like a stranded version of Moby Dick.
 
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