Overview of Theses

From the brief of Project 2:

"For this project you will be given a "critical design" brief. In teams, you will devise and construct a public installation adopts a utopian or dystopian interpretation of one of the following theses;"

Below are the theses which have been presented within the brief and statements relating to them for supporting, denying, challenging and defending.

1. "Our modern built environment drains joy from our lives"

Support: Quickly erected high rises and dull concrete covering inner city surfaces along with cookie cutter suburban landscapes are draining to our joy with everything appearing sterile and not giving people an outlet for inspiration.
Challenge: Our modern environment doesn't drain joy from our lives. Parts of the environment are designed to please and excite the people. From architecture to social media, people are very aware of making spaces that enhance and improve our lives with implementing green areas like parks and gardens to let people escape the dull and draining.
Deny: The modern build environment is stimulating to the senses and making us always look around to see what is constantly moving and changing around us.
Defend: The modern environment isn't designed to last. We are constantly concerned that the environment we have will fail and will need to be replaced shortly. Unfortunately it will be replaced by something inferior once again.

2. "Public spaces are anti-social spaces"

Support: In large spaces, people over time will gravitate  into groups and spots which form cliques that then start to become insulted within themselves.
Challenge: Public spaces encourage people within them to act as part of a greater community and not just a cross section of the community.
Deny: What is the point of a public space were people are going to congregative they choose to be anti-social when they arrive?
Defend: Public spaces have become areas for people to individually go to to find space for themselves and escape other areas which they deem to be undesirable. When at these locations they choose to interact with personal devices or enjoy time alone.

3. "Society has too many prohibitions and too few invitations"

Support: Everything we do as a society is automatically judged and criticised long before it is accepted.
Challenge: Society doesn't involve without the advent of being asked to do something new and different.
Deny:  It is not society, but people who invite themselves to change and alter their perceptions of society and limit their own prohibitions on themselves.
Defend: Without restrictions, people will start to behave in chaotic ways with no thought of the consequences of their actions over time.