27th September 2013
The New Glut:
Space in the Sustainable and Healthy Home
In 1993 Alison and Peter Smithson coined the phrase ‘glut’ in relation to the ever increasing amount of stuff that people collect. Relating to the British Housing timelines exhibition, presented at the Bristol Architecture Centre, this talk focuses on the provision of storage in the domestic setting, and its relationship to contemporary concerns about sustainable behaviour and health. Only by understanding current trends in the proliferation of artefacts within the home, and identifying how they have contracted and expanded through time, can we propose creative new housing solutions, where the problems of the ‘glut’ of the 21st century are addressed to encourage healthy and sustainable behaviours. This talk, and the British Housing timelines are part of an EPSRC funded research project by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Elena Marco, Associate Head of Department for Architecture and Core Member of the WHO collaborating Centre of Healthy Urban Environments at the University of the West of England, Bristol.