Page 23 - Between light and shade

A knowledge base

rous as they are inefficient for as long as they do
not call into question our society’s philosophical
attitude: all form and little substance. In archi-
tecture, formal and stylistic waves follow each
other, but are only half measures: they are all
naively cynical, including post-modernism, the
“High Tech” movement or the numerous avatars
of deconstructivism.

The current craze, in Europe, for so-called
“passive” buildings is merely an expression of
the latest stylistic wave, to the extent that it is
constrained by legislation and normative docu-
ments, notwithstanding the fact that better
insulation for a building (both its glazed areas
and its opaque areas) and making it as airtight
as possible makes complete sense, on condition
that it is able to breathe. Therefore, from now
on within the European Union, envisaging only
erecting new buildings that produce energy that
is surplus to their own requirements (which
there is also the intention to limit), as called
for by Rifkin, is of critical importance, as long
as powerful energy companies are immedia-
tely required to transport this new widespread
production using coordinated smart grids under
the watchful eye of the European authorities.
Also provided that, and this lies at the heart of
my argument, this new type of construction once
again permits the unrestricted use of our senses
and use of the most dismantlable and recyclable

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