Paolella
BY WAY OF TECHNOLOGY
Deindustrialization, local culture and ecological architecture
Adriano Paolella (Napoli, 1955), is an architect and an expert in urban and environmental planning; he is also the head of the Italian WWF research department. He teaches technology at the University of Reggio Calabria.
Deindustrialization, local culture and ecological architecture
Economic globalization has affected also those sectors, such as construction, heretofore resistant to fast-paced transformations. This process has effaced the cultural, environmental and social identity of an activity that has always been embedded in specific communities and locales. In buildings construction the traditional artisan component, based on the local-specific skills of its practitioners, has been today almost completely replaced by industrially developed construction materials, components and procedures. The social and environmental impact of this process has been all but negative. Problems generated by climate change have brought to the fore the need to reverse the current approach to construction in order to increase energy efficiency. Less quantity and better quality in construction – reverting to artisan procedures and local-specific solutions – seems to be the only way to ensure a sustainable architecture. A critical approach to technology makes it possible to plan buildings that can both contribute to the solution of environmental problems and help to bring about the cultural renewal of local communities.
Adriano Paolella (Napoli, 1955), is an architect and an expert in urban and environmental planning; he is also the head of the Italian WWF research department. He teaches technology at the University of Reggio Calabria.