The following analysis of parasitical architecture is a series of abstracts from a document i found on the net. this is just a general overview of the information contained, but I believe this analysis will help me to conceive proposals for my design in the coming weeks.
-The parasite is selfish since it does not return its host's favor; it is parasitic for its own well being and gives its species an advantage in the long run.
-The parasite has to understand the working of its host and exploit this knowledge in order to survive. Such relation between parasite and host, in which the former takes advantage over the latter, is also imaginable in architecture. However, this cannot lead to the destruction of the host, since this would also mean the end of the parasite.
-The analogy between biological and architectural parasites is limited; Architecture is creative, it will always produce something and can therefore not just merely be at the expense of the host. Architectures intentions are sympathetically for its users.
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Thought: A series of events that may very well become apparent in my design:
Storey Bridge (Host)---------> Building (parasite)--------> Inhabitants (Parasites parasite?)
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-Parasitic architecture can be employed as a mediator between the changes in society on the one side and the urban system on the other.
-Parasite provokes, explores and breaks open both physical and mental boundaries in order to offer opportunities for the elusive and new propositions.
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Thought: How can the parasite be used to enhance the hosts shortcomings. Obviously during construction the storey bridge didn't account for unforeseeable advances in technology/society/styles, how can the parasite link new with old.
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-The immune System- When the parasite is embedded the immune system of the city comes into action, because the parasite always is a provocation against what already exists. Just like architecture, which is passive and needs people to represent it, the city also needs people t defend it. The parasite activates the battle between the people who support the transformation (thus the parasite) and the people who want to maintain the city as it is. They are the ones who are provoke by the parasite.
- Course of life- Life and death of the parasite are depending on the force of the immune system and of the support for the proposed changes. It will disappear if there is too much provocation, if there is too much resistance against the parasite. If however, the parasite does a proposal that is widely supported by the society it will in fact change the physical system of the city. The parasite brings society and the urban structure closer.
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Thought: The definition of parasitic architecture expires in this case: A new structure comes into being.
So does that mean our design has to have some level of resentment, if it integrates seamlessly than could it still be considered a parasite? or does it become part of the host? The parasite should never be depended upon, or ideal for the situation.
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-Symbiosis- Symbiosis means that two organisms live closely together. Parasitism is a version of symbiosis. "two organisms which are phylogenetically unrelated co-exist over a prolonged period of time, usually the lifetime of one of the individuals. The host and the parasite live together, but only the parasite benefits while the host is harmed. The parasite uses its host to comply with its needs of survival and reproduction. But it also understands it host; it knows how to use it to its full potential without killing it.
Mutualism- Mutualism is a more positive form of symbiosis. Both organisms benefit from their relation. Many forms of architecture are a form of mutualistic architecture. The 'parasite' in architecture is usually deployed to meet mutual benefits.
- The parasite is more than just an attachment to the body of the host. It knows all its weaknesses and knows how to manipulate it to benefit form it. To make parasitic architecture work it is important to know he weak spots of the host (the urban systems). At what spot can the architectural parasite be most effective? The architectural parasite also wants to manipulate the host to serve its needs, but that is also the frightening part. Nobody likes to be controlled by an external force. So in architecture it is important to convince the users (of the urban system) of the good intentions of the parasite. A parasite should explore and reveal new possibilities for the urban systems to function. Whe na group of people is convinced of the proposal of the parasite, they ca start defending it and persuade other groups to join them until eventually the parasite is accepted as part of the new urban system.
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