Rachel Armstrong: Architecture That Repairs Itself?

1. Take-Aways

Armstrong believes that homes and cities should be built with nature in mind. She thinks that the homes should rely on the energy produced by nature and not stay hidden away from it. Homes should be built based upon natural resources that are provided by our Earth more than the man made stuff we use every single day of our lives. It is important to go back to the good natured sort of thing not rely so strongly solely on human technology. Yes, the human brain is beyond extraordinary, but when it takes away from the environment it needs in order to live, nothing is being accomplished. Nature is set in a very delicate balance between providing for the humans and animals and also providing for itself. It is imperative that we take the chance to develop houses and cities that agree with nature so that we stop destroying the only real home we have.

2. Effective speaking techniques

Armstrong speaks in a strong, empowering tone that makes me believe she really knows what she is talking about. At first, I thought it was really strange trying to make cities and houses agree with the environment, but now I understand that it really could be possible. Her tone of voice comes across as someone who knows exactly what they are talking about and that is someone who I would believe.

3. Presentation Style

Armstrong uses her arms a lot when she is talking about something she feels strongly about. She also has a clicker that she can click back a forth between pictures. These pictures aid in her presentation by giving a little more evidence to believe. She shows pictures of the old Victorian models, the way houses used to be build and why it worked. She then shows the flaw and how our new technology has assisted in new buildings and how they could possibly ‘rebuild’ themselves.

4. What Matters

So many green house gas emissions are being evaporated into our future and we speak, move and breathe. These are all affecting the human body as well as the environment in drastic ways. Plants are dying and decreasing drastically along with the endangerment and extinction of animals. What matters is that this is not going to happen overnight and definitely not by just one person. This will take a community of helping hands coming together with one goal in mind. They need to help change the Earth and the people in it one step at a time to creating brighter, bolder future. All of this is going to need to happen eventually, so why not get stated now? This will give everyone time to test the architecture and focus on what needs to be changed and redesigned to make the world a better place. Armstrong states that this needs to be taken only on a ‘case-by-case’ basis which means only the oldest, most rickety buildings are being put to the test now. With a little advancement in technology and some motivated speakers, though, this new technology could be put into not only the old buildings, but the new ones going up, as well.