A speculative approach for a fictional and evidence-based story telling of non-human perspectives to create awareness in the field of architecture and urban planning.

Through generating AI images and textes (Dall E / Chat GPU) by writing a text as an input we get images and textes telling the narrative of a non-human actor.

This should trigger the imagination for a better understanding of certain species and their relation to the city.

Hardly any other bird is adapted better to life in the air than the Common Swift. This excellent aerial hunter resembles a swallow but flies at breakneck speed. It sleeps and mates on the wing. With Common Swifts wheeling higher and higher at dusk, it used to be thought that they returned when it was dark or spent the night on the moon. Emil Weitnauer, an ornithologist who lived near Basel, studied the night life of the Common Swift in detail, originally by balloon and aircraft, aided by strong headlights, later by radar.

Film: Apus apus

Image: Final Presentation Master Thesis, 21.12.2022, Zürich, by Liam Buffat

A Manual: Room of Negotiation

Drawings: Europabrücke

Drawings: Milchbuck

Drawings: Sihlhölzli

Non-human narratives: ambrosia artemisiifolia

A. artemisiifolia is an annual herb native to Central and Northern America. It has been accidentally introduced into a large number of countries as a contaminant of seed and grains. A. artemisiifolia typically colonises disturbed land where it produces a large number of seeds which can remain viable in the soil for 40 years or more. The pollen produced by species of Ambrosia is highly allergenic and can induce allergic rhinitis, fever, or dermatitis. As a result, high medical costs have been reported in areas with large infestations in both its native and introduced range. A. artemisiifolia can also invade agricultural land where it acts as a weed in a number of crops (in particular in sunflower, maize, soybean and cereals) and can cause significant decreases in yields.

Film: Ambrosia artemisiifolia

This film essay shows a subjective interpretation and collection of a certain atmosphere showing the characteristics of the Europabrücke.

Film: Portrait Europabrücke

This film essay shows a subjective interpretation and collection of a certain atmosphere showing the characteristics of the Milchbuck area.

Film: Portrait Milchbuck

This film essay shows a subjective interpretation and collection of a certain atmosphere showing the characteristics of the Sihlhölzli.

Film: Portrait Sihlhölzli

Interview excerpt with R. Leber the leading project manager at ASTRA for the City of Zurich.

Interview: ASTRA

Interview excerpt with B. Tschander from the Biodiversity Office of Grün Stadt Zürich. 

Interview: Grün Stadt Zürich

Interview excerpt with P. Mader a project manager at SBB Infrastructure for the City of Zurich. 

Interview: SBB Infrastructure

Library: Booklet

Library: Literature

A performence under the Sihlhölzli looking for pieces of civilisation.

06. November 2022, near Sihlhölzli, Zürich

As a critique of the current state of deatching planning from its place and globalizing the act of designing. The performance and the 1:1 confrontation of human body with its surrounding offers different perspectives to a place.

The performances are here to create a shift in perceiving those edge condition spaces as a monofunctional place and should lead to an imaginative future.
   

All those edge conditions are a product of our latest developments and neglecting parts of our landscape. Particularly the entry point of the highways and their surrounding have been developed from the 1970 onwards creating the current state of fragmentation.

Performance: Collecting Evidence

A performence at the edges of infrastructure reclaiming the space between highways.

12. September 2022, near Europabrücke, Zürich

Performance: Island Vacation

Projection: GIS Layers

Trailer to a Room of Negotiation. Including footage from the final presentation of the Master Thesis on the 21. December 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. 