Multimedia

A Talk by Dr. Gwynn Jenkins

This talk reviews the evolution of a historic urban site, built on an island in the tropics, with materials to hand and by diverse skills, knowledge and cultural response to place, space and climate, in order to answer three questions. - Was/is a historic urban site, a low carbon environment? If so, how? - How has the pattern changed? - Can past wisdoms be part of a resilient future? With our earth’s ability to support life at tipping point and our climate under stress, it is time to rethink the way we design and use our urban spaces. How can we remove the complexities and return to a simpler more holistic way of life in balance with elements of modernity? Food for thought: old ideas are perhaps not so outdated after all and past wisdoms may offer us a chance for resilient futures.