Colloquium
SUBMITTED BY JMM DATE 01 - 19 - 2010

Attempting to definitively answer the question regarding the existence of a global culture is like fitting the glass slipper onto either of the two evil stepsisters in Cinderella; try as you may, it will not be easy. The whole point of this question, I believe, is to keep us actively inquisitive and attentive throughout our journey with the hopes that we will begin to collect evidence through our sketches and observations. The first few pieces I have collected that support the idea of a global culture/set of design principles are: Landforms and plants, sports, and sustainable design principles. Landforms & Plants: Walking the cities and riding the trains offer great opportunities to observe the vegetation that grows in the area and the lay of the land. Looking at the orange trees in Seville make me think of the orange trees in Florida or California, while seeing the mountains of northern Spain & southern France remind me of Colorado or northern Ontario. These objects, however insignificant, provide a sense of familiarity and 'unity' between any number of different places. Sports: It is hard to be in Spain (or simply Europe in General) and not be exposed to the incredible world of football (or soccer as we call it). Being a player of the sport for over 19 years, it reminds me of my many seasons playing back home and how the rules are exactly the same. There are hundreds of sports that are played all around the world and they literally bring nations together at times of international competitions like the Olympics. Right now Vancouver is being flooded by athletes and spectators from all over the world for the 2010 winter games. It is a time when nations share the field, seats and television screens to partake in the same event, and share a moment together. Sustainable Design: Though we may talk about it like some incredible revelation in our studio projects, natural ventilation and passive heating are far from new ideas. While I was at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the guide was telling us about these beautiful decorative bits that appear to be windows, but are in fact vents to release hot air and allow cool air from the courtyard to enter the space (image 1, but rotated clockwise). This is an idea that still exists today and is used all over the globe; a design principle that is shared by multiple different cultures.