François Perrin’s ‘Air Houses: Design for a New Climate’ at the Chicago Architecture Biennial
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French architect François Perrin’s installation for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, “Air Houses: Design for a New Climate,” references vernacular traditions and radical Twentieth century thinkers. Architecture developed in response to nature and civ
François Perrin’s ‘Air Houses: Design for a New Climate’ at the Chicago Architecture Biennial
French architect François Perrin’s installation for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, “Air Houses: Design for a New Climate,” references vernacular traditions and radical Twentieth century thinkers. Architecture developed in response to nature and civilizations was traditionally built to be sustainable, using local materials and engineering techniques that work with, not against, landscape and climate. However, the birth of modernism changed this basic premise. Even if the early ideas of the movement were concerned with air quality and light, the advent of more international styles turned architecture away from the environment and climate in the Twentieth century.The postwar avant-garde architects proposed alternatives like Yves Klein’s “architecture of air” and the techno-utopianism of Buckminster Fuller, which explored new forms and construction techniques in connection with their the environment.François Perrin’s “Air Houses: Design for a New Climate” looks back to look forward, referencing vernacular traditions and radical Twentieth century thinkers, while prototyping a new direction for the design and fabrication of buildings. Suspended in the canopy, these houses demonstrate a lighter, more flexible approach to building structures that not only provide shelter but also interact with climate conditions to optimize comfort and make the most of natural resources. They also provide a framework for plants to grow and become part of the architecture, reactivating the symbiosis between nature and structure.The installation will continue to be on view through January 2018 at the second edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, USA, noted Domus. Read more
