Arcology
May 26, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under Architectural style
Arcology, a portmanteau of the words "architecture" and "ecology," is a set of architectural design principles aimed toward the design of enormous habitats (hyperstructures) of extremely high human population density. These largely hypothetical structures, called "arcologies," would contain a variety of residential and commercial facilities and minimize individual human environmental impact. They are often portrayed as self-contained or economically self-sufficient. The concept has been primarily popularized by architect Paolo Soleri, and appears commonly in science fiction.
The term arcology is restricted mainly to theoretical discussions and fictional depictions, such as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s Oath of Fealty or as elements in video games, such as SimCity 2000, Escape Velocity Nova, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Call to Power II, Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword and Mass Effect.
The first mention of arcology can be found in HG Wells’ When the Sleeper Wakes, published in 1899. A more in-depth description of arcology’s design principles can be found in "The Last Redoubt" from The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. In it Hodgson envisions structures complete with a full artificial ecology, agriculture, and public transport by mobile roadways.
J.G. Ballard wrote a dystopian take on a self contained building which is much like an arcology in his 1975 novel High Rise.
Yet another mention of the term can be found in William Gibson’s 1984 novel Neuromancer. Moreover, the structure Fiddler’s Green from George A. Romero’s 2005 film Land of the Dead is a possible arcology.
Links
- Arcosanti.org – Official Webpage for a prototype arcological development in Arizona.
- Arcology.com – Useful links
- The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (Full text online)
- Victory City
- A discussion of arcology concepts
- Arcology.com ("An arcology in southern China" on front page)
- Arcology ("An arcology is a self-contained environment…")
- SculptorsWiki: Arcology ("The only arcology yet on Earth…")
- Review of Shadowrun: Renraku Arcology ("What’s an arcology? A self-contained, largely self-sufficient living, working, recreational structure…")
- [1] (Arcology discussion group)
- Floating Arcology A design to prevent against rising sea levels.