DESIGNING THE ARK:
DESIGNING THE ARK:
Ecological Architecture
for a Planet in Peril
by Azlan Adnan, MA
https://youtu.be/ZmH0qKSE3eg?si=jK_GLoZSxXghRtm5
https://t.me/suratkhabarbaru/10441
https://t.me/suratkhabarbaru/10442
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Designing the Ark: Ecological Architecture for a Planet in Peril is both a call to action and a poetic manifesto for architects, urban planners, clients, and policymakers at the edge of climate and cultural breakdown. Drawing from the visionary ecological principles of Malaysian architect Ken Yeang, this essay reimagines the role of architecture in an age of ecological collapse—not as icon, but as ark. It argues that architecture must evolve beyond aesthetics and prestige to become functional, life-affirming, and ecologically intelligent—places that do the job well, sustainably, and with care and compassion.
The essay explores the sociological, psychological, and philosophical dimensions of the built environment, evoking thinkers like Edward Casey and Christian Norberg-Schulz to reflect on place, belonging, and Heimat. From Penang to Patagonia, Beijing to Burkina Faso, it examines how leading architects are crafting adaptive, resilient solutions that restore rather than deplete. Emphasising utility and beauty, it challenges the misconception that ecological design is a luxury, and reframes it as an existentialist imperative.
Designed as both inspiration and a strategic tool, this piece helps architects articulate the profound necessity of sustainable design to even the most cynical clients. It affirms that the knowledge and technology to transform our built world already exist—what remains is the will. With urgency and hope, Designing the Ark invites us to imagine a collective future where architecture is no longer complicit in destruction but a vessel of renewal—for all life on Earth.
