authenticity and sustainability
au·then·tic
adjective
1.
not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
2.
having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle
Ages; an authentic work of the old master.
3.
entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy: an
authentic report on poverty in Africa.
4.
Law . executed with all due formalities: an authentic deed.
Origin:
1300–50; < Late Latin authenticus < Greek authentikós original,primary, at first hand, equivalent to authént ( ēs ) one who doesthings himself ( aut- aut- + -hentēs doer) + -ikos -ic; replacingMiddle English autentik (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latinautenticus
1300–50; < Late Latin authenticus < Greek authentikós original,primary, at first hand, equivalent to authént ( ēs ) one who doesthings himself ( aut- aut- + -hentēs doer) + -ikos -ic; replacingMiddle English autentik (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latinautenticus
Authenticity, brand and ‘do as I say, not as I do.’
Filtering Brandscapes through a St. Louis lens…
Anna Klingmann’s Brandscapes
cites a NAHB study, which shows “an apparent contradiction between the choices
individual consumers make when buying a home and their recommendations for
smart growth policies.” (P287) She goes on to say “what most homebuyers want,
in essence, is the biggest possible house in the least developed place.”
Survey citations include
that only 27% wish they lived closer to work, only 9% wished they were closer
to public transportation, while only 1 in 20 wished they were closer to the
city. 64%, however, wished they had a larger house.
More from Klingmann’s book:
“Overall a majority of consumers seek out single-family detached housing in a
community of people of similar background and income, explicitly rejecting
housing with mixed-income residents, urban proximity and social variety –
values generally propagated by planners and architects.” (P 288)
Traditional architecture is
what most people want. Size and security (it seems to be that St. Louisans
associate security with location) seem to be trump cards, so most market-rate,
developer driven projects respond to prevailing notions of what will sell. This
is usually the opposite of what architects and designers would like to see – it
is the continuation of sprawl.
Eventually though,’
successful developments’ are repeated with such frequency that they become
tired clichés and their run comes to an end. Klingmann sees branding as a way
to end this cycle by re-marrying the left brain of the developer and the right
brain of the architect into a cohesive unit. (Nice work if you can get it!) She
also indicates that ‘signature’ buildings by ‘starchitects’ based on visibility
and publicity are not enough – she concludes that the market value of
housing…”must engage in a creative dialogue that connects to a broader segment
of the population. Instead of simply presenting a glittering surface,
architecture must project a three dimensional personality, with inconsistencies
and imperfections…When the external appearance of a building aligns with its
internal culture the brand resonates with authenticity.” (P 309)
Klingmann sees ‘branding’
with positive connotations that I find difficult to endorse. In her residential
branding section is a subsection titled: “The Brand Called ‘You.’” From a
philosophical perspective this seems to confuse ‘branding’ with ‘being.’ It is
the co-opting of Sartre’s maxim: l'existence précède
l'essence by those who want to use it to
inspire people to buy things. This does
not surprise me.
The rise of mid-century
modern architecture enthusiasts in St. Louis is an indication that we have
reached the end of another cycle. This is, in part, due to a need/desire for a
feeling of authenticity and uniqueness that many homebuyers value, but cannot
find around the next cul-de-sac of mcmansions with options a, b, and c for
master bedroom layout.
The crash in the real estate
market (about the time Klingmann’s book was published) and the slight move into
focus of sustainability initiatives might indicate a shift in zoning (St. Louis
County’s initiative) and performance (the city and county adopting the 2009
IECC). Alas, this does not represent a majority of potential homebuyers, but it
does represent the governmental changes their elected officials have
introduced.
St. Louis has an interesting
segment of its population ready for something different, some combination of
elements that work together in different ways and help their inhabitants
accomplish goals not previously thought compatible. It is interesting to
witness.
I started this post, as I
often do, with a definition.
Given what we know about
energy efficiency, climate change and other factors related to sustainability
can anyone be in a position to make ‘authentic choices’ about their home
environment without considering environmental impact?
In a sense, none of us is in
a position to question the authenticity of the decisions made by those around
us, but more importantly, none of us is in a position NOT to question the
authenticity of the decisions we make.
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